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Congress votes on visa application process shortly

Illegal immigrants in US anxious
SAN DIEGO. Sept 26: As he fills out his own application for a green card. Joel de Leon, pastor of Victory Outreach Church, comforts illegal immigrants in his congregation who are worried about being forced to go back to their homeland, says AP.
For the past three years. Immigrants who were in the United States unlawfully could remain in the country while applying for permanent residency.
But that provision expires next week. And if Congress does not extend it. de Leon could Join an estimated hundreds of thousands of Illegal immigrants who may be forced to return to their homelands and submit their paperwork from there.
For many of these illegal immigrants, the trip home could be costly and could mean a long separation from their family. Permanent-resident applications processed outside the United States at consular offices can take a year or two.
"I don't advertise that I'm Illegal to my congregates." said the 34-year-old de Leon, who came to the United States from Mexico nine years ago. "But I can certainly understand — better than-most — the stressful situation."
De Leon has known for five months that the provision might expire, but didn't get
around to applying until now. If he doesn’t get his application in the mall in time, or if it is rejected, he could become subject to the law requiring him to go
But the pastor and many other illegal Immigrants said they will remain here past the deadline and risk deportation.
The about-to-expire law was passed as a pilot programme to encourage illegal Immigrants to apply for visas. Applicants must pay a 1.000 US dollars fee but are not otherwise penalized for overstaying a visa or sneak-
ing into the United States.
The law's supporters say it has enabled families to remain together. Critics say it rewards lawbreakers.
Extending it would be an insult to immigrants who play by the rules and wait their turn to come Into the country," said Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican.
The law expires Tuesday. Making matters even worse for illegal Immigrants, a separate new immigration law says that those who are apprehended in the United States after Saturday
face three-year or 10-year bans on returning to the country, depending on how long they had been here.
Cristina Zamora. 22. came across the Mexican border in 1993 and is now applying for permanent residency. If her application is rejected, she may have to return to Mexico to reapply.
"I'm in the middle of my life here." she said, excited about her courses at community college. Tm not going to leave."
About 345.000 people applied in the first two years of the program, said Bill Strass-berger, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. In this fiscal year, the application fees have gen-eratea dlrs 214.5 million.
Smith said money should not be a deciding factor for lawmakers. "I don't think we should sell our souls for a few millions of dollars We already spend billions of dollars to reduce illegal immigration." the congressman said.
The law has also significantly cut down on the work load for US consulate offices abroad.
The Clinton administration wants the provision extended. The Senate approved an extension. contained in the bill that funds INS operations The House is expected to take up its bill later this week.