Victims of China's coercive population control program may finally be granted asylum in the United States soon, due to legislation which was just passed by Congress and signed into law. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the leading Congressional advocate of freedom for the Chinese refugees, added language to HR3610 (The Department of Defense Appropriations Act) which grants asylum to victims of forced abortion and forced sterilization. HR3610 was then passed by the House and the Senate, and signed by the President.

Although the Immigration and Naturalization Service now has the authority to immediately grant the refugees "humanitarian parole," the INS has chosen instead to continue incarcerating them at a cost to taxpayers of $57 per day per person, until the cases are decided by immigration judges. Each case will be handled individually, however, so the refugees may continue to be incarcerated for several more months.

"We thank God for Congressman Chris Smith, and his undying determination to ensure that these refugees are not returned to China," said Tim Palmquist of Voice For Life.