,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #efjf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #cj1
 #bjbf,mr4 ,merkley introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the
 adjustment to lawful permanent resident
 status for certain permanent residents 
of ,hong ,kong who were granted         
,deferred ,enforced ,departure4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,hong ,konger ,promise of ,refuge   
,act4  #b4 ,adjustment of status for    
certain permanent residents of ,hong    
,kong ,chapter #e of title ,,ii of the  
,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h  
,u4,s4,c4 #abee et seq47 is amended by  
inserting after section #bde;,a the     
following3  #bde;,b4 ,adjustment of     
status for certain permanent residents  
of ,hong ,kong  7a7 ,in general ,the    
,director of ,u4,s4 ,citizenship and    
,immigration ,services shall adjust the 
status of any individual who qualifies  

as a permanent resident of ,hong ,kong1 
regardless of country of birth1 and who 
meets the conditions described in       
subsection 7b7 to that of an alien      
lawfully admitted for permanent         
residence4  7b7 ,conditions ,an alien   
meets the conditions described in this  
subsection if the alien-- 7#a7 was      
granted ,deferred ,enforced ,departure  
by a ,presidential ,memorandum issued   
,august #e1 #bjba 7relating to ,deferred
 ,enforced ,departure for ,certain ,hong
 ,kong ,residents71 or by the extension 
of such authority issued on ,january    
#bf1 #bjbc1 or ,january #ae1 #bjbe2     
7#b7 has continuously resided in the    
,united ,states since ,january #ae1     
#bjbe1 except for authorized absences   
totaling not more than #ahj days in the 
aggregate2  7#c7 has not returned to    
,hong ,kong or the ,people's ,republic  
of ,china since such date2  7#d7 has not
 been convicted of a felony or #b or    
misdemeanors committed in the ,united   
,states2  7#e7 is not subject to        

extradition2 and  7#f7 submits an       
application to the ,director containing 
such information as the ,director may   
reasonably require not later than #a    
year after the date of the enactment of 
the ,hong ,konger ,promise of ,refuge   
,act4  7c7 ,family members ,the spouse1 
children1 and unmarried adult sons and  
daughters of an alien described in      
subsection 7a7 are eligible to adjust to
 lawful permanent resident status if    
they are not inadmissible under section 
#bab7;a7 or deportable under section    
#bcg7;a71 except as provided in         
subsection 7d74  7d7 ,waiver of certain 
grounds of inadmissibility and          
deportability  7#a7 ,grounds of         
inadmissibility ,paragraphs 7#d71 7#e71 
7#f77;,a71 7#g71 and 7#i77;,b7 of       
section #bab7;a7 shall not apply to     
aliens seeking adjustment of status     
under this section4  7#b7 ,grounds of   
deportability ,paragraphs 7#c77;,a7 and 
7#e7 of section #bcg7;a7 shall not apply
 to aliens seeking adjustment of status 

under this section4  7e7 ,work          
authorization ,an alien who has         
submitted an application for adjustment 
of status under this section-- 7#a7 may 
not be subject to immigration detention1
 removal1 or removal proceedings while  
such application is pending2 and  7#b7  
shall be authorized to engage in        
employment in the ,united ,states       
through an employment authorized        
endorsement or other appropriate work   
permit4  7f7 ,cancellation of removal2  
effective date ,if the status of an     
alien is adjusted to that of a lawful   
permanent resident under this section-- 
7#a7 any prior removal orders to which  
such alien was subject shall be         
cancelled2 and  7#b7 the effective date 
of such lawful permanent resident status
 shall be the date on which the alien   
arrived in the ,united ,states4  4  #c4 
,conforming amendments  7a7 ,clerical   
amendment ,the table of contents for the
 ,immigration and ,nationality ,act 7#h 
,u4,s4,c4 #aaja et seq47 is amended by  

inserting after the item relating to    
section #bde;,a the following3  ,sec4   
#bde;,b4 ,adjustment of status for      
certain permanent residents of ,hong    
,kong4  4  7b7 ,exemption from numerical
 limitations ,section #bja7;b77#a77;,c7 
of the ,immigration and ,nationality    
,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaea7;b77#a77;,c77  
is amended by striking or #bde;,a and   
inserting 1 #bde;,a1 or #bde;,b4