Speech #680083695

If across these boundaries we received only Mexicans and Canadians. the matter might not be so serious. but we find many Europeans entering America by these back doors which we have left open. We let in not only Mexicans who can pass tile literacy and health tests. but Europeans who have lived five years in those countries. and the forging and falsifying of certificates of residence are easily accomplished. The extent of this immigration is almost Inconceivable. During tile first six months of the present fiscal year we have admitted 41.769 from Mexico and 103.616 from British North America. as set forth in Mr. Daviss letter. These numbers were admitted legally. How many more came illegally because we iave not men .enough in the service to patrol these borders? The extent of this illegal immigration is also set forth in the letter of the Secretary of Labor. It ls been said in the course of the debates on the bill which we have passed that if the existing laws were enforced not a thousand could come in from Mexico. for it was estimated that froni 75 to 90 per cent of such applicants are illiterate. This is not borne out by the facts. The Mexicans who are admitted can pass and have passed such literacy tests. I believe the requirement is the ability to read 41 words. and the Mexicans seem to have proceeded that far in their education. We can not protect ourselves by merely enforcing existing laws. Smugglers in immigration operate on our land borders as successfully. or more so. as smugglers in alcoholic liquors. To the south there is what the Secretary of Labor calls "an imaginary line through a 1.000mile desert." Smugglers charge immigrants $4 a head. whicl is hllf of the legal price per head. It constitutes a profitable business. The immigration officials are constantly on the alert with what men they have at command. and they are constantly deporting immigrants who have entered illegally. We ought to give to the Department of Labor more men and means to do this work if we want it done at all. And if we do not do it. of what avail are the restrictions in the bill which we have just passed and which we hope to see enacted into final law?