Speech #890290550

There are no quotas for individual Latin American countries. but an overall ceiling of 120.000 for the hemisphere was written into the new lawthis is in addition to the annual quota of 165.000. This provision has created a good deal of controversy in the countries which are our closest neighbors. Many Latin Americans deeply resent this infringement of the nonquota immigration privileges they traditionally enjoyed on the basis of their historic ties with the United States. The ceiling on hemispheric immigration was included in the new law to eliminate any charges of discrimination In favor of the countries of this continent and of South America. There is. however. some question as to whether the nations of the Eastern Hemisphere really felt that we were showing favoritism toward Latin Americans. Secretary of State Dean Rusk. when asked how other governments viewed the nonquota status which had always been given Western Hemisphere nations. replied: I cannot recall in the past four years any government ever mentioning to us this problemany government outside the hemispherebecause they understand that there is a historic special interest within this hemisphere among countries .... In addition to imposing a hemispheric quota. which Latins and Canadians seem to resent. the new law subjects even those applicants who have relatives in the United States to the labor clearance requirement. This is a real inequity. In the Eastern Hemisphere all immigrants who have close relatives here are exempt from the job requirement. but in the Western Hemisphere all must comply with this provision except parents. spouses. and children of U.S. citizens and resident aliens. Reunification of families was one of the principal objectives of the law. but in the case of many Latin Americans and Canadians this objective has been frustrated by section 212 (a) (14) of the law. The immigration statistics recently made available by the State Department show that the number of immigrants coming from the Western Hemisphere was reduced by approximately 12.000 this year. Immigration from Canada has also dropped sharply. I ask unanimous consent that a table. comparing the number of immigrant visas issued in Canadas four largest cities last year with those issued this year be printed in the RECORD.