Speech #760117432

Mr. President. in order that my reason for asking that the bill go over may be made known to the Senator from Georgia. let me observe that the provision. on line 9. page 1. affecting anyone who admits in writing that he was engaged in the specified acts. invites coercion and invites thirddegree treatment. it invites a hysterical surrender. There are so many possibilities under which one illadvised can and does admit in writing his assumed or alleged guilt of a given offense. and I personally have seen so much of that kind of thing in my own experience in the practice of the law. that I would hesitate. and I would think that this body should hesitate. to submit to the country a law providing that anyone who admits in writing that he has performed a given act shall therefore be subject to deportation. There are many illustrations of people. for instance. having signed deeds. having signed leases. having signed notes. The books are full of instances of people claiming relief on the ground that they did not know what they were signing. I am certain that in time of war. for instance. this bill. if enacted. would lead to very real hardship. I would much rather that there be a trial and conviction and thereafter deportation than that anyone be deported as a matter of penalty merely because he admits in writing his alleged offense. With reference to page 2. it points out that a person who at any time after entry has been convicted of violation of the particular specified act shall be subject to deportation. If a person were brought here at the age of 1. and at the age of 19 or 20 were convicted of violation of a State law. he might be deported to a foreign country. the penalty therefore being wholly inordinate. because he might not know the language of the people or the customs of the country. having grown up here. If we in this environment cannot do better than to submit him to a penalty of ultimate deportation for a violation of an offense which in and of itself might call for a 30day jail sentence. it seems to me we are failing in our duty. The bill is fundamentally defective in going much too far. Because of that I object.