Speech #730136787

Objections against the fairness and soundness of the proposed amendment need only be fully explained to fall of their own weight. Mr. President. one objection is that the aliens will become naturalized until there are no more aliens here and the proposed amendment will then be worthless and have no meaning. since the need for it will have ceased. If this were true. it would be important. but unfortunately for these objectors. the facts are against them. In the first place. under our laws the Asiatics of entirely different races are not entitled to become naturalized and become citizens. and there are enough of them to make this an element entitled to consideration. Then. in addition. there are many aliens here illegally. They are all criminals. in the sense that they have violated our immigration laws. and many of them are actual criminals of the sort that would not be admitted through the Nations front door. even though there were no restrictions upon immigration except the obvious ones designed to protect the Nation against criminals. defectives. and those calculated to become public charges. In debates in Congress 3 years ago estimates were given on the floor of one House or the other that there were at that time 3.000.000 aliens in this country illegally. The Government has since arrested 20 to 30 persons connected with the management of a single racketeer ring for alien smuggling.