The “imperative need” for changes in the present immigration laws is emphasized by Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey in an analysis of the existing inflexible and restrictive immigration policies published today by the Public Affairs Committee, a non-profit educational organization.
Declaring that “ill-conceived and bigoted immigration laws have been a blemish on our record of democratic achievement,” Sen. Humphrey points out that “freedom of movement, both in emigration and immigration, have long been acknowledged as among the most fundamental of human freedoms; it is the hallmark of totalitarianism that it seeks rigidly to limit the free movement of people.”
Emphasizing that Presidents Truman and Eisenhower both have urged revision of our immigration policies, the Minnesota Senator says that “such revision represents a challenge to be met by the common action of all the American people, no matter what their party affiliation. He draws attention to the omnibus immigration and naturalization bill which is now before Congress and appeals for the support of the following proposals:
1. Creation of a single independent government agency with full responsibility and jurisdiction over immigration and naturalization. This new agency, to be called the Immigration and Naturalization Commission, would be charged with the application, administration, and enforcement of national immigration and naturalization policies.
2. Issuance of visas to all qualified applicants throughout the world without regard to national origin. This means replacing the National Origins Quota System. The new plan for the first time would place all immigration for permanent residents within the framework of a liberal quota system which would be completely nondiscriminatory.
3. Establishment of an annual immigration quota of 1/6 of 1 percent of our national population as reported by the most recent decennial census. This formula applied to the 1950 census would permit annual immigration of approximately 251,000. A definite quota ceiling would thus be firmly fixed. Immigrants would then be admitted on the basis of need and our own national welfare. This would be achieved by creating a system of priorities created to encourage a) reunification of families; b) asylum for the persecuted; c) haven for refuges and displaced persons; )d preference for persons with specially needed skills.
4. Elimination of present insupportable distinctions between native-born and naturalized citizens. Citizenship acquired by naturalization could be revoked only on the grounds of fraud perpetrated in acquiring it. In the proposed bill no act which a native-born citizen can perform with impunity can serve as a ground for revocation of citizenship of a naturalized American. Residence abroad is eliminated as a ground for revoking citizenship acquired by naturalization.
5. Creation of machinery for appeal from the decisions of visa officers abroad. At present neither the applicant nor his friends or relatives in the United States can appeal if a consular officer abroad refuses a visa on the basis of unfounded suspicions.
Sen. Humphrey says he expects that other immigration proposals will be introduced in Congress to achieve many of these reforms. “A basic rethinking of our present inflexible and restrictive immigration policies is necessary to bring our immigration practices into accord with our democratic aspirations,” he insists.
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