Franklin Roosevelt's Letter to New York Governor Herbert Lehman
11/13/1935
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Throughout the 1930s, President Roosevelt was kept informed of the growing refugee crisis in Europe by political leaders with ties to the American Jewish community, including New York Governor Herbert Lehman. Through these contacts, Roosevelt also learned that the strict immigration quotas in place at the time were not being fully and fairly administered by his own State Department.
In this November 13, 1935 letter, the President advises Lehman of the results of his own examination of the visa issue, the legal limitations imposed by the Immigration Act of 1924, and his instruction to the State Department that German Jews applying for visas be given “the most generous and favorable treatment possible under the laws of this country.”
In this November 13, 1935 letter, the President advises Lehman of the results of his own examination of the visa issue, the legal limitations imposed by the Immigration Act of 1924, and his instruction to the State Department that German Jews applying for visas be given “the most generous and favorable treatment possible under the laws of this country.”
This primary source comes from the Collection FDR-FDRPOF: President's Official Files (Roosevelt Administration).
National Archives Identifier: 2778061
Full Citation: Franklin Roosevelt's Letter to New York Governor Herbert Lehman; 11/13/1935; Franklin D. Roosevelt President's Official Files, 1933 – 1945; Collection FDR-FDRPOF: President's Official Files (Roosevelt Administration); Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, NY. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/franklin-roosevelts-letter-to-new-york-governor-herbert-lehman, June 23, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.
