Speech #740208287

President. I am unable to definitely answer the Senators question. After a careful and searching investigation it has been discovered that there are 2.862 persons whose deportation has been stayed because of reasons which were regarded as sufficient. and in order that Congress might. as it was believed it would. provide some relief in their behalf. As I have stated. these stayed cases presented strong reasons for further considerationsuch consideration as is provided in the pending bill. Appeals have been made to the Labor Department by prominent American citizens. including some Senators and Congressmen and officials in various States. in behalf of many of these 2.862 aliens. These appeals have largely rested upon humanitarian grounds. as well as upon established facts that the aliens involved had committed only technical breaches of immigration laws or regulations. The Labor Department. after a searching examination. has reported only 2.862 aliens who would probably. if this law were passed. avail themselves of its provisions and be permitted to remain in the United States. I am informed by a representative of the Labor Department that Mr. Doak. when Secretary of Labor. stated that there were not to exceed 100.000 aliens in the United States who were subject to deportation. Since then. thousands of this number have voluntarily departed and 10.000 more .have been deported. During the past 3 years the Department of Labor has scoured the country for the purpose of discovering the names and abodes of all aliens in the United States. A large force of competent representatives of the Department has been engaged in this task. Many of them for years have been acquainted with immigration problems. and have learned of the whereabouts of a large number of aliens. As Senators know. the Department has been exceedingly zealous in searching out those who are subject to deportation. and. as I have stated. have caused to be deported several thousand during the past 3 or 4 years. I should add that the Labor Department for a number of years prior to 1933 did not lack in diligence in invoking the deportation laws of our country. I cannot help but believe. however. that a considerable number of the 20.000 aliens who should be deported ought to have been apprehended prior to their obtaining a status which makes them immune from deportation under existing law. The Labor Department during the past 3 years has been diligent and aggressive in its efforts to learn the whereabouts of aliens and to discover those who were subject to deportation. In its aggressive campaign. the 2.862 cases which have been referred to during the discussion. were classified. and their residences and status determined. My information is. however. that some on this list were persons whose identity and status had been ascertained under a previous administration. and whose deportation had been stayed because of reasons that would appeal to persons of humanitarian instincts. My attention has been called to a number of Chinese. 70 and 80 years of age. whose years were numbered. and whose names and whereabouts were known to the Labor Department. perhaps for 15 or 20 years. My information is that a number of illiterates subject to deportation were permitted to remain. They were old and infirm. but were cared for by relatives who were American citizens. and they could not under any circumstances become public charges. It has been known that there were some political refugees in the United States subject to deportation. and others who. because of humane and entirely valid reasons. were not deported. It is known that there are a number of persons among this 2.862 who could not reenter the countries of their birth. Turkey would not admit a number of Armenians who were born in Turkey. so that efforts to deport them would be unavailing. I think the testimony before the committee and the facts which have been developed in connection with this bill prove that the Labor Department has been most diligent in enforcing the immigration laws. and in deporting aliens.