Subject: The Situation of CSPA Implementation (IFCSS HQ NR-4126)

From: IFCSS HQ <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 May 1993 17:17:13 -0400

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IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 4126          May 16, 1993
        THE SITUATION OF CSPA IMPLEMENTATION
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Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS)
   733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005
         Tel. (202)347-0017  Fax: (202)347-0018
                Email: [email-masked]

        The Situation of CSPA Implementation
        ====================================

As it has passed April, the month INS had projected to publish
the Regulation for the implementation of CSPA, many people
have become worried. Two recent news reports in World Journal
have also caused a wide spread and unnecessary confusion and
apprehension. IFCSS HQ feels the need to clarify some facts
in the implementation of CSPA.

The HQ has been following closely the development of CSPA.
We knew that in late April INS had finished drafting the 
interim regulation and submitted it to several offices for 
internal review. Because the delay in filling out positions in 
the Department of Justice and some other offices by the Clinton
Administration, the Regulation is later than expected. The delay
is therefore caused by technical matters rather than political
influence. In the past two weeks, a lot of people have called
the HQ and CSPA Information Center. They heard people saying that
according to a report in World Journal that INS has started to
accept applications. We spent a lot of time to disapprove the
rumors.

Then, a news spread out in the CSS community that the White House
has ordered the INS to put the CSPA operation on hold. Many CSS
became worried that the CSPA might be killed by the Administration.
To avoid more confusion, we have to explain the situation.

1. We have no doubt that the CSPA will be implemented. There
is no sign that the Administration wants to kill this Act. Sources
told us that President Clinton is as much interested in protecting
the Chinese students as anyone els. In fact, we are hoping 
that the Administration might help us in taking administrative
measures to extend the benifits not included in the Act.

2. The World Journal article saying that the operation was put on
hold is not true, or at least it used a wrong headline. The
operation was not on hold or stopped. INS received some comments
and suggestions from other agencies and is revising the draft
accordingly. It is a normal process. We are expecting to see
the interim regulations release in late May or early June. There is
still a great possibility that INS will accept application before
July 1 and start to put "approved" stamps on applications after 
July 1.

3. In the past two to three weeks, the HQ officers have maintained
a close contact with various Government offices in order to
have a regulation favorable to the CSS and faithful to the
Congressional intent. We have contacted the INS Immigration
Branch, INS General Counsel's office, National Security
Council, Attorney General's office, State Department, Senator
Kennedy and Senator Gorton's aides, and Congresswoman Nancy
Pelosi (HQ officers met with Congresswoman Pelosi at 5 pm 
on May 12). We wanted to have our positions in several
key issues widely known in the government and to obtain as much
support as we can. 

4. The HQ also worked with INS and Federal Trade Commission on
a case of an immigration company putting up false ads on Chinese
newspapers. Last week, the Federal Government filed law suit
against the company.

5. About the content of the draft regulation, the Government
is hold the information very tight. INS will revise it time and
again, so the best thing to do is to wait for the officially
released Regulation to come out.

6. About the dependents issue, IFCSS has already made our position
known to INS. The issue has not been satisfactorily solved. 
However, on this issue, we will have several options to pursue
and several places to address our concern. We are confident
that a satisfactory solution will be found.

7. About the quota issue, it is not as simple or easy to resolve
as the World Journal article hinted. It is a very delicate issue.
We have to be very careful about this. IFCSS's credibility and
image in Congress is on the line, although we hope for the best
outcome. We have to consider many factors before we take a position.
We are sorry to use this kind of vague language. We do not want
to talk too much about this issue because we want to keep our
options wide open.  

You may complain that there is not much useful information,
such as when and how to file the application, etc., contained in
this release. But our approach is to give you only reliable
and assured information not speculations or hearsaying. The CSPA
has passed mass mobilizing stage. To have the best result, we
should avoid sending immature and irresponsible messages to
the public which would only cause confusion and will be
counter-productive. It is to the best interest of the CSS to
have a smooth and orderly implementation. We should be careful
and we wish the general CSS to keep a cold mind.

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*                 IFCSS Headquarters Office                         *
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