John F. Kennedy on Immigration

John F. Kennedy maintained a consistent, positive stance on immigration, emphasizing its historical and ongoing value to the American fabric, which he detailed in his essay, A Nation of Immigrants. Prior to his presidency, as a Senator, he pledged that a Democratic administration would give high priority to amending immigration and naturalization laws to eradicate discrimination based on national origin. He asserted that there should be no second-class citizenship, even for naturalized citizens, and that due process protections should be extended to noncitizens where security was not compromised. He actively opposed the existing system established by the 1924 act, which heavily favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.

As President, Kennedy worked toward comprehensive reform, submitting legislation to Congress in July 1963 that aimed to replace the anachronistic national origins quota system. His proposal favored a new formula based on skills, family relationships for reunification, and registration priority, rather than birth location. Furthermore, the President sought to correct specific inequities, such as repealing the Asia-Pacific Triangle provision and granting non-quota status to parents of US citizens. Though his assassination deferred the final passage of his proposals, the principles embodied in his proposed legislation ultimately informed the landmark 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act.