Speech #750061154

This section provides that an alien who has entered the United States illegally (a) and has lived here continuously for not less than 10 years. (b) or not less than 1 year and has a parent. spouse. or legally recognized child. (c) or is a minor and has a brother or sister who is lawfully in the United States. may be permitted by the Secretary of Labor to remain in the United States of America. provided the alien is not an anarchist. and so forth. and has not violated the narcotic laws and other laws involving moral turpitude. The total number of these persons which the Secretary of Labor may permit to remain in the country is 8.000. spread out over a period of 4 years. the power terminating at the end of 4 years from the enactment of the bill. Not all of the 8.000 may be permitted to remain. but that is the limit which may be permitted. and everyone who is permitted to remain will be charged up to the quota of the country of their origin and reduce by that amount the number of new aliens who may come into the country under the quota. and in that way cancel off the hardship cases insofar as any additional immigration is concerned. I make this brief analysis of the hardship section by reason of the very loose language indulged in by some of the Members who are opposing the legislation. One Member this afternoon. after stating that the Secretary of Labor will have the right to deport up to 3.500 persons the first year and 1.500 each succeeding year thereafter. without mentioning the time limit of 3 additional years fixed in the bill. then asked if we knew how many people had been coming into this country under the quotas in the last 6 years. He answered his own question by stating that it was 16.000 a year. and then he wanted to know if we were going to give this womanMme. Perkinsauthority to pass upon whether nearly onethird of that number shall be deported. He meant. of course. giving new authority to not deport -them. I am not able to figure out how 1.500 comes to onethird of 16.000 in addition to which the 1.500 refers to people already in. The only thing about that statement which impressed me was the small annual number now coming into the United States under the quota system. The figure to which I am referring. 16.000. is not very far wrong. The total coming into the United States in 1936 from all countries under the quota system. was 18.675. The startling thing about the immigration figures for the past few years is not simply the almost negligible * number coming in. when compared with the total volume of our population. but the fact that the exodus has exceeded the influx and that during the past 5 years far more aliens have left the United States than have entered it. For the information and convenience of Members. I shall insert the figures for the 5year period. 1932 to 1936. inclusive. embracing all classes of aliens. not half of which are quota aliens. Aliens Aliens Year entering leaving 1932 ------------------------------------------------------ 35. 576 103 295 1933 ------------------------------------------------------- 23. 08 80. 41 1934 ------------------------------------------------------- 29. 470 39. 771 1935 ------------------------------------------------------- 34.556 38. 834 1936 ------------------------------------------------------- 36.329 35.817 Total .....-------------- ........------------ 158. 699 298.198 Totalleaving --------------------------------------------------------------- 296.198 Total entering -------------------------------------------------------------- 158. 699 Alien deficit -----------------...-------------------------------------- 139. 499 Only last year. 1936. did the number entering exceed the number leaving and then by only 500. For the 5year period the total leaving exceeded the total entering by 139.499. There ought to be some assurance in these figures for those who fear the effects of foreign immigration. and that the immigration laws demand greatly increased restrictions. Unquestionably in years past they were far too lax. The disquieting thing revealed by the ebb tide of aliens is that so many of them came to this great country because of its superior advantages and have found it in their way to go whence they came. Under the quota system. about 150.000 aliens may enter this country annually. The number who have been availing themselves of the privilege in recent years ranges from 10 to 20 percent of the quota. Here is a problem for our consideration very much larger than 8.000 hardship cases.