PLATFORM : Refuge
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Passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986 gave the opportunity for some early Salvadoran refugees to gain American citizenship and permanent residency here.
But there are many thousands of refugees who were not able to do so. We must make certain that the temporary protected status now afforded them by law must be continued beyond its June expiration so that they can remain in this country and receive work permits.
Peace is welcomed in El Salvador, but economic chaos and instability will continue for some time. It would be criminal to force a sudden return of more than (500,000) refugees, to be absorbed into the economy of that beleaguered nation all at once. Our government must allow individuals to return to El Salvador, but they should not be forced to return while economic and political conditions remain uncertain and unsettling.
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