The Nation : Kennedy Equates Alien, Tax Extensions

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) declared that giving illegal aliens more time to apply for legal resident status should be no more objectionable than giving taxpayers extensions to file their federal returns--an accepted practice. “Fair is fair,” Kennedy said, testifying before a Senate subcommittee he heads that is weighing the issue. However, an official from the General Accounting Office countered that extra time “may not encourage” many aliens to come forward after the current May 4 deadline. Arnold P. Jones, senior associate director of the GAO, said the fees, fear of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and fear of family separation are key factors in keeping aliens from coming forward. An extension will not resolve these impediments, he testified. Legislation extending the deadline until Nov. 30 has been approved in the House Judiciary Committee.