Mr. Speaker. the proposal to transfer consideration of immigration matters in the House of Representatives from the Judiciary Committee to the Committee on Internal Security runs exactly contrary to the best American traditions. It implies that the immigrant is a potential security risk or suspect. instead of a. potential good American. It tends to stop consideration of the immigrant as a man seeking freedom and justicefor these are factors that a judicial function considersand instead makes of the immigrant a man possibly guilty of subverting our institutions. and therefore the business of a security committee. The transfer of passport controls to such a committee is equally bad. Instead of keeping the emphasis on the right of every American citizen to travel. as a free man. the emphasis would now be placed upon the danger of any American citizen being allowed to move at will about the world. The implications of such transfers of function thus run far beyond the administrative questions involved. They go to the very essence of the picture of freedom which we present to the world abroad. and to our people at home. Even on the administrative level. however. immigration questions bear much closer relationship to the courts and the Department of Justiceand therefore to the Judiciary Committeethan they do to police or security functions. If any other interest were to be consulted. it would logically be that of the departments and committees charged with labor and economic questions. The same Is true respecting passport affairs. which fall basically within the area of the State Department and the Senate and House committees charged with the supervision of foreign relations.
Identified stereotypes
Immigrants are portrayed as potential security risks or subversives.