Speech #850063679

It is unthinkable that the Congress would not act to permit these children to join their adoptive parentsmany of them members of the military services. The number of orphans who would be admitted under this bill is small4.000 over a 2year periodbut the happiness which it would bring to adoptive parents and children alike is immeasurable. The last small group of alien refugees which would be admitted under this bill are some 5.000 Greeks. Italians. and stateless Jews who have been expelled from countries in the general area of the Middle East and who arrived in overcrowded Italy and Greece. Although many of us believe that these homeless people could be admitted under the parole provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. the Attorney General has declined to do so. These are worthy cases and deserve our consideration. Many of these expellees have relatives in this country. There are several general provisions in the bill to which I should like to draw attention. The first would permit the aliens to be admitted under this bill to enter the country under the regular provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act. All of us recognize that the procedures of the Refugee Relief Act were cumbersome. timeconsuming and expentive. Those in the Congress who know our immigration law best have advocated the return to the normal provisions of the Immigration Act which. while simple. afford necessary protections. This bill also provides for the regularzation of the immigration status of refugees who have heretofore been admitted under the parole provisions of the basic law. This is something that must be done sooner or later. This action will permit parolees to acquire a regular immigration status. This is an orderly procedure and should be followed with a minimum of delay. Various past acts of Congress have mortgaged quota numbers available under the regular Immigration Act so that for all practicable purposes immigration from some countries is impossible until well into the 21st century. This. it seems to me. and I know to most of my colleagues in the Congress. is a fantastic situation which should be corrected promptly. This bill would cancel the mortgages which have been placed on immigration quotas by previous acts of Congress. It would merely have the effect of making all quotas under ou. immigration law current. In summary I should like to say that the provisions of this bill meet the minimum requirements of the present refugeeescapee crisis. The situations to which the provisions of the bill are directed are well recognized by the Members of Congress and I believe there is general support for action in each of these areas. especially among those who have been closely associated with immigration and refugee legislation over the years. The bill is directed to pressing situations. the continued existence of which is morally indefensible and abhorrent to the American conscience. The number of aliens which this bill would admit is relatively smallless than 90.000 over a 2year periodyet the advantages to the United States and the people affected are tremendous.