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'Protected status' sought for Pakistanis in USA
NEW YORK - South Asian advocacy groups are urging Congress and the Bush administration to grant Pakistanis in the United States a chance to delay deportation to their earthquake-ravaged homeland until the recovery from the disaster is further along."These individuals don't have anything left to go back to," said Mohammad Razvi, executive director of the Brooklyn-based Council of Peoples Organization. The effort to allow Pakistanis "Temporary Protected Status" has drawn the support of more than two dozen members of Congress. Advocates say it wouldn't allow all Pakistani immigrants facing removal to stay; they would need to meet requirements including criminal background checks. But it could help Pakistanis with expiring visas. "Pakistan's being an ally and helping the United States, we ought to show Pakistan that we are appreciative for the help that's been extended," said Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who has introduced a bill with 28 co-sponsors calling for the designation. "It's the humanitarian thing to do," Green said. The designation is primarily allowed when the nationals would be in danger if sent back or if sending them back would put an extreme strain on their home country's infrastructure, said Crystal Williams, deputy director of programs for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. The Oct. 8 earthquake that hit Pakistan is believed to have killed about 80,000 people in the region and caused widespread destruction. But Williams noted that much of Pakistan is still functioning. Only a handful of countries are on the temporary protected status list, including Honduras and Nicaragua, which suffered hurricane devastation, and Sudan, which has had ongoing armed conflict. Chris Bentley, spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the key factor was a request from the country in question. Pakistan doesn't plan to make that request, an embassy official said. Asking for the designation would be akin to saying there are many Pakistanis living illegally in the United States, said Mohammad Sadiq, deputy chief of mission for the Pakistani embassy in Washington. "We support the community effort, but our estimate is that there are very, very few people illegal here," he said. In the large Pakistani community in New York, some Pakistanis here legally say they want to go home to help but fear endangering their applications for permanent U.S. residency. With some 40 relatives lost to the earthquake, Rabia Muzaffar and her family desperately want to return to Kashmir to mourn. But they are too nervous to make the trip. Even a short trip might undermine their application for permanent residency, Muzaffar said. "We can't sleep, we can't eat," said Muzaffar, 26. "We really wanted to see our friends, family, and ... I can't explain how we are feeling right now." Posted by: john 2005-11-06 |
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