Immigration and Deportation

Report Outline
Pending Proposals to Amend Immigration Laws
Development of American Immigration Policy
Trends in European Immigration, 1921–1938
Deportation Policies of Federal Government

Pending Proposals to Amend Immigration Laws

Mounting Apprehension over the spread of non-democratic political doctrines among foreign-born groups in the United States has resulted in the introduction in Congress of a flood of proposals not only for the regulation of the activities of alien political groups but for drastic modification of existing immigration and deportation statutes. One such measure, offered by Rep. Dempsey (D., N. M.), was approved by unanimous vote of the House, without debate, on March 23, although it had been vigorously condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Dempsey bill, now under consideration by the Senate Immigration Committee, provides for the exclusion or deportation of aliens who believe in or advocate, or who are affiliated with an organization that believes in or advocates, “the making of any changes in the American form of government”

Other proposals for modification of federal immigration and deportation laws include a bill offered by Rep. Pace (D., Ga.) for a complete stoppage of immigration next December 31 and for deportation of all aliens in the country on that date, a bill sponsored by Senator Reynolds (D., N. C.) and Rep. Starnes (D., Ala.) providing for immediate deportation of “any alien or group of aliens whose presence in the United States is inimical to the public interest,” several proposals for reduction of existing immigration quotas, and numerous measures for registration and fingerprinting of aliens.

Grounded on a growing fear of “hyphenism” and alien political agitation, most of the pending proposals for changes in the immigration laws call for more stringent restrictions than those now in force. At the same time, however, the spread of fascism in Europe and the intensification of oppressive measures against racial and political minorities in fascist countries has led to the introduction of a number of proposals for lifting existing barriers against immigration. Chief among proposals of this type are the bill sponsored by Senator Wagner (D., N. Y.) and Rep. Rogers (R., Mass.) to allow 20,000 German refugee children to enter the United States during the next two years and a bill by Rep, Celler (D., N. Y.) which would authorize the President to modify existing immigration quotas where necessary to permit the admission of political, racial, or religious refugees from foreign countries.