IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION

APRIL 24, 1974.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. EASTLAND, from the Committee on the Judiciary,
submitted the following

REPORT

[Pursuant to S. Res. 56, 93d Cong., first sess.]

I. INTRODUCTION

Senate Resolution 56 of the first session of the 93d Congress, agreed to on February 27, 1973, provided, in part, as follows:

Resolved, That, in holding hearings, reporting such hearings, and making investigations as authorized by sections 134(a) and 136 of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, in accordance with its jurisdiction under rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary, or any subcommittee thereof, is authorized from March 1, 1973, through February 28, 1974, for the purposes stated and within the limitations imposed by the following sections, in its discretion (1) to make expenditures from the contingent fund of the Senate, (2) to employ personnel, and (3) with the prior consent of the Government department or agency concerned and the Committee on Rules and Administration, to use on a reimbursable basis the services of personnel of any such department or agency.

SEC. 9. Not to exceed $240,000 shall be available for a study or investigation of immigration and naturalization.

SEC. 18. The committee shall report its findings, together with such recommendations for legislation as it deems advisable with respect to each study or investigation for which expenditure is authorized by this resolution, to the Senate at the earliest practicable date, but not later than February 28, 1974.

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SEC. 19. Expenses of the committee under this resolution. shall be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved by the chairman of the committee.

This report is submitted in accordance with the provisions of section 18 of Senate Resolution 56 to indicate the accomplishments of the Standing Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization of the Committee on the Judiciary.

II. WORK AND WORKLOAD OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE

The Subcommittee on Immigration and Naturalization has functioned as a standing subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary since the beginning of the 80th Congress, which was the first Congress operating under the Legislative Reorganization Act. The subcommittee functions under the general jurisdicition of the Committee on the Judiciary and is empowered to act on all matters relating to immigration and naturalization as conferred by rule XXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate. In the performance of its work the subcommittee is required to consider and process a large number of private immigration bills and adjustment-of-status cases, numerous general immigration and nationality bills, a large number of cases referred to the subcommittee by the Attorney General in which he has exercised his discretionary authority to waive certain provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act or his special authority to parole into the United States or to grant conditional entries to certain refugees, a large number of cases in which the Attorney General approved petitions granting preference status in the issuance of immigrant visas to certain workers and specialists, and innumerable routine items relating to immigration problems. There follows a more detailed description of the nature of the work of the subcommittee during the first session of the 93d Congress.

1. Private immigration and naturalization bills

During the first session of the 93d Congress, there were referred to the subcommittee 442 private immigration and naturalization bills. Of the 442 private immigration and naturalization bills received, 124 were disposed of, 54 of which were reported favorably to the Senate by the full Judiciary Committee, and 70 were indefiritely postponed. The remaining 318 were pending before the subcommittee at the time of the adjournment of the first session of the 93d Congress. The majority of the 318 private bills which were not acted on were those on which the necessary departmental reports were not received or those on which the necessary supporting information was not received prior to the time of the close of the first session of the 93d Congress.

Many private bills are indefinitely postponed because the committee has a general policy of disapproving private bills in cases in which an administrative remedy appears to be available. In this type of case, the staff assists the sponsoring Senator's office in working out the administrative remedy for the alien involved.

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