Mr. President. the need for humane revision of our immigration and deportation laws has been obvious for some timenot in the interests of any relaxation of our present wellfounded and justified philosophy of sharply restricting general immigration into the United States. but in the interests of fair play and decent human considerations in behalf of the families of our foreignborn citizens and in behalf of perfectly sound and useful foreignborn citizens who run foul of some crucifying technicality in the law. I have personally known many of the cases where the existing laws are not only insufferably cruel but also where they run counter to elementary common sense. The gravest of all existing difficulties seems to be that the existing laws allow no discretion to immigration authorities when technicalities call for deportation and ordinary justice points to permission for a family or alien to remain here. The same lack of discretion also frequently forbids the entry to citizenship of perfectly good and useful aliens who have long been residents in the United States. but who fail to meet all the involved requirements which trail through our multiplicity of laws upon the subject. The whole subject matter has been recently surveyed by an estimable committee.
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