Speech #710231248

We have told the world that we had no forts nor fortifications between us and our two neighbors. that we have had no armed force patroling those borders that might possibly disrupt internaltional amity. That was a proud boast and a laudible relationship between neighboring nations. Now. for the first time it 116 years. it is proposed that we place an armed and uniforiied force along those borders under the guise of controlling immigration. prohibition. and customs. Let us in calmness consider the need for such an extraordinary departure from our traditions. This bill was introduced by the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. -hDsoN]. one of the " dry" leaders of this Rouse and an admitted sympathizer of the AntiSaloon League. It was referred to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Why. you may ask? Because the original bill proposed to make this border patrol a part of the Coast Guard. which is part of our Army and over which that committee has jurisdiction. One might well wonder why it was not sent to the Committee on Immigration. if its chief purpose was to apprehend smuggled aliens. That committee wias working on the problem as far as immigration was concerned. nor was it referred to the Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction of customs. The chief objection to this bill is that it creates a new crime under our Federal law. the principal and most objectionable feature of time bill being its criminal section. section 4. which provides it shall be be unlawful for any person to enter the United States from a foreign country at any place other than a point of entry which shall be designated by the President. except. and so forth. I particularly call the attention of the lawyers of this House to that provision. I do not object to protecting our borders against the unlawful entry of persons or merchandise. I am not opposed to the consolidation of the different forces who watch for customs smugglers or prohibition smugglers or aliens trying to enter our country in violation of our immigration laws. I am not opposed to reasonable provisions to meet these conditions. but I am opposed to the vicious features of the bill which make a new crime. a crime which any American citizen or any child might commit. innocently. unknowingly. not willfully. and yet be branded as a criminal for life without any possibility of removing the strain of that criminal record. I wonder what the Committee on the Judiciary would think of such a proposal if the bill had been referred to that committee.