Chairman. I think a great deal has been said. and perhaps the subject has been overstated. that we have not taken care of the situation in the past as we should have done. I think we have made a lot of mistakes with reference to the question of deportation. as well as the question of immigration. but If there have been mistakes made in permitting individuals to come to this country from foreign countries that fault is ours. I am going to repeat something that has been mentioned several times this afternoon. namely. we have before us today a measure that has to do with the deportation of criminals. the first bill of its kind presented in the last 12 or 15 years. Let us not rush this bill. Let us go to work on it and construct a deportation bill that will be a credit to this Congress. If you do not like the bill as it is written. let us amend it but not kill it. Somebody said once upon a time "a fine thing to remember and a better thing to do is to work with the construction gang and not with the wrecking crew." In this particular case let us work with the construction gang. We appreciate the fact that we have thousands of aliens on relief. A great many of these aliens who are on relief are there largely by reason of circumstances and conditions over which they had no control. We are told by those who are familiar with this question that. even under the bill as written and in view of the laxity that seens to have obtained in the past. the bill will result in the deportation of some 20.000 individuals who are in this country wrongfully. That alone should be worth working for if as a matter of right and justice such persons should be deported. If we would have a chance to consider some other measure during the present term of Congress. there might be a different situation. but. in my opinion. from present appearances. this Is the only measure of its kind that may be reported by the committee. In any event. such action will not preclude this Congress from enacting additional legislation on the subject if it sees fit to do so.
Keywords matched
deported immigration deportation