Res. No. 1432 Title Resolution urging Congress to pass H.R. 4681 and calling upon the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite the issuance of green cards for the approximately 2,000 Syrian-Jewish refugees who fled persecution for a new life in the United States. Body By Council Members Nelson, Dear, DiBrienza, Eisland, Fisher, Freed, Henry, Lopez, Marshall and Golden; also Council Members Koslowitz, Leffler, Linares, Michels, O'Donovan and Povman Whereas, For decades, the once thriving population of Syrian Jews had been held virtual hostages in their own country, persecuted, violated and denied any freedom of movement due to Syria's harsh government policies; and Whereas, The few thousand Jews that remained in Syria in recent years were arrested on the mere suspicion of intention to leave the country and even after the situation improved, Jews could not travel abroad with their families; and Whereas, In a good will gesture following the Persian Gulf War, the late Syrian president, Hafez el Assad agreed to loosen the emigration restrictions on Jews and nearly all 4,000 Syrian Jews chose to seek a new life in Europe and America; and Whereas, Liberated from the oppressive Syrian regime, approximately 2000 Jews came to United States, only to hit the brick wall of bureaucracy; and Whereas, Soon after their arrival in the U.S., these refugees, who were welcomed into our country with open arms by President George Bush, Secretary of State James Baker, Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Alfonse D'Amato as well as the entire U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, applied for green cards which would have allowed them the right to obtain gainful employment to provide for their families; and Whereas, Nearly eight years after they applied for their green cards, these men and women, approximately 600 of whom have settled in New York State, have been victims of the bureaucratic red tape of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and still do not have their green cards; and Whereas, The Immigration and Naturalization Service has failed to carry out the great American promise of justice that was initially offered to these refugees by mishandling the processing of their green card applications, failing to issue their green cards in a timely manner, and thereby denying their rights and privileges that should have taken effect years ago; and Whereas, Many of these refugees are professionals who are unable to practice in their respective fields that include medicine, dentistry and pharmacology without a green card; and Whereas, An amendment to the immigration bill H.R. 4227, set forth by Congressman Anthony Weiner was recently introduced in response to a resolution that was sponsored by New York State Senator Carl Kruger and unanimously adopted by the New York State Senate; and Whereas, Now a separate bill, H.R. 4681 is currently before Congress, and if passed, will end the ongoing plight of these refugees by expediting the green card process and correcting the disservice that has befallen them since their arrival in the United States; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York urges Congress to pass H.R. 4681 and calls upon the Immigration and Naturalization Service to expedite the issuance of green cards for the approximately 2,000 Syrian-Jewish refugees who fled persecution for a new life in the United States. MW:bg LS#3126 6/21/00 |10
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