Speech #930121222

Navy and another 6.000 who have served in the Navy since World War II. Assuming that only a third of them would desire to take advantage of such preference. and allowing for an average family of three. a conservative estimate of the number of those eligible for admission to the United States under this amendment would be 211.000. Thus. placing them in .the firstpreference category would have the effect of closing immigration from the Philippines for the next 10 years for any other preference category. No spouse or child of a resident alien would be able to enter the United States and no doctor or nurseof a backlog of 90.000 applicants in this category presently exists in the case of the Philippinesand no brother. sister. married son or daughter of U.S. citizens could enter. Section 329 of the Immigration ard Nationality Act provide. that an alien who has served honorably n an activeduty status in the U.S. military forces during prescribed periods:. World War I. World War II. Korea. and the Vietnamese situation. beginning February 28. 1961. can apply for expeditious naturalization if: First. at the time of enlistment or induction such alien was physically in the United States. or second. at any time subsequent to enlistment or induction such alie.a shall have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence. The act of August 16. 1961. provides that no person shall be enlisted in the military forces unless he is a citizen of the United States or is lawfuly admitted for permanent residence. However. an alien in the United States was subject to the Selective Service Act. The only persons serving in the U.S. military forces who are not enlisted or inducted in the United States are the Filipino enlistees who are recruited in the Philippine Islands and enlisted in the Philippine Islands. Notwithstanding. if a Filipino reenlists in the Navy while stationed In the United States. that reenlistment. by virtue of a court decisior. is held to be the same as an origina. enlistment and thus does not qualify him for expeditious naturalization under the provisions of section 329 of the Immigration and N.tionality Act. Consequently. the thrust of the amendment is to put the Filipino enlistees within the firstpreference category. thus for all intents and purposes affording an opportunity to be admitted to the United States so that they can benefit from the provisions of section 329. as mentioneR. I oppose this amendment. principally because it is premature.