Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA) together with Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA)  announced today the introduction of the Central American Security Act (CASA), bipartisan legislation that will permit the government to give legal status to certain Central Americans who are long-term residents of the United States.

 

“In 1997, Congress extended a helping hand to immigrants fleeing the political and physical devastation in their home countries of Nicaragua and Cuba,” said Berman.  “Despite similar political circumstances in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, immigrants fleeing these countries were not granted the same benefits.”

 

“As a result, there are many undocumented Central Americans in the United States today who are hard-working, taxpaying, long-term residents with no way to regularize their immigration status,”  continued Berman.  “This legislation would give Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans the same opportunity to adjust their immigration status already afforded Nicaraguans and Cubans."

 

"Key U.S. foreign policy and national security interests in Central America are served by this legislation," said Berman .  "After suffering through a string of brutal civil wars, these countries now have moderate, democratically-elected governments.  They have made great progress in respecting human rights and the rule of law.  Yet these emerging democracies remain fragile, ravaged by natural disasters and beset by economic hardship.  We must do what we can to help and nurture them."

 

"Hard-working Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Hondurans in the U.S. send billions of dollars home to their families every year," noted Berman. " These funds strengthen democratic institutions and  provide for basic human needs.  They amount to far more than we could ever hope to provide in foreign aid.  Cutting off these remittances would renew economic and political instability in the region, undermine efforts to combat terrorism and drug trafficking, and generate massive new migration to the U.S."

 

“I very much appreciate the work of my Republican colleague, Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia, on this legislation as well as the strong bi-partisan support already indicated by other members of the U.S. House of Representatives," said Berman.

 

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