Speech #810210751

Under the law as it is now written and as it would be continued by the substitute bill. there are two phases to the admission of any applicant. There is first the question of whether or not a person qualifies as a displaced person. In addition to this. some member of the American Foreign Service. aided by the Counter Intelligence Corps. must decide that the displaced person is eligible for a visa under our immigration laws. Even after passing both of these tests. any immigrant to the United States may be excluded by the Immigration Service. despite the fact that he has obtained a visa. It should be remembered that the displaced Persons Act is not.the only law in this field. The immigration laws themselves provide for the exclusion of criminals. poor security risks. or those who would overthrow our Government. If there is lax administration. it is a lax enforcement not only of the displacedpersons law but also of the immigration laws. The administrative change contained in the committee bill. requiring the final determination of the question of eligibility as a displaced person by the immigration or consular services. would not go to the issue involved. At the same time. it would result in an administrative slowdown that would disrupt the entire program. If these laws are being flouted by those charged with the administration of them. I will be the first to join with other Senators seeking a solution to that problem. but I do not see how the change proposed in the committee bill will accomplish anything other than slowing down the administration of the displacedpersons program. If we need a change in personnel in order to have the Displaced Persons Act and the immigration law followed to the letter. that is