Speech #850211023

More jobs have been made available to local citizens and thousands of dollars have been saved in unemployment compensation payments. The illegal entries along the Mexican border have almost been eliminated. A system of identification cards for Mexican workmen was conceived and placed in operation by the Immigration and Naturalization Service so that now a lawfully recruited bracero comes into the United States. to perform work and to receive wages in no way detrimental to the interests of our own residentsthe day of the "wetback" has passed from the scene. The problem along this area. that faces the Immigration and Naturalization Service today. is no longer the mere apprehension of a hungry job seeker. but rather the criminal. immoral. and possibly subversive types who would use the southern border as an easy method of ingress. Whereas in 1954. twotenths of 1 percent of the aliens apprehended had criminal records. the year end report of the Immigration and Naturalization Service shows that 10 percent are now in that category. Because of high immigration into Canada. some of the unworthy and unacceptable immigrants tried to use Canada as a base for illegal entry into the United States. To meet this situation. the Immigration and Naturalization Service quickly moved to transfer a number of border patrol officers from the Southwest to the Canadian border. I have mentioned the statutory duty of the Immigration and Naturalization Service to pass upon the admissibility of persons seeking entry into our country. I wonder if it is realized that during the year 1957 there were over 147 million entries of aliens and citizens into the United States from abroad. There were 76 million alien border crossings and 1.7 million alien crewmen admissions. Visitors. persons in transit. and other temporary admissions exceeded 800.000. Under the present administration of the Immigration and Naturalization Service emphasis has been placed not on the little paper cases but rather on cases of smugglers. criminals. and other flagrant violators of the immigration and naturalization laws. In prosecutions. convictions were obtained in 84 percent of the cases instituted. Convictions of some 200 smugglers brought aggregate sentences of 140 years imprisonment during 1957. During that year about 6.400 aliens were deported. including 723 criminals of which number 152 were narcotic law violators and 103 mental and physical defectives. Over 4.000 had entered surreptitiously or without proper documents. In addition. 65.000 aliens illegally here were permitted to depart voluntarily without institution of deportation proceedings. The Service reported that during the fiscal year 1957 over 875 potential applicants for admission to the United States were identified as excludable from entry because of subversive affiliations. Expulsion proceedings were initiated against 37 subversives during fiscal year 1957 and 29 subversives were expelled from the United States. The Immigration Service is returning to their own countries deportable aliens who are here at public expense because of mental or physical illness. In all such cases. the journey is not commenced until proper precautions are made so that the alien will be received and properly treated. It is estimated that the removal of the hospitalized aliens has saved the taxpayers here about one and onehalf million dollars. Not the least. should we fail to observe that 140.000 permanent resident aliens. with the assistance and efforts of the Service became citizens through naturalization during 1947. I think that my colleagues all know the extent to which I have carefully observed the operation of the Hungarian parole program. under the provisions of the WalterMcCarran Act. not only in this country but on frequent trips abroad at the scene of actual operations. A total of about 38.000 Hungarians came to this country representing the largest number resettled by anyone of the 42 participating countries which accepted refugees. I may observe that recently I reported from the Judiciary Committee a bill. which was passed by this House. for the purpose of creating a procedure whereby the worthy Hungarian parolees could acquire the status of permanent residents so that they might ultimately look forward to the precious boon of citizenship. I think that the Immigration Service is to be complimented for the manner in which it conducted the Hungarian parole program without any detriment. in my view. to the welfare of this country. I would not have it believed that all these accomplishments were consummated entirely by chance. They are due entirely to the reorganization of the Service. commencing in 1955. which added impetus and efficiency to its operations. For example. the casework was transferred to the field. together with a delegation of wide authority to take prompt and final action on almost all matters. without the necessity of consulting some central authority. An intensive inservice training program was instituted for career employees. something which this Government as a whole might well follow as an example. The border patrol has been made a mobile force ready to direct its attention to any focal point where trouble arises. Backlogs in all fields of work in the Service have been removed. The waiting period for an eligible applicant for naturalization has been reduced from months to days. Deportation and exclusion hearings are being conducted with officers who are now all lawyers. and the work is being done by onethird of the hearing officers formerly assigned to those duties. In conclusion it is clear to me that without increase in personnel the operations and procedures of the Immigration and Naturalization Service have improved far beyond any mark deemed even remotely possible a few years ago. The welfare of this country demands that a law as important as the Immigration and Naturalization Act with its effect upon our security. welfare. and safety. should be administered by loyal and able servants of the public who are compensated at a rate commensurate with their duties and obligations. So also does it seem to me that the supervision of this tremendous task demands just compensation. For these reasons. Mr. Speaker. It is with satisfaction that I welcome todays action in approving without objection the amendment to increase the salary of the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization. Care of the building and grounds For such expenditures as may be necessary to enable the Architect of the Capitol to carry out the duties imposed upon him by the act approved May 7. 1934 (40 U. S.