Speech #840030837

Mr. Speaker. I have today introduced an immigration and naturalization bill which would completely revise and replace the McCarranWalter Immigration Act. which was passed over the Presidents veto in 1952. This immigration and naturalization bill. entitled the "Immigration and Citizenship Act of 1955." is a codification of all existing immigration. naturalization. and citizenship laws. clarifying and simplifying the present act. but above all. remolding American immigration and naturalization policy into its traditional directions of justice and equity. Moreover. this proposed act would establish an immigration and naturalization policy that win give faithful and positive expression to the basic human values to which American political institutions are dedicated. Before discussing the principal features of my bill permit me to state that the need for a complete reevaluation of our immigration policy is made even more clear by the unwarranted ousting last week of Edward J. Corsi. the State Departments expediter of immigration. The treatment afforded Mr. Corsi. who has served as Commissioner of Immigration under President Hoover. and as New York State Industrial Commissioner under Governor Dewey. is as absurd and offensive as .the present immigration policy itself. Last January Mr. Corsi was urged by Secretary of State Dulles to come to Washington to accept the task of speeding up the flow of refugees Into this country under the stringent provisions of the McCarranWalter Act. At that time Mr. Dulles called him the "bestqualified man in the United States" on immigration matters. After the highest praise from Mr. Dulles only 3 months ago he discharged this man who was trying to interpret the repressive immigration laws in the most humane way possible. This seems to me to be as unjust as the McCarranWalter Act itself. We all know that Mr. Corsi has long been on record as favoring a much more liberal administration of the emergency refugee program. and a complete revision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Both these objectives will be accomplished under the provisions of the bill I introduced in the House. At this point. let me remind the spokesmen of both major political parties that they are on record as having assured the American people of a revision of the unAmerican McCarranWalter Act and a new refugee law. I appeal to the leadership of both parties to redeem the pledges made by giving prompt consideration to my bill. It seems to me that the basic principle is whether or not we are to have a sensible. humane immigration policyand that is obviously the concern of both political parties. The bill I have introduced is a code of permanent immigration and naturalization law designed to enable the United States to meet its continuing obligations in the immigration field without periodic emergency measures. and to meet American needs and requirements at the same time. The proposed bill if enacted into law eliminates the nationaloriginsquota system with its builtin discriminations based on place of birth. eliminates statutory discriminations and distinctions between nativeborn and naturalized American citizens. eliminates the present insubstantial grounds for revocation and denial of citizenship. and eliminates fractions and arbitrary grounds for denial of admission to the United States. Moreover. the proposed act would make clear distinction in requirements for entry between (a) aliens seeking permanent residence here. and (b) alien visitors coming here for scholarly or scientific purposes. for pleasure. or for business. In addition. this bill would eliminate special immigration barriers against Orientals and Negroes. establish an annual immigration ceiling of approximately 250.000 a year. but permit immigration up to that limit.. It would also require all ordinary immigration from the Western Hemisphere to be included within the annual immigration limits. Another very important feature of the bill would establish a unified quota system. based on national need. individual aptitude. and the requirements of our foreign policy. and last but not least the bill would establish statutory review and appeals procedures in all cases of deportation and exclusion. and for denials of visas. I wish to point out and make very clear that this bill would promote entry of desirable immigrants on a basis responsive to national need and international responsibility and at the same time protect this country from infiltration by those who would destroy or impair its political institutions. Let us not forget that the present struggle with Soviet communism is political and moral. as well as military. and therefore if we are to win this fight. we cannot allow legislation to remain on the statute books which enable others to accuse us of establishing our own "Redtape Curtain." Beyond any question or doubt. the United States is the leading democratic nation in the world. This fact imposes a grave responsibility on us which we are failing to live up to as long as the McCarranWalter Act is the law of our land. By adopting this bill you will eliminate all racial and national bias. establish a uniform right of review and appeal from administrative decisions. and remove the distinctions between nativeborn and naturalized American citizens. The national origins quota system would be replaced by a new unified quota system. Likewise. all immigration and naturalization functions. now divided between the Consular Service of the State Department and the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Justice Department would be consolidated in a separate single agency to be known as the Immigration and Naturalization Commission. We in the United States know that our population stems from many races. groups. and tongues. It is also clear beyond dispute that our country has developed and prospered because we have made it a practice to offer a welcoming hand to substantial numbers of immigrants who were seeking freedom and equal opportunity. There is no question that our moral and material advancement has been due principally to the fact that we have had a liberal and progressive immigration policy. That liberal immigration policy. which allowed my ancestors to come to this country must be renewed if this country is not to lose an essential source of its great invigorating strength. In my opinion. the proposed legislation will achieve this purpose and at the same time guard the security. health. and welfare of the United States. It is extremely important that the Congress consider. with open and sympathetic mind. these grave problems of immigration and naturalization. We must remember that any injustice in our immigration and naturalization law is a wedge which will weaken our political system and our long established. constitutionally guaranteed. doctrine that all men are created equal. In conclusion I want to say that the bill I have introduced is a comprehensive revision of the present law designed and intended to reflect the genuine American tradition of equal justice and impartiality under the law for both the alien and the citizen. and to provide a friendly welcome for immigrants. without discrimination or prejudice. but within a fortified limitation as to total numbers. The bill also provides full security against the admission of criminal. subversive. and other undesirable aliens and it provides for the deportation of those inadvertently admitted or already present in this country. In my opinion the two most important reforms advocated are the abolition of the national origins quota system and consolidation of the overlapping immigration functions of the State Department and the Department of Justice. I firmly believe that if this proposed legislation is enacted into law it will represent an essential return to our basic American tradition and concepts of immigration and will remove the inequities and discrimination from our basic immigration and naturalization laws which are presently a sore on our American way of life. A2497 Forest Conservation Legislation