Speech #830129607

REED. chairman. Committee on the Judiciary. House of Representatives: I am disturbed to note that certain organized pressure groups. as well as individuals associated with more or less obviously political organizations. have initiated a campaign of accusations against the Department of State for an alleged "slowdown" in the administration of the refugee immigration program. authorized under the law enacted on August 7. 1953. A small section of the public press has. unfortunately. joined the vociferous campaigners clamoring for a "speedup" in the admission of immigrants outside the regular quota system It has also been brought to the attention of our committee that the Administrator of the special immigration program is being pressed to have collective or group movements initiated. or even individual visas issued faster than the aliens can be screened for security or before a check is made in this country in order to ascertain whether employment and housing is actually available for the new immigrant and his family without displacing American citizens. I wish to state that should the present campaign succeed and should the Administrator succumb to pressures brought upon him from certain sourceswell known to our Committee. I might addthe intent of Congress expressed in the enactment of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 would be misconstrued and. indeed. the law itself violatecL Speaking in behalf of those Members of the House of Representatives who have drafted. amended. reported to the House. A1429 and secured final passage of the 1953 law. I wish to stress that while attempting to provide a haven for refugees and to offer new opportunities for economically handicapped Europeans. we have made the welfare and the security of the American citizens the paramount. overriding consideration in writing that statute. We intend to see to it that no inconsiderate dumping of immigrants into crowded metropolitan areas is done under the socalled blanket assurances of employment and housing. assurances which. in fact. do not assure anything and therefore have been outlawed by the 1953 act. We also intend to see to it that no security screening and other necessary checks and verifications be dispensed with for the sake of a speedup of admissions. I am certain that the Department of State will remain mindful of the injunction contained in the unanimously agreed to statement included in the conference report recomnmending to the House and to the Senate the final enactment of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953. This is what the conferees said: "The conferees desire further to stress that this legislation constitutes in no way a mandate to issue. within the prescribed period of time. the full number of visas allocated under this legislation. These are. in each case. maximum limitations. not quotas to be filled. It is to be clearly understood that this bill offers opportunities to enter the United States to a certain number of eligible aliens but that no special effort should be made to evade any of the provisions of this act or of the Immigration and Nationality Act in order to bring in such number or any number. Similarly. it is the unanimous consensus of the conferees that no efforts should be made to induce aliens to seek entry." We do want aliens eligible under the law to come to this country. but not under any speedup program which would be in clear violation of the law and to the detriment of our citizens. Jim Farleys Appointment