Speech #670282951

It is a condition that we are facing. no matter what theory I might have or anyone else might have. The condition is this. In recent years we have made an effort in our immigration laws to be more selective than we have been heretofore. In other words. the discriminations were not so sharp in the earlier legislation. but they are becoming sharper and sharper every day. Limiting the number that can come into the country has resulted in additional effort to get in. and that will also add to the effort of the officers to obey the law in spirit as well as in letter. That means necessarily more appeals than ever before. Anyone knows that to be a fact. Under the deportation act. which has added tremendously to the work of * the immigration officers. we find our situation just as was suggested a moment ago. With the law limiting the number of immigrants to 3 per cent of the nationals. the fiscal year beginning tomorrow we know will show a great congestion in respect to cases on appeal. There is no possibility for the present organization to take care of the increased work. at least expeditiously. We have made laws. but failed to provide the necessary machinery for enforcement. Is it fair to the administrator of the law to let such a situation continue? Is it fair to those who have been admitted to passage in Europe and who have gotten here to be held up for weeks awaiting the final decision? It is neither fair to the immigrant nor to the immigration officers. It is not fair to the Government. and adding the sum of $8.000 annual additional expense to take care of the situation is not a large matter in the circumstances. We are confronted with a condition. not a theory.