Speech #880287274

Mr. Speaker. one of the major items of unfinished business before the Congress is the revision of the present immigration laws. I have introduced H.R. 7740 which would accomplish this. Our present immigration laws based on the 1920 census and the quota system are grossly inequitable and inconsistent with our fundamental principles. The national origins and quota restrictions of the present law create gross inequities. For instance. Spain has the absurdly low annual quota of 250. and there are some 15.000 Spaniards seeking admission to the United States. Today a distinguished jurist. Justice Emilio Nufiez. of the New York State Supreme Court. appeared before the Immigration Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Judiciary. As honorary president of the Committee to Increase the Spanish Immigration Quota. Justice Nufiez vigorously urged repeal of the Spanish immigration quota and that "it be substituted by a more humane law founded upon the worth of the individual and what he can contribute rather than the place of his birth." Justice Nufiez own history as outlined in his testimony and the history of many of our most prominent citizens of Spanish descent prove the case for abolishing the national origins system. Think of the loss which the Nation suffers because of the inhumane immigration laws. If Justice Nufiez parents had not immigrated before the enactment of the national origins system. the people of the State of New York might not have benefited from his devoted public service. Mr. Speaker.