Herbert Hoover's 1931 immigration executive order excluded "all persons likely to become a public charge."

[JGalt]

It's a little-known fact that President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order in 1931 excluding "all persons likely to become a public charge."

How many of our current immigrant population, legal or illegal, could be deported under this standard alone?

"White House Statement on Government Policies to Reduce Immigration
March 26, 1931

PRESIDENT HOOVER, to protect American workingmen from further competition for positions by new alien immigration during the existing conditions of employment, initiated action last September looking to a material reduction in the number of aliens entering this country. At his request, the Department of State examined the operation of the immigration law and reported that the only important provision of the law useful in the circumstances is that one requiring the exclusion of those who are liable to become public charges. Since then consular officials, charged with the duty of issuing visas to intending immigrants, have carefully examined each applicant. A tabulation completed today shows that during the first 5 months ending February 28, 1931, of the administration of the "likely to become a public charge" provision approximately 96,883 aliens did not receive visas who normally would have immigrated into this country.

Reports from American consuls assigned to 21 countries whose annual quotas total 148,466 of the total quota of 153,714 indicate that only 10,277 visas were issued during the 5-month period against a possible 74,233 allowable under law, or an under-issue of 86 percent.

Incomplete reports from the remaining 46 countries with annual quotas totaling 5,248 indicate an issue of 270 visas, a reduction of 90 percent.

Canada and Mexico furnished 70 and 19 percent, respectively, of the 61,504 nonquota visas reported issued during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1930, remaining 11 percent having been issued to natives of Central and South America.

During the 5-month period involved only 3,876 visas were issued to natives of Canada and 884 visas to natives of Mexico, as compared to 15,997 and 19,336 visas, respectively, in the corresponding 5 months of the last completed normal fiscal year, thus representing decreases of 76 and 95 percent."

https://hoover.archives.gov/sites/default/files/research/ebooks/b2v3_full.pdf Page 183

 

[toobfreak]

It's a little-known fact that President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order in 1931 excluding "all persons likely to become a public charge."

Well, that just done snapped it for about 19 million, 500 thousand of Biden's immigrants.

 

[Moonglow]

By 1931 there was little reason to immigrate to the US in the Great Depression. Herbert should have concentrated on the depression and not immigration and high tariffs.

 

[multivita-man]

It's a little-known fact that President Herbert Hoover signed an executive order in 1931 excluding "all persons likely to become a public charge."

The stock market crashed in late 1929 and then became a banking crisis not long after. The worst of the economic impacts of the Depression occurred in 1931 and 1932. The worst of the bank failures happened in 1931-32. No reason for Mexicans to swim across the border then.