Mr. President. on behalf of the senior Senator from Oregon . the junior Senator from Oregon . and myself. I introduce. for appropriate reference. a bill to grant nonquota immigrant status to orphans under 14 years of age who have been adopted or who will be adopted upon their admission to the United States. The present law which permits these children to come into the United States will expire on June 30 of this year. That termination date was established in order that we might have an opportunity to determine how this provision of the law would operate. As the Senate report stated: The authority to issue such nonquota immigrant visas expires on June 30. 1959. at which time the Congress may review the operation of the program and a determination may then be made whether the program should be curtailed. modified. or canceled. I firmly believe that this program has successfully proved itself and should be continued. It would be tragic. indeed. if the law under which American parents can bring into the country children they have adopted or propose to adopt is permitted to expire. During the past 10 years the lives of thousands of parents have been enriched by special immigrant orphan legislation. The adopting parents have had both the opportunity to participate in a great humanitarian program and to experience the satisfaction of raising a child and watching him develop. The children have been afforded the opportunity to experience a natural and healthy childhood in our land and to share in our abundance.
Keywords matched
immigrant visas