Under our unrealistic quota policy of admitting aliens on the basis of national origin. some countries never fill their quotas. while others with small quotas have long waiting lists of people who want to enter the United States. often to join close relatives or to supply badly needed skills. I applaud the efforts of Representatives JOHN LINDSAY. OGDEN REID. and others in introducing legislation to correct inequities in the current immigration laws. Let us hope that speedy and thorough consideration can be given by the Judiciary Committee to the subject of revision of our immigration laws. As a Congressman I have been impressed by many commendable requests for admission into the United States by persons now virtually denied such an opportunity. Some means should be established for judging each case on its merits. While the United States cannot in this day and age return to a pattern of unlimited immigration. some liberalization in existing restrictions is called for. Close relatives of U.S. citizens should be given special preference. Our Immigration law should not create and perpetuate the separation of families. Persons possessing needed technological skills should be given priority regardless of their national origin. Unfilled quotas of nations sending few persons to the United States could thus be utilized. We should also establish a policy of allowing a certain number of the worlds refugees to enter the United States. Such a move would dramatize our concern for the worlds refugee problem as did our acceptance of Hungarian refugees. Through the years America has benefited from immigration. In fact. America is the story of immigration and the vital contributions of those who came to our shores and made the United States into the strong. dynamic Nation she is today. A review of our immigration and naturalization laws is urgently needed.
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Immigration immigration naturalization refugees refugee