22

WESTERN HEMISPHERE IMMIGRATION

With reference to the West Indies, the Department of Labor’s
statistics show an average immigration, gross, of 3,186 annually for
the last four completed fiscal years, of which 2,187 were from Cuba.
Similar figures for the whole of Central and South America were 4,714,
As to the chairman’s bill under consideration, I would like to call
attention to the dual quota status, already mentioned by Colonel
Martin in the hearing of January 15, of certain European dependencies
 in the Western Hemisphere. This might be arranged by detaching
 all such quota areas from their former qoutas, or otherwise. as
may be deemed advisable. This refers to section 4.
With reference to section 6, it is well to point out that American
consular officers abroad have been able to achieve a degree of selection
of immigrants under existing statutes which does credit to the earnestness
 and intelligence which they have devoted to the task of refusing
visas to aliens under the excluding provisions of law covering physical.
mental, and moral defects, or because the alien appeared to be likely
to become a public charge. The consular officers in the 303 offices
abroad where visas are issued are able to investigate thoroughly each
alien’s record and his reaction to a rigid personal examination. If
the consul has reason to believe him inadmissible under an existing
provision of law, the visa is refused and the alien is not forced to take
the trip to this country only to be rejected at the port of entry.
Mr. Ramey. Is the consul given the power to refuse, as an official?
Mr. Simmons. Section 2 (f) of the act of 1924 gives him the authority
 to refuse visas.
Mr. Ramey. Does the State Department recognize any modificafon
 to that provision?
Mr, Simmons. Absolutely not.
Mr. Ramey. He assumes final responsibility?
Mr. Simmons. Well, yes.
Mr. Ramey. And the applicant can not seek relief in the courts?
Mr. Simmons. The rejection is final.
The plea of hardship due to severance of home ties and long journey
taken in vain may not be used in the case of refusals abroad. Of
course, the selection to which I refer is that afforded by the large proportion
 of refusals made at the consulates. If a higher degree of selection
 is desired, any feasible plan to effect it would be welcome.
The Cratrman. If officers in a foreign country are inclined to interfere,
 you don’t allow him to bring his family along or his friends to
back his objections; you would not prevent him from being interferred
 with?
Mr. Simmons. As the law now stands consular officers are always
able to explain to the alien’s friends and others interested in his case
a very specific reason for the refusal, under section 3 of the immigration
 act of 1917, which covers various mental, moral, and physical
defects. It might, as a practical matter, be difficult to explain to an
interested person that a given visa was refused because the alien was
not assimilable or likely to contribute to develop a homogeneous
population; in other words, specific grounds of refusal are an advantage
 administratively. Additional grounds of refusal might be made
more specific, and the broad authority given to consuls, as already
mentioned, under section 2 (f) of the immigration act of 1924 would
then automatically have wider range of applicability and thus give a
rreater degree of selection by increasing the proportion of visa refusals,