Speech #720159976

There is practically no quota. The quota has been cut 98 to 99 per cent. The final figures given out by the Department of State under date of September 26. 1931. show that for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1931. when there should have been available. under the nationalorigins provision of the immigration act of 1924. as amended. 153.714 quota immigration visas. there were only issued during that year 48.528. of which number 26.833 were issued to immigrants who had no preference of any kind under the law. while only 21.695 were issued to immigrants who were entitled to either first preference or second preference under existing law. The latest figures given out by the Department of State. under date of July 1. 1932. show the incomplete returns from the quotacontrol officers for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1932. during which year there have been only 11.524 quota immigration visas issued. with 153.831 available under the law and regulations. Only 7.245 immigration visas had been issued to immigrants entitled to first and second preference within the quotas. whereas more than 76.915 immigration visas should have been made available to immigrants entitled to first preference alone. Our quota provisions are of no effect now under the operations of the consuls based upon an administrative order which leaves each individual consular officer abroad free to place his own interpretation as to when the circumstances of an alien and such aliens family in the United States are such that the alien may be considered by the consul to be a person likely to become a public charge. and on that presumption withhold an immigration visa and arbitrarily keep separated a family amply able to be selfsupporting in the United States. Current figures now available from the Department of Labor show that for the first 11 months of the fiscal year ending June 30. 1932. there were about eight emigrant aliens who left the United States for every alien who was admitted to the United States as a quota immigrant for permanent residence. It is not anticipated the final figures for the entire 12 months will change this ratio of eight to one. These figures tend to support a statement made by a representative of the State Department before our committee when this question of granting nonquota status to husbands of American citizens and nonquota status to aged parents of American citizens.