Imperial Valley Press

Mexican Workers May Enter I.V.

Officials, Leaders in I.V. Interpret New Resolution Passed by Both Houses As Relaxing Stringent Border Rules

Federal employment service officials and farm leaders in El Centro expressed belief Saturday that newly-issued governmental regulations would soon permit the entrance into Imperial Valley of scores of farm workers now residing in the Mexicali valley.

Tom Finney, district director of the U. S. Employment Service, received a copy of a joint senate-house resolution that has been signed by President Roosevelt relaxing immigration regulations for aliens who wish to enter the United States to perform agricultural labor.

Finney learned that immigration officials in this area have not received instructions on applying the rule as yet and as a result he telegraphed Washington in an effort to expedite the delivery of instructions to immigration chiefs in El Centro and Calexico.

Under terms of the resolution Mexican residents as well as nationals of other south American countries desiring to enter the U. S. to work on farms shall be exempted.

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Mexican Workers May Enter I.V.

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exempt from the payment of head tax and provisions of the Immigration Act of 1917 requiring literacy, etc.

Such persons who enter the country under the new regulations will be fingerprinted and photographed and provided with an identification card and will be allowed to remain in the U. S. during the remainder of the war or as long as he is engaged in farm work.

CERTAIN TERMS

One part of the regulation requires that workers will be admitted under terms "prescribed by the commissioner of immigration and naturalization with the approval of the attorney general."

Finney interpreted this as meaning that the immigration commissioner is formulating regulations for immigration officers to follow. Such regulations, however, have not as yet been received in this area.