Immigration Commissioner Hull for Legalizing Illegally Entered Residents

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Commissioner General of Immigration Harry E. Hull has a high opinion of the present quota law, favors registration of aliens and regards with sympathy the proposal to legalize the residence and enable the naturalization of aliens who entered America unlawfully before the quota act became operative, that is, prior to July 1, 1924 according to a report issued here. At the same time Commissioner Hull proposes that legislation be enacted that will allow a certain number of aliens to be admitted annually in situations of peculiar and disterssing hardship without regard to the existing quota restrictions, in connection with which Mr. Hull said, “I admit that the awarding of such quota charges might present many administrative problems, but my experience to date convinces me that certain remedies are required to meet unusual situations.”

The Commissioner also proposed that non-quota status be given to parents of an American citizen, whereas they now have only preference, stating that this preference amounts to practically nothing where the quotas are heavily burdened, as Italy, Russia and Poland. He also recommended that non-quota status should be given to children up to the age of 21 instead of limiting it to the present age of 18. He likewise favors exempting alien husbands of American citizen wives.

In general approval of the present quota law Commissioner Hull said:

“We now have the first intelligent and scientific set of measures regulating immigration that we have ever enjoyed. Whatever difficulties may be experienced under them and I will admit there are a few. I feel confident can be smoothed out by comparatively slight amendments. We are today nearer the solution of the immigration problem in this country than we or any other country has ever been in history. I view these measures as expressing with a great degree of wisdom and accuracy the majority will of our great people, demanding that there shall be a standard of admissibility imposed upon alien incomers and also that only such number of admissible aliens may come as will be helpful and can readily be assimilated into our national life.”

Referring to registration of aliens, Commissioner Hull declared:

“Prompt legislative provision. accompanied by adequate appropriation of Fund to provide for a country-wide registration of our alien population with provision for future, similar registration of newcomers within a stipulated time after their admission should be made. This plan would, in my opinion, be a protection to our lawfully-admitted alien residents and, at the same time, would be a curb to the surreptitious entry of aliens and upon the operation of the various methods of obtaining illegal entry which I have described. The lawabiding portion of our alien population has no occasion to fear the results of such survey, and the alien violation of the law will thereby be induced to remove his unlawful presence or expose himself to apprehension and ultimate deportation proceedings.”

Explaining his reasons for favoring legalization and naturalization of aliens who entered unlawfully prior to July 1, 1924, Commissioner Hull stated:

“A large percentage of the aliens now illegally in this country are the victims of their own carelessness and also of the careless methods of admintering the immigration laws in previous years. They came into the country as visitors, tourists, or perhaps floated over the border without proper examination and inspection They stayed, became allocated to the various industries of the land, and now are a potential part of our better class of people. Many are engaged in business and in the professions, and their situation is a most distressing one Anywhere from one to three million of these people, undeportable, cannot travel abroad and return home. It is impossible for them to be naturalized. They are literally people without a country.”