BERTRAM M. BERNARD IMMIGRATION LAW INDEX

13 file card boxes

MSS 66

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

This index of immigration and nationality law was developed by Bertram M. Bernard, Esq.

Mr. Bernard served as Immigration Judge and later as District Director of the Philadelphia Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  After his retirement from INS, he maintained a private practice.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The index is a series of 3x5 cards which contain information relating to immigration and nationality law from 1952 through 1982.  In 1952, Congress passed the Immigration and Nationality Act, also known as the McCarranWalter Act.  The Act has had significant reforms made to it in 1965 and 1976, and new provisions on refugees and political asylum were added in 1980; however, the Act remains the basic statute for immigration and nationality law.

The index is organized according to the sections of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

For each section, the following information is included:

1.  Precedent Administrative Decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the Regional Commissioners of the of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and the Attorney General.  Together, these decisions provide all the administrative appeals determinations which are binding on all INS offices.

2.  Unreported administrative appeals decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).

3.  Unreported INS District Office Decisions which appear to have significant bearing on determinations made pursuant to the section of the law.

4.  Federal District Court decisions (some reported, some unreported).

5.  Supreme Court decisions.

6.  Law review articles.