Immigration Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims Act of 2005

IMMIGRATION RELIEF FOR HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - September 21, 2005)

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 3827 was introduced by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner); the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers); and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mr. Speaker, among the many tragic consequences of Hurricane Katrina, immigrants and foreign visitors lost important immigration benefits; as the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) indicated, spouses who had filed family-based visa petition on behalf of their family members who may have died, and that obviously nullifies those petitions. This bill would provide special immigration status for the surviving family members.

Another example is the plight of foreign students who lost their schools in the hurricane. This bill would allow them to continue their student status at a new school if they can resume their studies by February 1. This bill was the result of bipartisan cooperation, and I urge my colleagues to support the Immigration Relief for Hurricane Katrina Victims Act of 2005.

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