Speech #690072974

Mr. 11om CaRL WHITE. We turned them over to the Mexican officials. In order to apologize for the making of an agreement which the Immigration Service denies it made it pleads guilty to a discrimination of which it probably is not guilty. In further excusing this plan. made by parties unknown. Colmmissioner General Iull in his letter says: I can conceive of no way in which the plan does violence to the immigration law. 7. Let us now examine this plan and determine from the law anti facts whether the plan does violate the law. Prospective immigrants from every country. quota or nonquota. are required by law to apply for immigrants passports Ind visas. to which their photographs and other papers are to be attached in foreign countries before presenting themselves at lhe border for admission. and pay the visa fee. amounting to $10 at American consulates in foreign countries from which they come.- This "gentlemans agreement" sets all that aside and permiis them to pay this fee. not to the American consulates abroad but to local commercial organizations within the Unitid States. in installnents. Paragraph .1. subdivision F. of the rules governing the Immigrmation Service. declares: No imigrait. whether a quota immigrant or nonquota immigrant. of silly nationality shall be admitted to the United States unless such immigrant shall present to the popr imigration official at the port of arrival nit immigration visi duly issued and authenticated by an American consular officer. This rule is the very essence of the law. The immigrant must then present himself at an immigration station for examination. and if admitted pay a head tax of $8. Entry at any other place makes it the duty of the service to deport him under the law read to you. Under this "gentlemens agreement" surreptitious and illegal entry Is rewarded and made much easier than legal entry. If lie comes as re(Iired by law. through the consulate and the immigration station. he must pay the $10 visa fee and $8 head tax in cash before entry. If he enters surreptitiously he may then. under this "gentlemens agreement." pay this fee alnd tax in installments at his convenience. all the while remaining at large in the country and being under only a persuasive or mildly threatening indueent to go in and register with private parties and begin to pay his installhents on the legal fees. One apology the service makes for this Is thatthis particular class of aliens 0 * * seldom are * able to meet the fiscal requirements of the immigration laws upon the occasion of their entry. as they are more or less an improvident people. Are our Immigration laws against importing paupers and the like. and subjecting them to these taxes partly to prevent their coming. to be set aside to admit the very classes they were designed to keep out? Does not the Conuni:ssioner General of Immigratitn know any better than that? Does not the Secretary of labor want the law observed any better than that? That the House and country may have the outstanding provisions of these laws by whichto judge the action of the Department of Labor and that that department may refresh its memory of the laws. I quote extracts from an Outline prepared by the State Department for the guidance of consular officers In issuing or withholding immigration visas: The following classes of aliens are generally excluded by the immigratiol laws of the United States: 1. l entally defective includes(a) Idiots. (b) Imbeciles. (c) Feebleminded persons. (d) lIsuane pcrsons. (o) Epileptics. i) Persolls having previously had attacks of insanity. (g) Persons of tonSil till ional Ipsychopathic inferiority. ih) Personls with chrollic alcoholism. No excepions staled in the law.