The “ordinary” alien at present not entitled to any preference within the immigration quotas might be excluded altogether from admission into the United States, according to a recommendation to Congress by Secretary of Labor James J. Davis in his annual report to Congress, made public here. Under this recommendation, the 50% balance of the quotas remaining after exhaustion of the preference half devoted to certain relatives and agriculturists, would be allotted to aliens “needed by American industries.” The procedure would involve application to the Secretary of Labor by the industries or other interests requiring skilled labor or other talent, and the Secretary would have the right to authorize issuance of preference visas for the aliens needed.
The only other recommendation of importance regarding immigration made by Secretary Davis was to amend the deportation law passed last March so as to give the Secretary authority to re-admit, at his discretion, aliens deported prior to March 4, 1929. The present law forever bars previously deported aliens from re-admission, irrespective of the circumstances. Secretary Davis points out the possibility of surrounding facts warranting re-admission in some cases.
Secretary Davis in his report ignored most of the 22 recommendations for legislation offered by Commissioner General of Immigration Harry E. Hull in his annual report to the Secretary, made public at the same time. Among the more important of these recommendations are the following: (1) non-quota status in the issuance of visas to dependent parents over 60 years of age of American citizens; (2) non-quota status for husbands of American citizens without restriction, the same as wives of American citizens (existing law excluded alien husbands married to women of American citizenship subsequent to June 1,1928); (3) priority over skilled agriculturists for wives and children under 21, of alien residents of the United States; (4) that the Secretary be given discretion to readmit expatriated natives of the United States; extension for legalizing the status of unlawfully entering aliens from June 3, 1921, (the present law) to July 1,1924 that the Secretary of Labor be given broader powers.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
