Senator Copeland Proposes New Amendments to Immigration Law

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Senator Copeland of New York, has introduced several bills in the Senate proposing exemption from the quota of immigrants who are the fiancees of American citizens and also substantially the same category of relatives proposed by Congressman Perlman and Senator Wadsworth, that is, the parents, children under twenty-one and wives or husbands of citizens and declarants. Senator Copeland’s bill agrees with Congressman Periman’s original measure, making no distinction in favor of the relatives of those who were declarants before July 1924, whereas Senator Wadsworth’s bill would admit only the latter.

Senator Copeland has also introduced bills to exempt the step parents of American citizens, the children, step-children under twenty-one and the wives of rabbis who entered America prior to May 26, 1924, and domestic servants who agree to continue in domestic service at least three years subsequent to admission.

Congressman Perlman has introduced a new bill in the House to correspond with Senator Wadsworth’s in the Senate, whereby only the unmarried children under twenty-one and the wives, husbands and parents of declarants admitted priod to July 1, 1924 shall be exempt from the quota. Congressman Perlman’s previous bill proposed exemption for children regardless of age and all the above mentioned relatives of declarants regardless of when the declarants entered America. While Congressman Perlman still feels that Senator Wadsworth’s restriction is unjustified, he preferred to make his bill coincide with Senator Wadsworth’s in order to facilitate progress, feeling it was a concession warranted in order to avoid obstruction.

Both Congressman Perlman’s and Senator Wadsworth’s bills would give preference within the quota to quota immigrants who are unmarried, children under twenty-one, the wives, husbands and parents of declarants who were admitted after Congressman Golder of Philadelphia pointed out that there was a misapprehension as to his criticism of the July 1. 1924 limitation on the exemption of relatives of declarants prescribed by the new bills. Congressman Golder was quoted as having claimed the naturalization law requires two years residence before declaration of intention can be made. Congressman Golder stated he was misunderstood, as there is no such limitation. Declaration of intention may be made immediately after entry, the only connection between the two year period and the declaration of intention being that the declaration must have been made at least two years prior to application for naturalization but the declaration itself can be made at any time. Congressman Golder, however, pointed out it would nevertheless be a hardship upon declarants admitted after July 1. 1924 to be deprived of exemption of their relatives although the 1924 limitation would not mean 1922 as was construed from his remarks at the House Committee hearing.

Of the sixteen candidates in Montreal. Canada, for admissions to the practice of law for this year, eight are Jews.