Speech #870041535

Mr. President. in less than 9 weeks the orphan immigration law will expire on June 30. 1961. Under the terms of this law. eligible orphans. who are under 14 years of age and who will be or have been adopted by a U.S. citizen and spouse. may be admitted to our country free of immigration quotas. Legislation to provide for the quotafree admission of eligible orphans was first passed by Congress in 1948 in the Displaced Persons Act. Some 4.000 orphans were admitted under the terms of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 which expired on December 31. 1956. and in 1957 Congress provided Public Law 85316. which remains the basic law. even though it was materially improved in 1959 by Congress. and was extended last year for 1 year. Under these laws some 14.000 orphans have benefited. It is my earnest hope that legislation to allow the continued admission of orphaned children in the United States will be promptly enacted. In the 1959 extension of the law. Congress wisely provided that the Department of Justice be given full operating authority. with the requirement that the Attorney General determine both for orphans adopted abroad and those admitted to the United States for adoption. that the adoptive parents will care for such eligible orphan properly. if the child is admitted to the United States. Operating authority has been assigned under this provision to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Prior to the amendment of September 9. 1959. abuses took place in the orphan immigration program. and serious allegations were made of child selling. as well as unqualified parents obtaining orphan children. Under the present law. adoptive or prospective adoptive parents are required to file a petition with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and that Service conducts a careful investigation before the child is admitted to our country. This investigation takes place both for children lawfully adopted abroad as well as those to be adopted in the United States under State law. Commissioner J.