Legislative and Judicial Developments: Dealing with the Undocumented Alien--An Interim Approach.

This article focuses on dealing with undocumented aliens in the U.S. On the one side some groups decry not only the number of undocumented aliens that come to the U.S. each year, but also the continued entry of legal immigrants. They speak of the country being overrun by immigrants and invaded by hordes of illegal aliens. Still others seek even greater liberalization of immigration laws permitting entry of more people, including refugees from economic distress and political or religious oppression. U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued his statement on immigration on August 4, 1977, and legislation to implement this policy was sent. to the U.S. Congress in October 1977. Hearings on the legislative package were not held in the Congress until May of this year. One part of the President's proposal has been implemented: the beginning of a comprehensive interagency study of existing immigration laws and policies. The improved administrative processes that has been put into effect has removed some of the obstacles which led people to enter the country illegally.