Senate Committee Against Exempting Declarants’ Relatives from Quota

Recommends Preference Within Quota After Relatives of Citizens (Jewish Daily Bulletin)

Preference within the quota, instead of exemption from the quota for the wives and children under eighteen of declarants, as was originally proposed, was recommended by the Senate Immigration Committee, it was learned when the official report of the committee was filed by Snator David Reed of Pennsylvania.

The misunderstanding in the press reports, which stated that exemption from the quota had been recommended by the Senate Committee, was due to the fact that the committee’s action took the form of a vote on the resolution introduced by Senator Royal S. Copeland of New York, providing for the exemption, the committee amended it so that it now provides for preference within the quota.

It was learned that when the resolution came up at the committee meeting Senator Copeland was absent and Senator Reed opposed the granting of exemption, submitting an amendment for preference. Senator Reed stated that this is as far as the committee should go with regard to aiding the uniting of separated families.

It is feared that the Senate Committee’s action destroys the hope that substantial relief will be forthcoming during this session of Congress. In its present form the resolution as reported by the committee will furnish very little relief, owing to the small quotas and the fact that half of the quotas are assigned for agricultural laborers and the remaining half will have to be shared by the wives and children, parents and husbands of American citizens who are already in the preferred class.

In his report Senator Reed admits the resolution in its present form will not increase the total immigration.

The report states that “the committee is firmly of the opinion that the policy of restricted immigration as declared by the Act of 1924 should not be departed from, but at the same time, it believes that it is entirely consistent with that policy to give a preference to the relatives of intending citizens in order that family reunion may be hastened and that the natural feelings of affection of these citizens-to-be shall be recognized.” The report adds: The committee believes the passage of the resolution will have the effect of removing in many cases real distress.”

Surprise was expressed at the change of attitude on the part of Senator Reed. It was pointed out that he recently made a public address in which he declared that he was in favor of relief legislation for uniting families.