Ex parte Lee Dung Moo

Applicant, a native of China, seeks admission to this country as the son of a native-born citizen and resident thereof. Although it is apparent from the record that his proofs would be regarded as sufficient in an ordinary case his application to enter was denied, and such denial was affirmed on appeal. The Acting Commissioner General in passing upon his appeal uses the following language:

And the Assistant Secretary of Labor, in his opinion dismissing the appeal, says:

The right which is called “at best only technical” in the decision of the Acting Commissioner General, and the “naturalization” and “conferring of citizenship” spoken of by the Assistant Secretary, are those founded upon the following provision of section 1993 of the Revised Statutes (Comp. St. 1913, § 3947):

It is manifest from the foregoing quotations, and indeed has also appeared from records submitted here in other cases, that the Immigration Bureau looks upon'this statute, in so far as it may be applicable to persons of the Chinese race, with an unfriendly eye. The absolute citizenship therein provided for, and the rights pertaining to such citizenship, are regarded as “at best only technical,” while to the…