Speech #900101174

Mr. President. section 203 (a) (7) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides for the conditional entry of refugees into the United States. The language of that provision reads as follows: (7) Conditional entries shall next be made available by the Attorney General. pursuant to such regulations as he may prescribe and in a number not to exceed 6 per centum of the number specified in section 201 (a) (ii). to aliens who satisfy an Immigration and Naturalization Service officer at an examination in any nonCommunist or nonCommunistdominated country. (A) that (i) because of persecution or fear of persecution on account of race. religion. or political opinion they have fled (I) from any Communist or Communistdominated country or area. or (II) from any country within the general area of the Middle East. and (ii) are unable or unwilling to return to such country or area on account of race. religion. or political opinion. and (III) are not nationals of the countries or areas in which their application for conditional entry is made: or (B) that they are persons uprooted by catastrophic natural calamity at defined by the President who are unable to return to their usual place of abode. For the purpose of the foregoing the term "general area of the Middle East" means the area between and including (1) Libya on the west. (2) Turkey on the north. (3) Pakistan on the east. and (4) Saudi A rabia and Ethiopia on the south: Provided. That immigrant visas in a number not exceeding onehalf the number specified in this paragraph may be made available. in lieu of conditional entries of a like number. to ruch aliens who have been continuously physically present in the United States for a period of at least two years prior to application for adjustment of status. Mr. President. on July 12. 1967. I sent a letter toSecretary of State Dean Rusk strongly protesting the Departments partial implementation of this section 203 (a) (7) of the Immigration Reform Act of 1965. I pointed out at that time that by establishing refugee offices in six European nations and Lebanon. any political refugee in flight from a Communist country who tries to enter the United States by way of any Asia or Pacific area would be effectively barred from admission to this country. unless he somehow manages to reach one of those seven countries. This partial implementation of the law. I emphasized. was clearly a violation of the spirit and intent of the Immigration Reform Act of 1965. which the administration had so strongly supported for the very reason that it would eliminate racial discrimination from our basic immigration law. Mr. President.