Sen. Arthur V. Watkins today announced he will examine the workings of the McCarran-Walters Immigration Law in a tour of overseas consular offices starting next month.
The Senator, chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he will especially watch for evidence bearing on. complaints regarding the law referred to him by President Eisenhower. The President, in a letter to Sen. Watkins, said many complaints had reached the White House charging “many serious and inequitable restrictions” were contained in the immigration law.
Sen. Watkins said he would sit in with as many consular officials, as possible to observe how they handle applications for immigration visas. He will not check into any specific cases involving complaints, but will watch the general working of the immigration law, he stated.
The Senator’s plans also call for visits to European refugee camps and for a check into arrangements for handling the Emergency Refugee Bill that was enacted last month. The report of his tour will form the basis for action by his subcommittee on proposed changes on the McCarran-Walters Act.
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