Speech #670209737

Chairman. I rise in opposition to the amendment. I want to call the committees attention to the fact that under the present law a man who is convicted of a crime for which he is punished for more than a year. and which involves moral turpitude. is deportable. There are 48 States of the Union now dealing with all those classes of cases. and any man convicted in any State of the Union today of a crime involving moral turpitude. where the judgment of the court is for more than a year. he is deported. namely. for crimes relating to theft. arson. burglary. and all other crimes of that character involving moral turpitude. And under the law today. after the man has been convicted and served a term of sentence as provided. it is the duty of the Secretary of Labor. to make a complaint. or for some one to make a complaint. and then the party is arrested. Then it is the ordinary course of procedure to require a hearing before. first. the inspector. the immigration commissioner. and then it goes to the commissioner on immigration through his counsel. then goes to the Department of Labor through his counsel. and then finally comes to the Secretary of Labor after it has passed through all these proceedings. after due notice has been given. and when the Secretary finds the man is of an undesirable character and has been convicted under any of the laws of the 48 States he can then be deported. These statutes today in regard to violating the narcotic laws are. most of them. State laws. Most of them do not involve moral turpitude. becausn opium for many years has been dealt in not only by England but by this country. and today we permit opium to be sold. and therefore it must be specifically provided that a man be deported after having been convicted by a State law. And there is no statute on the statute books now that reaches thousands of cases of those who are violating tile narcotic laws and to prevent the ruining of the young men and women of this country. and where the testimony shows that 98 per cent of the violators are aliens. Then why do you want to be squeamish in regard to the deporting of these men who axe destroying the very existence of the communities in which they live?