Bill Would Extend Deadline for Alien Amnesty

The controversial drive to give tens of thousands of illegal immigrants more time to apply for amnesty picked up momentum Friday when a key House subcommittee chairman introduced legislation to extend the May 4 deadline by six months.

Rep. Romano L. Mazzoli (D-Ky.), who previously has been silent on the issue, scheduled a vote on his extension bill for Thursday in the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration and refugees.

Extend Deadline Further

Another measure to be considered would relax the amnesty deadline by one year.

Mazzoli’s move brightened prospects for an extension, which is sought by a coalition of immigration interest groups but is opposed by the Reagan Administration and conservative lawmakers led by Sen. Alan K. Simpson (R-Wyo.).

The one-year amnesty program is a major component of the Simpson-Mazzoli immigration law enacted in 1986. The program grants legal status to illegal aliens who can prove through documents such as pay stubs, bank statements, rent receipts and utility bills that they have lived in the United States since Jan. 1, 1982.

With the May 4 deadline approaching, the Immigration and Naturalization Service has received about 1.5 million applications. It had expected to get 2 million.

Last week, the INS announced new rules making it easier for illegal immigrants to file applications before the deadline. But immigration advocates argued that more time is needed for potential applicants to gather documents, save money for filing fees and overcome fear that family members who are not eligible for amnesty will be deported.

Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Panorama City), a leading proponent of a deadline extension, predicted congressional approval of such legislation but said it would be an “uphill fight” to get President Reagan to sign it.

“I think the hard edge of controversy is wearing down,” Berman said. “There has been so little evidence of fraud or abuse and it’s such a positive kind of experience not just for them (immigrants) but for the communities they live in.”