Speech #890120982

Mr. Chairman. in my judgment there would be no surer way to impair relations between North America and Latin America than to adopt. after 40 years. a limitation on immigration to this Nation from the Western Hemisphere. In 1924. by virtue of historic. cultural and geographic ties. the Congress of the United States. in enacting the most restrictive immigration legislation in our history. provided nonquota status for immigrants from the Western Hemisphere. A special Senate review of our immigration policy in 1947 concluded that this nonquota status would be retained in the interests of our good neighbor policy. the difficulty in policing the huge borders of Canada and Mexico and the lack of abuse of the special relationship. The House Judiciary Committee again this year. after a careful review of our policy with the Secretary of State and other officials decided to retain this provision. I can see no purpose in changing this provision. I can see only the creation of new problems resulting from it. Despite no numerical limitation at the present time. immigration from the Western Hemisphere has not been disproportionate. In fact it was highest in 1927 when 147.000 immigrants entered our country at a time when our own economy was less able to absorb large numbers of immigrants. The Imposition of a numerical ceiling would be completely inconsistent with our other policies and programs in the hemisphere. At a time when we are encouraging closer ties between the United States and the hemisphere through strengthened institutions. development programs and cultural and educational exchanges. it makes no sense whatsoever to say that we no longer intend to maintain the Special relationship between our nations that has existed in the past in this area. The record indicates that we will probably not have more immigration from the Western Hemisphere under this new immigration legislation than we have had in the past. We should also not lose sight of the fact that the normal qualitative and administrative controls will continue to be observed. Adequate safeguards for American labor and welfare institutions have been developed and these will continue to operate. Indeed. this legislation already carefully guards against the result this amendment is designed to prevent. In the first place. intending immigrants. including those from the Western Hemisphere. must have a certificate from the Secretary of Labor that he will not displace a qualified American worker and that his employment would not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers similarly employed in the United States. Should Western Hemisphere immigration under the nonquota provisions exceed by 10 percent or more the average number of immigrants admitted from the hemisphere in the previous 5 years. the President is required to notify the Congress of this fact. Congress is then free to take whatever remedial action is deemed necessary. The argument that this provision discriminates against other nations in the Eastern Hemisphere has had more force with the proponents of the amendment than with the affected countries.