Jon L. Christensen: “I am here this morning to call on my colleagues to include the provisions of the Immigration Fairness Act in the final…”

“I am here this morning to call on my colleagues to include the provisions of the Immigration Fairness Act in the final Commerce-Justice bill. In my district as in all of yours, we have families that have been awaiting reconciliation with their loved ones for years. Families need to be together. It is also unreasonable for someone to be made to leave the country to apply for a change of status here. It creates undue hardship, and it just makes no sense. We witness even in our small community the different ways that immigrants in the Caribbean are treated by Federal agencies. Illegal entries from the other side of the globe get preferential treatment compared to, for example, Haitian immigrants from our own region. Lastly, we have asked for years for a shopping visa so our Caribbean neighbors could visit the U.S. Virgin Islands for short periods. The visa waiver program has been made permanent, and the Caribbean is still waiting. The provisions of the bill would finally bring fairness to the process, support families and finally see our neighbors from the Caribbean, Liberia and Central America treated fairly. It must be a part of the conference report.”