USA vs foreign intellectuals

Abstract

Early in 1981 a report is expected from the government-appointed Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. Even if the commission recommends changes in the present US laws, it is not known whether Congress and the Executive will press to enact them. In the meantime further evidence has come to Index on Censorship about the effect of the law on the admission of foreign intellectuals to the United States, including statements by publishers, writers and professors about their experiences ( for further information see also Index on Censorship 5/1980, pp6–11). This evidence formed part of a brief arguing for repeal of Section 212( a) (28) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ( the McCarran-Walter Act) prepared by Tom Bernstein for submission to the Select Commission on behalf of nine US organisations concerned with defending freedom of expression. They are the Fund for Free Expression, the Lawyers Committee for International Human Rights, PEN American Center, the International Freedom to Publish Committee of the Association of American Publishers, the American Association of University Professors, the Helsinki Watch, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Sociological Association, and the American Library Association. We thank Mr Bernstein and the organisations he represents for making this material available to us.