***** Reformatted. Please distribute CLINTON/GORE ON IMMIGRATION No part of the American story is richer and none more important to preserve than our proud tradition of responding to the yearnings in all people for personal freedom, political rights, and economic opportunity. The end of the Cold War has not brought an end to persecution or to the plight of refugees. civil and ethnic strife, repression, poverty and environmental degradation continue to cause upheavals. A Clinton/Gore Administration will support policies that promote fairness, non-discrimination and family reunification, and reflect our constitutional freedoms of speech, association and travel. While we must be generous, we cannot admit all who want to come. Priority should be given to reunifying families and attracting refugees and workers whose skills are needed. Reunite families * Make family reunification the cornerstone of American immigration policy. * Eliminate backlogs which separate husbands and wives and their children. Their present two year wait for a visa is intolerable. * Reduce the unreasonable backlog for extended family members - which can be as long as 15 years. Support American Workers * Meet our first obligation - to recruit, train, and maintain the competitiveness of our own work force, and to ensure that immigration laws do not displace American workers. * Ensure that temporary worker programs are not used to displace American workers or to undermine our union organizations. * Maintain immigration laws that enable employers to obtain the workers they need where labor shortages exist. Fight discrimination * Make it a top priority of a Clinton/Gore Administration to vigorously enforce our labor and anti-discrimination laws. * Work to get rid of sweat shops and abusive farm labor contractors - not only to help control immigration, but also help all Americans. Enforce and improve border controls * Enhance the enforcement of the laws controlling our borders, and ensure that the human rights of all immigrants are respected. * Improve the Border Patrol and ensure that it is held accountable for its actions. * Provide new technology and training in the latest enforcement techniques. Improve domestic conditions in Latin America * Develop economic and foreign policies that encourage economic growth in countries where the lack of economic opportunities "pushes out" their residents. By cooperating with our developing allies in ways that treat them as true partners, we will reduce the "push" factor. * Support trade agreements with Latin America countries that improve and enforce labor, wage, health, safety, and environmental standards at home and abroad. Keep jobs at home and help people abroad live richer, safer lives. Encourage immigrant participation * Institute public information programs to advise permanent residents of the requirements of citizenship. * Encourage and assist community organizations to establish education programs to aid legal residents to meet these requirements. * Ensure that citizenship fees do not pose an undue burden. Keep fees to the minimum necessary to cover costs. * Work with organizations such as OCA, JACL, NAPABA, the Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project, MALDEF, NALEO and LACLA on issues affecting voter registration and citizenship. Support continuing immigration * Recognize that even in the post-Cold War era, people still flee political persecution. * Continue to offer the protection of political asylum regardless of our relationship with the countries fled. * Encourage democracy and human rights abroad. * Condition favorable trade terms with repressive regimes, such as China's communist government, on their respect for human rights, political liberalization and responsible international conduct. * Ensure that legitimate claims for asylum are granted and that those denied asylum have received full and fair proceedings. * Make every effort to support voluntary repatriation after the resolution of conflicts. * Support the Diversity Visa Program, which reaches out to those unfairly excluded by our immigration policies. End AIDS immigration restrictions * Stop the cynical politicization of federal immigration policies. Direct the Justice Department to follow the Department of Health and Human Services' recommendation that HIV be removed from the immigration restrictions list. Stop the forced repatriation of Haitian refugees * Reverse Bush Administration policy and stop repatriation. * Give fleeing Haitian refugees consideration for political asylum until democracy is restored to Haiti. Provide them safe haven, and encourage other nations to do the same. * Seek tightening of the Organization of American States' embargo of Haiti. * Insist that our European allies observe the embargo, particularly with regard to oil. * Intensify direct pressure from the United States to restore an elected government. Help Jews leave Russia * As anti-Semitic fervor increases in the former Soviet Union, uphold America's longstanding commitment to freedom of emigration. * Ensure sufficient support for the 50,000 refugees from the former Soviet Union resettling in the United States each year. * Support Israel's request for our assistance in resettling hundreds of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union. The Bush Administration is wrong to hold hostage to political struggle hundreds of thousands of people whose freedom we have long demanded. The Record * Senator Gore has supported legislation to reduce the paperwork required of immigrants by employers. Gore believes that businesses should not have to carry an undue burden in implementing immigration reform. * Supported "seasonal worker" provisions allowing foreign workers to enter the country about up to nine months; and also supported legislation extending the time for farm workers who enter the United states to present their paperwork to government officials. Gore understands the special needs of farmers and people in the perishable crop industry. * Voted for measures to more effectively handle employment discrimination. * Supported measures to provide safe have for political refugees - including Chinese students after the Tiananmen Square massacre, citizens of Central American nations gripped by civil war, and Haitian boat people fleeing repression.