Statement by President Harry S. Truman, Veto of Bill to Revise the Laws Relating to Immigration, Naturalization, and Nationality

3279 HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE HOLD FOR RELEASE June 25, 1952 CONFIDENTIAL: To be held in STRICT CONFIDENCE and no portion, synopsis or intimation to be given out or published until the President's Message has been delivered to the House of Repre- sentatives. Extreme care must therefore be exercised to avoid premature publication. JOSEPH SHORT Secretary to the President TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I return herewith, without my approval, H.R. 5678, the proposed Immigration and Nationality Act. In outlining my objections to this bill, I want to make it clear that it contains certain provisions that meet with my approval. This is a long and complex piece of legislation. It has 164 separate sections, some with more than 40 subdivisions. It presents a difficult problem of weighing the good against the bad, and arriving at a judg- ment on the whole. H.R. 5678 is an omnibus bill which would revise and codify all of our laws relating to immigration, naturalization, and nationality. A general revision and modernization of these laws unquestion- ably is needed and long overdue, particularly with respect to immigration. But this bill would not provide us with an immigration policy adequate for the present world situation. Indeed, the bill, taking all its pro- visions together, would be a step backward and not a step forward. In view of the crying need for reform in the field of immigration, I deeply regret that I am unable to approve H.R. 5678. In recent years, our immigration policy has become a matter of major national concern. Long dormant questions about the effect of our immigration laws now assume first rate importance. What we do in the field of inmigration and naturalization is vital to the continued growth and internal development of the United States -- to the economic and social strength of our country -- which is the core of the defense of the free world. Our immigration policy is equally, if not more im- portant to the conduct of our foreign relations and to our responsibili- ties of moral leadership in the struggle for world peace. In one respect, this bill recognizes the great international significance of our inmigration and naturalization policy, and takes a step to improve existing laws. All racial bars to naturalization would be removed, and at least some minimum immigration quota would be afforded to each of the free nations of Asia. I have long urged that racial or national barriers to natu- ralization be abolished. This was one of the recommendations in my civil rights message to the Congress on February 2, 1948. On February 19, 1951, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill to carry it out. But now this most desirable provision comes before me embedded in a mass of legislation which would perpetuate injustices of long standing against many other nations of the world, hamper the efforts we are making to rally the men of East and West alike to the cause of freedom, and intensify the repressive and inhumane aspects of our immi- gration procedures. The price is too high, and in good conscience I cannot agree to pay it. (OVER)