It is a bill framed by Secretary Perkins and by Commissioner MacCormack. but this is not an administration bill in the sense that the President of the United States is for it. What do they propose to do in this bill? Here is a bill on which we conducted hearings and every patriotic organization in the country opposed it. including the American Federation of Labor. the American Legion. and over 100 other patriotic organizations. and the only ones who appeared in defense of this measure was the Ellis Island committee. composed of people in the city of New York. and the Commissioner of Immigration. who appeared in behalf of the bill. Now. what does it propose to do? Here is what it proposes to do. It proposes to give the Secretary of Labor discretionary power to prevent deportation in cases where now they must be deported. It proposes to say to the Secretary of Labor that although the alien is subject to deportation. yet if the Secretary of Labor believes that it is in the public interest. if the Secretary of Labor believes that the man has a good moral character. she can withhold deportation. And they say this is a limitation and a check on discretion. but I submit to you there would be no way in the world to correct an abuse of such discretion. for what one man might consider in the public interest. another man might not consider in the public interest. and I am opposed to this bill because I do not propose to continue to give vast discretionary power to bureaucrats and to officials of this Government. especially in cases of this kind. When we want to deport someone. why not write it on the statute books and not make it discretionary with the Secretary of Labor to do so? Under this bill they provide that if a man has committed two or three more crimes involving moral turpitude. he is subject to deportation if the Secretary of Labor finds that it is in the public interest. and if a man is smuggling aliens into the country he shall be deported if the Secretary of Labor finds it in the public interest. and if a man is carrying a dangerous weapon. under this bill the carrying of such dangerous weapon is construed as a crime involving moral turpitude. and he is subject to deportation.
Keywords matched
deported Immigration deportation