Speech #760114125

R. 5138. a bill known as the Smith alien bill. which possesses many meritorious provisions and. in my judgment. should be passed by this Congress. This bill Is not aimed at aliens who are lawfully here and who are desirous of becoming American citizens. and will not interfere in the slightest with those aliens lawfully entered. who believe in American institutions and in American principles. but it is aimed at those radical aliens who have entered this country illegally. who are not In sympathy with American principles and American institutions. whose desire is to subvert our form of government and. in its place. substitute a radical form of government. The problem of immigration has always been a vital issue In America. but is more vital today than ever before in our history. Since 1820. 38.000.000 aliens have entered the United States legally as immigrants. Most of these people who have come here have made fine contributions to America. They deserve honor and credit for it. On the other hand. it has been estimated that there are over 2.000.000 aliens in this country who have entered unlawfully. thousands of whom have been and many of whom are still. on Government relief. Within 30 days after Congress passed the last relief bill more than 30.000 aliens were dropped from our relief rolls. and there are reasons to believe that many thousands more are still on the rolls at the expense of the overburdened American taxpayer. It becomes necessary for the United States to give its first thought to our own citizens. both nativeborn and naturalized.. We must find jobs and opportunities for those who have a rightful claim to the benefits and blessings of American citizenship. but our country now has reached the condition where unlimited immigration is no longer possible. Our house is full. and our first thought. therefore. must be for our own citizens. Despite existing restrictions placed on the flow of aliens. our immigration laws are filled with loopholes. Countless thousands are coming in Illegally. We have shown sympathy for undesirable aliens who have flouted our laws and our institutions. We have no adequate check on aliens who come in on. temporary permits. We permit alien groups to organize and. undermine our institutions and complicate our own domestio problems.