Speech #760052091

Mr. Speaker. This bill is not. as has been said. an immigration bill. This is merely a bill which undertakes to plug the loopholes by which undesirable aliens who have been ordered deported have been escaping deportation heretofore. in other words. the Congress has heretofore in its wisdom seen fit to provide that certain undesirable aliens shall be deported. It has been discovered that in the practical operation of deportation proceedings some of these aliens have escaped deportation after all the legal machinery has been set in motion for their deportation simply because the country to which they were to be deported would not give them passports or the other necessary papers. Under those circumstances. it seems. there was nothing the Department of Labor could do but to release the aliens. and they were back upon the country. The gentleman from Alabama . a member of the Committee on the Judiciary. has very wisely given study to this question and has introduced this bill which you are considering today. This bill represents a great deal of time and thought on the part of the distinguished gentleman from Alabama. and I am sure that the House is grateful to him. as well as the Judiciary Committee. for the very fine job that he and the committee have done in this respect. This bill would stop that practice. or at least would stop it to a large extent. and would provide that in the event the aliens who were ordered deported did not leave the country or their countries did not provide for their transportation they should still be held in the custody of the Labor Department. Provision is made for considerable latitude in the discretion of the Secretary of Labor in that event and provision is made for bond. There is nothing in this bill that I can see at which any American citizen should get alarmed. This country has pursued a course of rather broad latitude in its attitude toward immigrants who came to this country seeking the benefits they would find here. However. when these immigrants abuse the privileges that are offered them here and violate the laws of this country we should not be in the position of being held powerless to do anything about it. This bill does not affect all aliens. but simply a small group of aliens of four classifications: Certain classes of criminals who have violated the laws of this country and have been convicted of felonies or crimes involving moral turpitude. certain violators of the narcotic laws. certain anarchists and those of kindred classes. and certain classes of immoral persons. those who deal in the abominable trade of white slavery. These are the four classes and the only four classes this bill undertakes to reach. not to deport them. if you please. but to see that they do not escape deportation after they have been ordered deported. which has happened heretofore because the aliens could not get the necessary passports or other documents. Mr. Speaker. as I intimated a moment ago. there is nothing in this bill for loyal. patriotic Americans to get concerned over. This bill is a muchneeded piece of legislation. For the life of me I cannot understand how any American citizen who is interested in keeping our philosophy of government intact. and who is desirous of seeing undesirable aliens who have abused the privileges this country extended to them. could object. Who is it that desires to see this class of criminals described in the bill remain in this country even after the courts have determined that they should be returned to their native countries? I am very much in hope. Mr. Speaker. that this bill will pass and that this type of alien who has been ordered deported can no longer remain in this country by collusion with officials of their own countries. as we have reason to suspect has been done heretofore. Under the present laws there is nothing that we can do about it. This bill. if enacted into law would. to say the least. make it uncomfortable for those who desire to evade the law by conniving with consular officials and others in having passports refused them.