Speech #840233551

A little over a year after passage of the original Refugee Relief Act. it became increasingly obvious that even within the refugee categories prescribed by the law. there just were not sufficient bona fide eligible applicants. notwithstanding the fact that in violation of the mandate of the Congress. administration officials were undertaking to induce every possible applicant to seek entry into the United States. The law was thenon August 31. 1954amended so that nonrefugee nationals within each ethnic group could use the visas originally allocated to socalled refugees. The practical effect of the amendment was to make the Refugee Relief Act not an act for the relief of refugees. but a general immigration act which struck at the heart of our National Origins Quota System. Mr. President. It Is now proposed in the substitute that the 50odd thousand unused visas originally allocated under the Refugee Relief Act shall be transferred and used under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Where. Mr. President. is the solemn pledge written Into the reports of the committees which handled the Refugee Relief Act that there would be no future extensions of this legislation? Should we not tear the appealing refugee label from this legislative device to circumvent our basic immigration formula? Mr. President. the net effect of the three provisions I have discussed is to Increase immigration Into the United States by about 600.000 aliens. all of whom would be coming out of proportion to the formula for the maintenance of the cultural pattern of our society.