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Displaced Persons Act

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Effective
  
June 25, 1948

Public law
  
80-774

Displaced Persons Act

Long title
  
An act to authorize for a limited period of time the admission into the United States of certain European displaced persons for permanent residence, and for other purposes

Enacted by
  
the 80th United States Congress

Statutes at Large
  
62 Stat. 1009, Chapter 647

Titles amended
  
50 U.S.C.: War and National Defense

The Displaced Persons Act of 1948 (Pub.L. 80–774) authorized for a limited period of time the admission into the United States of certain European displaced persons for permanent residence.

Contents

The program emerged from the enormous need to handle millions of displaced persons in Europe at the end of World War II. The United States helped fund temporary camps, and admitted large numbers as permanent residents. Truman strongly supported the program, and obtained ample funding from Congress for the 1948 Displaced Persons Act. He also supported Jewish refugees in Palestine/Israel, but generally kept his actions quiet so as not to arouse anti-Semitism. Historians Phil Orchard and Jamie Gillies hail Truman's "atypical leadership" in helping refugees. Truman signed it into law on June 25, 1948.

Proclamations of the Act

Eligible displaced person - any displaced person or refugee as defined by Annex I of the Constitution of the International Refugee Organization. A displaced person is eligible for admission to the United States given the conditions on or after September 1, 1939 and on or before December 22, 1945.

  • Entered Germany, Austria, or Italy
  • Resided in the American sector of Italy
  • Resided in the British sector or French sector of Berlin or Vienna
  • Resided in the American zone, British zone, or French zone of Germany or Austria
  • A victim of persecution by the Nazi government whereas such persons were detained or obliged to flee persecution from Nazi perpetrators and subsequently returned to any of the aforementioned countries as a result of enemy action and of war circumstances.
  • Native of Czechoslovakia who fled from persecution or fear of persecution from that country and any of the aforementioned countries since January 1, 1948.

    • Immigration visas - limitations of visa quotas for eligible displaced persons as authorized by the Act

  • Immigration visas shall not exceed two hundred thousand for the first two years from the date the Act is passed by the U.S. 80th Congress.
  • Two thousand visas may be issued without regard to quota limitations to eligible displaced persons as quota immigrants.
  • Eligible displaced orphans may be issued special non-quota immigration visas whereby issuance shall not exceed three thousand.

    • Displaced Persons Commission

    The Displaced Persons Commission was created with the enactment of the U.S. Senate S. 2242 bill. The Commission provided oversight of the U.S. displaced persons organization from June 25, 1948 through August 31, 1952.

    During the four years of the Commission legislative oversight, President Truman issued Executive Orders petitioning the Commission for investigative reports concerning the activities of the U.S. displaced persons affairs.

    References

    Displaced Persons Act Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA