Harry Reid: “Amid all the discussions about reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy for us to lose sight of other…”

“Amid all the discussions about reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, it is easy for us to lose sight of other humanitarian crises. One particularly pressing yet overlooked crisis is taking place right here in this hemisphere. For almost 40 years, an internal conflict has ravaged Colombia. Rebel and paramilitary groups designated as terrorist organizations by the State Department have committed thousands of kidnappings, executions and other brutalities. With an estimated combined force of 25,000 insurgents, they have disrupted life throughout the country and have displaced nearly 2 million people, creating the third largest internal refugee crisis in the world. The Colombian people are doing everything in their power to fight the rebels and rein in the paramilitaries, but the conflict shows no signs of ending anytime soon. We should continue to help Colombia battle the terrorists in its midst. In the meantime, however, it would be unconscionable for us to forcibly deport law-abiding nationals currently residing in the United States, thereby placing them in danger of being tortured, kidnapped, or even murdered upon their return to their war-torn homeland. The bill I am introducing today will grant many of these people temporary protected status from deportation until it is safe for them to return to Colombia. The bill will not grant amnesty to any illegal aliens, nor will it place any immigrants on the path to citizenship.”