Immigration Law Brings Hardship to American Family Now in Europe

(Jewish Daily Bulletin)

One of the most interesting of the complicated situations arising under the immigration quota law is that of a woman born in Washington who married a native of Ireland of supposed American citizenship by naturalization in California. Several years ago they visited Ireland and while there children were born to them. Early in 1925 the family decided to return to America. They attempted to secure American passports but upon examination the husband’s naturalization papers proved to be first papers and not a citizenship certificate. In order to get her family back by the quickest method, the wife left her husband and children, and after one year of residence she was admitted to citizenship under the Cable Law. She had previously of course lost her citizenship under the old law by marrying an alien. The wife is now sending for her husband and minor children. Under the quota law the former will be entitled to preference and the children will be entirely exempt from the quota. Had the husband returned and left the wife and children abroad, the wife would have been obliged to wait during this period in order to enter as a non-quota immigrant as the wife of an American citizen unless she had previously secured admission within the quota. If in the meanwhile the age of the children had passed 21, they would have been obliged to wait their turn as ordinary immigrants deprived either of preference or exemption. The wife’s return therefore was the shortest and most effective step for the re-admission of the entire family, and Acting Secretary of Labor Carl White, in a statement pointed out the special privilege given to an American born woman, married to an alien, to obtain citizenship after residence of only one year in the United States as contrasted with the five year’s residence of an ordinary alien. He also pointed out that under the immigration law a married woman so naturalized can not only obtain admission of her husband through preference, avoiding the delay incident to the usual quota count but also to secure preference for her children between 18 and 21 and exemption for children under 18.