Speech #710127018

The bill I am sponsoring simply carries into effect the principleof the 1928 act and the 1906 naturalization law. Under the 1906 law. a certificate of arrival is provided for every alien arriving in the United States. These are sometimes called immigrant identification cards. They have been issued only since July. 1928. An order under the 1906 law was promulgated by the Secretary of Labor. providing for the issuance of these cards to all newly arrived aliens admitted into this country for permanent residence. Such cards contain the name. description. and photograph of the alien together with other data regarding his admission to this country. and are issued by the United States consul abroad when granting a permanent visa to the alien. They are signed by the consul and by the immigrant applying for the visa. and become valid only when signed by an immigration inspector in this country at the time the alien is lawfully admitted. The cards are issued in duplicate. The original is presented to the alien and the duplicate is filed with the Bureau of Naturalization for use in facilitating naturalization of the alien. Thus it is that. excepting as the gentleman from Ohio says. only those who arrived between 1921 and 1928 are concerned in securing registration cards. However. if House bill 9148 is enacted into law. those lawfully arriving since July 1. 1928. would be required to enroll annually.