The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-02-26

The Committee on Immigration and Naturalization has requested a rule from the Rules Committee, but it has not yet been voted. It is pos gible, therefore, that no action will be taken on the bill before the end of the session.
 Unuer Discussion z
 The Kerr bill is one on which there has been much discussion dur ing the present session of congress
 In reply to 8 resolution passed by ehe house last August, the secre- tary of labor has prepared a report on cases in which deportation has been stayed temporarily. This let ter indicates that the Department oi Labor has studied the cases o1 g,862 aliens subject to deportation 08 per cent of which will involve hardships through family separa- kions.
 The secretary's letter points out Ehat should these 2,S62 persons be deported, they will leave behind them in the United States 6,3S9 neal relatives, 4,665 of whom are Ameri- can citizens. Included in those who will be left in the United States according to the secretary of labor are 3,904 dependents, who for the most part will become public charges Sn this country.
 l7,377 Cases
 The secretary further reports that the stayed cases represent six per cent of the total number of aliens subject to deportation, there being for the fiscal years ending June 30 1935, s,3l9 deportations, 1873 volun. tary departures and 1,080 stayed cases, a total of 17,377 for the year
 Secretary Perkins further states khat 1t has never been generally realized that the present deportation aaws have operated to separate hus- band from wife, children from their parents, sometimes to dispense fam- klies to several countries, the father Ao one, the mother to a second, and hlae children to third. Most of those left behind in the United states become public charges after khe breadwinner has been deporteo' ,hhe secretary reports.
 Criminals
 Secretary Perkins contends that fin the enforcement of the present sleportation laws designed to rid the country of undesirable aliens there has been little effort made to search but inc criminals and that in the past only 8 1-2 per cent of all de- portations were those of criminals The secretary of labor reports that m survey of principal cities by the immigration and Naturalization Service indicates that there are at the present time 10000 alien criml- nals not now subject to deportation, but who will become deportable ,la- der the provisions of the Kerr oill' H. R. 8l63.
 Among those who will be subject 10 deportation under the provisions of this bill are those convicted in tne state courts for narcotic trading. At the present time only those aliens convicted in the federal courts TOT this crime are subject to deportation The secretary of labor also points put that under the provisions of the Kerr bill racketeers and gangsters carrying concealed and dangerous weapons will be subject to deporta- ton whereas at the present time they are not because such crime is held not to involve moral turpl- tude. Yet a man who may be con- yicted of stealing a toy may be de- ported under the provisions of the present deportation laws because 1t can be held that such a theft ln- wolves moral turpitude, Miss Per- kins points out.
 Eligibility
 Some of the other general provis- ions of the Kerr bill have to dc with the permitting of aliens who entered this country prior to July i. 1924, to register and eventually become citizens; would allow cer- tain aliens eligible to nonquota or preferential immigration status tc adjust their status here without having to meet the present require ment of returning to their mother country before such an adjustment might be made; and would charge against the quota of each country those aliens in this country who are allowed to change their status thus protecting fully the present quota -m.A.AnklA,a Ia