Speech #880224298

Mr. President. on Monday. May 18. the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision in overruling the district court decision which upheld the revocation of Angelika Schneiders naturalized citizenship. Mrs. Schneider. who had her citizenship revoked because she returned to the land of her native birth and resided there with her husband for more than 3 years. had the courage of her convictions tofight an obviously inequitable lawone which declared that naturalized citizens. who are citizens by choice. do not enjoy the same privileges and rights. under our Constitution. as do our nativeborn citizens. who are citizens by the accident of place of birth. In the majority opinion of the Court. Mr. Justice Douglas stated: We start from the premise that the rights of citizenship of the native born and of the naturalized person are of the same dignity and are coextensive * * *. This statute proceeds on the impermissable assumption that naturalized citizens as a class are less reliable and bear less allegiance to this country than do the native born. This is an assumption that is impossible for us to make. I am pleased that the part of my bill. S. 1641. which would have repealed the same statute so wisely struck down by theCourt. need not now be acted on. I only regret that Congress has not yet acted to revise and update all our immigration and nationality laws. I ask that the opinion written by Justice Douglas be printed in the RECORD.