Speech #800189637

The Department of Justice estimated. last year. that approximately 15.000 persons had come from Europe to the United States and had entered the United States legally and properly. I submit that they are properly considered as displaced persons. The group referred to is composed of aliens. as I have said. who came to the United States legally under the provisions of section 3 and subsection (e) of section 4 of the Immigration Act of 1924. They constitute diplomats. foreign officials. visitors. transients. and students. who have failed to maintain their status or to depart. They have failed to maintain their status because it was impossible for them to do so. They have failed to depart because they have no place to go. They are essentially displaced persons. Under the present law they are deportable. but the Department of Justice is reluctant to deport them because apparently they have the same reasons for not returning to their native countries as do the displaced persons presently in Europe. So "it would seem anomalous not to admit them for permanent residence while at the same time admitting displaced persons whose circumstances are in general the same"-and I am quoting that sentence from the State Department report. This amendment. I am advised. is going to be offered as an amendment to the House bill. All this amendment would do would be to permit to remain in the United States refugeeswho otherwise are admissible under our immigration lawsif they entered the United States legally prior to March 15. 1948. No illegal entries would be legalized by this amendment. and the 15.000 refugees now in the United States would also be charged to the quotas established under this bill up to 50 percent of those quotas. A typical example oi the 15.000 refugees now in the United States is the former leader of the peasant party in Poland. Stanislau Mikolajczyk. He came here as a refugee. He is legally here. but the question is. can he legally remain. In order for him to come in under the provisions of the bill. as I understand. he would have to go back and be put into a displacedpersons camp in Europe and then apply there under the provisions of the bill.