Speech #880029412

Associate Commissioner. U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. at a Kiwanis Club luncheon in Miami. Fla.. on March 29. 1963. Mr. Noto addressed himself to the subject of "Public Opinion and Enforcement of Immigration Laws." In delineating the scope of the responsibilities and activities of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. the efficient and comprehensive outline of the mundane workings of the Service seemed to be constantly blurred by the insistent image of the true America which obviously motivates the dedicated workers in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. which persistently came through. As Mr. Noto observed. public opinion needs to be fully and accurately informed before it can truly evaluate and come to a conclusion. Incomplete knowledge frequently leads to a distorted viewpoint. On too many occasions. alas. the Immigration and Naturalization Service has been depicted. cartooned. and lampooned as a service which administers laws with a heavy hand with no thought or regard of human welfare. As In many other areas of public life. the distortion is frequently more dramatic and more easily remembered than the plain unvarnished truth. It is unfortunate that little is known by the general public of the qualities of humaneness and compassion shown by the Service to many deserving ones. In the current Holiday magazine. in an article on the Department of Justice. you find this paragraph: In talking with immigration officials. little unknown acts of compassion come to light. Not long ago a bright Hungarian student came to the University of Washington. but his temporary visa expired before he could finish his studies. Quietly and on Its own. the Service made private arrangements for the boy to fly to Brazil and return a few days later with a new permit. At this point.