Hon. WILLIAM LANGER, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. MARCH 27, 1953. DEAR SENATOR: In response to your request of the Department of Justice for a report relative to the bill (S. 171) for the relief of Mrs. Irma Benjamin, there is annexed a memorandum of information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service files concerning the beneficiary. The bill would grant the alien permanent residence in the United States upor the payment of the required visa fee and head tax. The Immigration and Nationality Act, however, does not require the payment of a head tax. The bil would also provide for the appropriate quota deduction. Mrs. Benjamin is chargeable to the quota of Germany which, according to th latest information available, is not heavily oversubscribed. Sincerely, Commissioner. MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION FROM IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATIO SERVICE FILES RE MRS. IRMA BENJAMIN, BENEFICIARY OF S. 171 Mrs. Irma Benjamin was born on April 14, 1893, in Germany and is a citize of Israel. She entered the United States on September 17, 1950, at New York! a visitor for a period of 3 months and was granted extensions of her temporar stay until January 15, 1952, under a $500 departure bond. Her last applicatio for extension of stay was denied on March 26, 1952, and May 15, 1952, was set: a satisfactory departure date. On June 17, 1952, a warrant was issued in deport tion proceedings on the ground that after admission as a visitor she remained the United States for a longer time than permitted by law. The alien stated that she resided in Israel from 1938 until 1950. Her husbar is deceased. She has 3 daughters, 2 of whom are residing in Europe. Her oth daughter is in the United States as a student. In addition to this daughter, t alien's mother and two brothers are residing in the United States. Mrs. Benjam resides in New York City where she is employed as a stock clerk at a salary of $ per week. Senator James E. Murray, the author of the bill, has submitted t following statement in support of the bill: MRS. IRMA BENJAMIN, NEW YORK, N. Y. Irma Benjamin: Born April 14, 1893, in Breslau, Germany. Mother: Margaret Sachs, now a citizen of the United States of America, living in the Hebrew Home for the Aged, in Bronx, N. Y. Brothers: H. F. Sachs, living in Jackson Heights, Long Island, N. Y.; Ern Sachs, living in New York City. Husband: Hugo Benjamin, born on April 17, 1888, in Culm, West Pruss Germany. Died in Tel Aviv on December 29, 1949 Daughters: Miriam Benjamin, born September 16, 1920, in Breslau, Germa now living in Tel Aviv; Jean L. Oliver, born December 16, 1922. in Bresh Germany, now living in Switzerland; Ellen Benjamin, born June 20, 1928, Breslau, Germany, now a student at New York University, and living in 1 International House. She and her husband and 3 daughters left Germany in the early part of 19 having been obliged to do so because of racial discrimination. After staying in Holland and in France for 4 months, they decided to go Palestine in September of 1938. They have lived in Palestine since, and h become citizens of Israel. Her husband had been a wealthy manufacturer Germany, but when they fled that country, they succeeded in getting out onl fraction of their capital, and, since her husband did not start in business agi in Palestine they lived on the interest on their capital, and from time to time sold the stocks and bonds they had been able to take with them. Mrs. Benjamin came to this country on Israel passport No. 27101 issued Jerusalem on June 13, 1950, which was valid until June 1952. An American a nonimmigrant visa No. 497, was obtained by her on September 7, 1950, at American consulate in Tel Aviv. She arrived in New York on September 1950, and has been here since that time, having obtained 5 passport extensi from the immigration office. Inflation and lack of hard currency in Israel has compelled the government there to take over the foreign stock exchange possessions of its citizens, and she had to give up her American stock in the summer of 1951, and was repaid in Israeli pounds. It is now planned to do the same thing with English and South African papers, and the only way she can prevent this is by furnishing the Israel Government with proof of the fact that she is to become an American citizen in the near future since the laws of Israel permit the transferring of foreign assets to those who take up American citizenship. If the eight or ten thousand English and South African pounds she has left should be converted by the Israeli Government into Israeli pounds, it would ruin her insofar as she will not be able to secure any old-age fund, and properly care for her still dependent daughters. In Israel she cannot earn her living because of her age, while here she would have the opportunity, and considers herself fit for a good many possibilities in business, which would provide her with enough funds to care for her aging mother in her own home. Her mother will be 82 years of age in August and is very much afraid to let Mrs. Benjamin go back to Israel because it may be very difficult for her to get another exit visa from there. The committee, after consideration of all the facts in the case, is of the opinion that the bill (S. 171), as amended, should be enacted. Mr. LANGER, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany S. 179] The Committee on the Judiciary, to which was referred the bill (S. 179) for the relief of Insun Lee, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass. AMENDMENT On line 7, following the word "tax." add the following: Upon the granting of permanent resident to such alien as provided for in this Act, the Secretary of State shall instruct the proper quota-control officer to deduct one number from the appropriate quota for the first year that such quota is available. PURPOSE OF THE BILL The purpose of the bill, as amended, is to grant the status of permanent residence in the United States to Insun Lee. The bill provides for the payment of the required visa fee. The bill was amended to provide for the appropriate quota deduction. STATEMENT OF FACTS The beneficiary of the bill is a 45-year-old Korean doctor who last entered the United States on May 18, 1950, destined to the St. John's Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, N. Y. for study. In August of 1951, he accepted an appointment as resident physician at Mountain State Memorial Hospital in Charleston, W. Va., where his services are stated to be valuable and necessary. A letter, with attached memorandum, dated May 5, 1953, to the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary from the Commissioner of Immigration with reference to the case reads as follows: MAY 5, 1953. Hon. WILLIAM LANGER, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR: In response to your request of the Department of Justice for a report relative to the bill (S. 179) for the relief of Insun Lee, there is annexed a memorandum of information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service files concerning the beneficiary. The bill would grant Dr. Lee permanent residence in the United States as of the date of its enactment, upon payment of the required visa fee and head tax, although the Immigration and Nationality Act does not require the payment of head tax. No provision is made in the bill for deducting a number from the appropriate immigration quota. According to last reports, the quota of Korea, to which Dr. Lee is chargeable, is not oversubscribed. Moreover, he may be qualified for a preference quota visa under section 203 (a) (1) (A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Sincerely, MEMORANDUM OF INFORMATION FROM IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE FILES RE INSUN LEE, BENEFICIARY OF S. 179 Dr. Insun Lee, a native and citizen of Korea, was born on December 26, 1907. He arrived in the United States at Honolulu on May 18, 1950, when he was admitted as a visitor for 3 months, destined to St. Johns Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, N. Y., for study. On August 1, 1951, he accepted a position as resident physician at Mountain State Memorial Hospital in Charleston, W. Va. On March 4, 1952, he was served with a warrant of arrest in deportation proceedings, charging that he had remained in the United States after failing to maintain the status under which he was admitted. He was released on conditional parole, After a hearing on April 3, 1952, his deportation was ordered. Dr. Lee stated that he was graduated from the Severance Union Medical Col lege in Seoul, Korea, in March 1931, and that he spent about 3 years studying advanced medicine in Milan, Italy. He further stated that he practiced medi cine in Northern Korea from 1932 until 1934, and from 1939 until 1945, when he returned to Seoul because of the Russain occupation of Northern Korea. He ther became attached to the American Army hospital at Kimpo Air Base, remaining there until the hospital closed in 1948. He stated that he was unable to practic his profession after 1948 because he had no medical equipment or supplies. H thereafter helped to organize the International Opera Co. in Seoul, and wa affiliated with that organization until coming to the United States. The alien's wife and four of his children reside in Pusan, Korea. His 21-year old daughter, Margaret, was admitted to the United States at San Francisco of April 28, 1952, as a student. She is attending Macalester College in St. Paul Minn. Dr. Lee stated that he received $400 a month plus room and board at Mountain State Memorial Hospital, and that he has been sending about $200 a month t his family in Korea. Senator Mathew M. Neely, the author of the bill, submitted the following information in connection with the bill: Re Dr. Insun Lee. To Whom It May Concern: THE KANAWHA MEDICAL SOCIETY, This is to certify that Dr. Insun Lee is performing a very valuable service a resident at the Mountain State Hospital, Charleston, W. Va. His work is good, and he is conscientious and reliable. Due to the great shortage of recent medical graduates, it is unlikely that D Lee's position can be filled, if he is forced to leave it. Yours sincerely, |