Speech #840013413

I was. and still am. shocked because the statements made in the release were inaccurate. I regret that those who permitted the use of their names on this erroneous release did not check the facts before making it public. It is not true that the Immigration and Naturalization Act in any way tends to. and I quote. "maintain our own iron curtain. against visitors and alien immigrants alike. while criticizing the Iron Curtain abroad." It is not true that. under present law. there are "daily examples of senseless cruelty against aliens already resident here. or recently arrived here." Such statements are untrue. made either ignorantly or deliberately. but they are untrue and demonstrably so. During the year 1954. the total admission of aliens to the United States was over 770.000immigrants. temporary workers. and visitors. This is no iron curtain. According to the Solicitor General of the United States. Simon Soboloff. a week ago. there were 2. I repeat 2. persons under arrest in the custody of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. They were both stowaways. The Immigration and Naturalization Act. characterized by its enemies as a "shameful" law. has not had the stifling effect they would imply. An actual increase of immigration is reported in 1954. the second year the act was in operation. A total of 208.000 immigrant aliens were admitted. an increase of 22 percent over the preceding year. Nonimmigrant admissions reached an alltime high of 566.613 during the past year. according to the statistics of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The act attempts to deal in an orderly way with the admission of aliens. placing restrictions in the way of those whose admission would be contrary to the interests of the United States. It provides for the deportation of those who abuse our hospitality. or by subversive or criminal act endanger our country and its citizens. The critics of the act lose sight of the fact that admission to the United States is a privilege and not a right. that national and not international interest must be our first concern in this field. The intolerable barriers which are said to keep renowned scientists. scholars. and men of letters from coming to our shores as visitors. cannot be found in the language of this statute.