Congressman Attacks Proposals for Simplifying Immigration Regulations

In a lengthy statement inserted in the Congressional Record Congressman Thomas A. Jenkins, Ohio Republican, has criticized the Roosevelt Administration for “undermining” the immigration laws of the United States, has charged the present officials concerned with immigration of being “flagrantly inefficient” in administering the law, and has attacked the overseas airlines companies for proposing to eliminate some of the immigration restrictions applying to incoming airline passengers.

He also said he hoped that the sub-committee on Immigration of the Judiciary Committee would “do away with the practice of the consideration of legislation for the relief of individual cases.” The practice has led to the admission of many persons who were undesirable,” Jenkins declared, while deserving applicants “who did not have the finances or social standing with which to make legislative contact” were denied the privilege.

“I hope that the present Attorney General realizes that the sentiment of the American people is in favor of sensible and efficient restriction,” he added. “The people are not in favor of wholesale importation of all classes of people, many of whom will never espouse our ideals and many of whom will undermine our theory of government at every opportunity.”

He attacked the airlines for their proposal that the responsibility for determining an alien’s right to apply for admission to the United States rest salary with the embassies and consulates which issue all visas. This, he said, would make ineffective the authority of the immigration service to re-examine the immigrants when they arrived in the United States. He also attacked the Roosevelt Administration for creating a situation which prevented Congress knowing the facts about immigration.