Speech #880164175

This correspondence is running about 40 to 1 in favor of barring Richard Burton from admission into the United States. Many of the letters are written by parents of teenaged children. pouring out their concern over the depraved example of public conduct set by Richard Burton and the trying problems of parents who strive to rear their children to be decent. lawabiding adults and citizens. There is no question. in my opinion. about the Department of State having the exclusive authority bv law to revoke the visa issued to Richard Burton. The congressional intent on that authority is clear. Substantive matters raised during the executive hearing before our subcommittee on February 3. 1964. with which I trust you are acquainted. clarify this uninhibited authority by law for the Department of State. An effort was made to tilt this authority on a razor thin edge of opinion growing out of a simple advisory opinion on admissibility by the Board of Immigration Appeals. Congress intended that basic question of eligibility to receive a visa be sharply separated from any and all involvement with the question of admissibility after a visa was granted and the visa holder presented himself at a port or point of entry into the United States. Hence. the authority on visa issuance. refusal or recall rests exclusively with the Department of State and the authority to rule on admissibility of an alien with a valid visa rests exclusively with the Department of Justice. Immigration and Naturalization Service. To burden the authority of the Department of State on visa matters with a decision made by an advisory instrument of the Justice Department relating to a question of admissibility gives rise to a number of questions which I shall be ready to take up with you when the issue of Richard Burtons visa is resolved. Meanwhile. the point of my letter is the authority vested in you by law. as Secretary of State. is in no way encumbered by opinions or decisions relating to the admissibility of aliens in possession of a valid visa. Further. there can be no reasonable argument against the claim that Richard Burtons case is an unusual one because a casual reading of the daily journals offer more than sufficient evidence to support that claim. The transcript of hearing held by our subcommittee on this matter is available for your reading if you so desire.