Speech #740207604

I cannot be outdone in interest in that respect. and I am willing to work with the committee and try to fix up the law so as to take care of honest. innocent hardship cases. I desire to conclude. however. before droppingsection 2. My interpretation of paragraph (2) of section 1 is that it purports to increase the class of deportable aliens convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude by including those convicted but not sentenced to imprisonment. But in connection therewith. power which does not now exist is granted to the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization to coddle criminals of all classes. Section 1 (2) and section 2 weaken the present law by extending the discretion from crimes involving moral turpitude to all crimes and all convicts. Section 2 also grants further leniency to the convict by extending from 30 days to 90 days the time in which the convict may secure from a judge or court before whom he was convicted a recommendation that the convict be not deported. I should discuss section 4 more at length if the circumstances were not just what they are. but I shall be content with the statement that in effect a new method of immigration is created by means of the change of status of nonimmigrant or student to nonquota immigrant. This tends to relax the restrictive features of the immigration laws. My amendment to the amendment is intended to give relief to aliens in hardship cases where they are not criminals. save only in respect of having entered or being found in the United States without an immigration visa or a record of admission for permanent residence. If adopted. the amendment should guard against the separation from their families of aliens of the noncriminal classes. which is the declared purpose of the bill. and I am for the purpose of the bill. I shall vote to recommit if a vote is taken here. but a suggestion has come to me from the Senator from Massachusetts . who is in charge of the bill. with which I am perfectly willing to join. and that is to let this matter go before the committee. not under an order of reconunittal. and let the committee consider it more fully.