For the first time in more than three years, hearings on general immigration legislation were opened here today by the Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senator Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, recalled before the subcommittee that both the Republican and Democratic parties are firmly committed to improve and modernize United States immigration laws. “It is high time that these pledges, spelled out clearly in both national party platforms in 1956, were honored,” Sen. Javits said.
Testifying before the subcommittee in support of three bills he has introduced, Sen, Javits emphasized that the pledges by both major parties cannot be regarded as mere campaign talk, and that their redemption is indispensable to the continuance of American peace leadership. His proposed bills would modernize the present national quota system, allow pooling of unused quotas, and eliminate procedural injustices in the administration of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
They would also establish a permanent United States refugee program, whereby the President could authorize the admission of up to 60, 000 refugee escapees annually. By determining the regular quotas on the basis of the 1950 census, instead of the 1920 census as is now the practice, the quotas could be considerably increased, stated Sen. Javits. He pointed out that the general population of the United States increased by some 40 percent during the three last decades.
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