L

9 I. & N. Dec. 14
CourtBoard of Immigration Appeals
DecidedJuly 1, 1960
Docket1091
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 9 I. & N. Dec. 14 (L) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Board of Immigration Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
L, 9 I. & N. Dec. 14 (bia 1960).

Opinion

MATTER OF L—

In DEPORTATION Proceedings

A-4226313

Decided by Board August 8, 1960 Deportability—Section 241(a)(6) of 1952 Act—Membership in Finnish Workers Federatiow—Affiliation with Communist Party—Distribution of proscribed literature. Evidence—Jencks rule—Recall of Government witnesses after completion of cross-examination. (1) Membership in Finnish Workers Federation supports deportation charges under section 241(a) (6) of Immigration and Nationality Act upon evidence establishing that. Finnish Workers Federation was an "affiliate" of the Com- munist Party of the United States within meaning of subparagraph (C) (v) ; or Finnish Workers Federation was an organization that distributed mate- rial advocating doctrines of world 'communism within meaning of subpara- graph (H). (2) Consistent support of Communist Party by Finnish Workers Federation establishes "affiliation" within definition of section 101(e) (2); unnecessary to show that Finnish Workers Federation was an "integral part" of the Communist Party. (3) Respondent not entitled under Jencks rule to demand recall of Govern- ment witnesses for further cross-examination where witnesses were dis- missed and respondent made no request for production of their pre-hearing statements prior to completion of cross-examination. CHARGES : Order: Act of 1952—Section 241(a) (6) [8 U.S.C. 1251(a) (6)1—After entry, member of or affiliated with organization that distributes or pub- lishes written or printed matter advocating doctrines of world communism. Act of 1952—Section 241(a) (6) [8 U.S.C. 1251 (a) (6) ]—After entry, member of or affiliated with affiliate of Communist Party of United States. BEFORE THE BOARD

DISCUSSION: This case is before us on appeal from a decision of a special inquiry officer directing the respondent's deportation. The respondent is a 58-year-old married male, native and citizen of Finland, who last entered the United States on June 5, 1914, at which time he ■ N iLS admitted for permanent residence. The special inquiry officer concluded that the two charges stated above were

14 sustained. The sole issue to be determined is whether the respondent is deportable on either or both of these charges. For the reasons hereinafter stated, we hold that both charges are sustained. We have carefully review the entire record. The respondent con- ceded that he is an alien but disputed the fourth, fifth and sixth allegations of the order to show cause. These were to the effect that the respondent w us a member of the Finnish Workers Federation of the United States; that this organization was a section, branch, affiliate or subdivision of the Communist Party of the United States; and that the Finnish Workers Federation of the United States has published or distributed printed Darter advocating the economic, international and governmental doctrines of world communism. "World communism" and the advocating of its doctrines are defined in 8 U.S.C. 1101(a) (40) and 1101(e) (3). In his decision, the special inquiry officer stated that the respondent's membership in the Fin- nish 'Workers Federation' of the United States encompassed at least the period from March 1930 to 1940. The organization will ordi- narily be referred to hereinafter as Finnish Workers Federation except where other names used by it become relevant. In Matter of D—, 9 578, 585 - 586 (1951), we held that the International Workers Order was affiliated with the Communist Party and that by virtue of that alien's membership in the IWO he was affiliated with the Communist Party. Relying on that case, the special inquiry officer found that the respondent, during the period of his membership in the Finnish' Workers Federation, was affiliated with the Communist Party and was affiliated with an organization (the Communist Party) that distributed printed matter advocating the doctrines of world communism. The second charge against this respondent is not that he was affiliated with the Communist Party but that he was "a member of an affiliate of the Party, and the factual allegations in the order to show cause make it clear that both charges are predicated on his membership in the Finnish Workers Federa- tion. Under the circumstances, we do not consider that there is properly before us the question of whether the respondent was affili- ated with the Communist Party and iwe decline to express an opinion on that point. In tracing the history of the Finnish Workers Federation, the Service in-its brief (Point II) has commenced with the founding of the Finnish. Socialist Federation at Hibbing, Minnesota, in August 1966 and has made the following assertions. The left -wing branCh of the Finnish Socialist Federation seceded from the Socialist Party about January 1, 1921. About 1922 or 1923 the leftists joined the Workers (Communist) Party en masse and became known as the Finnish Federation of that Party. Early in 1925 the Executive Comyriittee of the Comintern ordered the' Communist parties of the world to dissolve and to reorganize on a shop-and-street-nuclei basis. The Workers (Communist) Party in August 1925 passed a resolu- tion to dissolve itself and its language federations. Subsequently the Finnish Federation dissolved but an Interim Committee was established to look after the affairs of its locals. Thereafter, the Interim Committee, took steps to lay the foundation for a new Fin- nish mass organization, and a new federation came into existence in January 1927 as Shown by the report of proceedings of the Finnish Workers Federation of the United States at the founding delegate convention at Chicago, Illinois (exh. 13). Evidence was introduced for the purpose of establishing the mat- ters set forth in the previous paragraph. In his decision, the special inquiry officer stated that since there was a dissolution of the Finnish Federation in 1025, the Government must establish the existence of an organization subsequent to 1925, and he specifically held that the Finish Workers Federation of the United States was organized in 1027. It appears, therefore, that the special inquiry officer did not regard the events preceding 1927 as having any direct bearing on the respondent's case. Although most of the material antedating 1927 need not be considered, we will comment on two matters which do have significance. First, the 1925 report of the Central Executive Committee to the Fourth National Convention of the Workers (Communist) Party, at which time the Finnish Federation was actually a section of the Party, contained the statement that the Party published 27 periodi- cal publications in 19 languages. Included were the Finnish daily papers—"Tyomies and Eteenpain," and it was stated that the Fed- eration controlled the majority of membership or stock in its pub- lishing concerns--Tyomies Society and Eteenpain Cooperative Society (exh. 12). In this connection, the testimony of witness E---S---- is to the effect that the left or Communist element in the Finnish Federation established "Eteenpain" in 1921, and that he (the witness) was the first editor and remained such until 1925. The Executive Committee of the Finnish Workers Federation stated that "Eteenpain" was directly owned and published by the Federation ("Eteenpain," issue of May 23, 1941, exh. 37). J—W— testified that "Eteenpain" and "Tyomies" were official organs of the Finnish Workers Federation. Commencing about 1931 and for some years thereafter, "Eteenpain" was published at 35 East 12th Street, New York City, which was also the address of the Communist Party Na- tional Headquarters and the Finnish Workers Federation.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

A-C-M
27 I. & N. Dec. 303 (Board of Immigration Appeals, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
9 I. & N. Dec. 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/l-bia-1960.