Speech #840233572

They would not make a single change in the provisions of the law relating to the acquisition of citizenship. except for certain veterans of the United States Armed Forces and their close relatives. my amendments would make no changes as to the loss of United States citizenship. Second. They would not add or subtract a single ground for deporting an alien from the United States. Third. They would not lift a single one of the bars which now forbid the admission to the United States of an alien who would be a danger to the national security. In a nutshell what the amendments seek to accomplish is the following: First. They would transfer to the executive branch of our Government much of the discretionary powers in the enforcement of the immigration law which are now exercised by the Congress through the lengthy. inefficient. and expensive process of private legislation. without surrendering any of the powers of a Member of Congress to introduce such a bill when the executive branch cannot or will not act. Second. They would incorporate into the law a number of technical amendments recommended by the people who administer the present law. including three provisions to enlarge the citizenship privileges ofand revise the expatriating provisions relating tomembers of the Armed Forces. past and present. and their families. They would also grant legislative approval to four different administrative interpretations of existing law. Third. They would guarantee the use but prevent the abuse of our judicial process by deportable or inadmissible aliens whose sole object is to prevent or delay their removal from this country. Fourth. They would increase the maximum limitations upon the number of aliens who may obtain visas to come to the United States to live permanently. This does not mean that the amendments guarantee the admission of a greater number of aliens. they do increase the potential maximum number. The four bills which I previously introduced. on February 8. 1956. were the only specific bills on which open hearings were conducted by the Subcommittee on Immigration of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. President.