SS St Louis American Immigration Policy Failures

The SS St Louis was a ship that carried over 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe in 1939. The passengers were denied entry to the United States, Cuba, and Canada, and the ship was forced to return to Europe.

The ship's passengers were subjected to a grueling 11-day journey back to Europe, during which many were forced to endure harsh conditions. The passengers were left to their own devices, with limited food and water.

The SS St Louis's story highlights the failures of American immigration policy at the time. The ship's passengers were turned away due to strict quotas and discriminatory policies.

A unique perspective: Ship Aground St Lawrence Seaway

The US immigration system was a significant obstacle for the St. Louis passengers. Quotas established in the Immigration Act of 1924 strictly limited the number of immigrants who could be admitted to the United States each year.

Public opinion in the United States was largely against relaxing immigration restrictions, with 83 percent of Americans opposing it according to a Fortune Magazine poll at the time.

The Great Depression had left millions of people in the United States unemployed and fearful of competition for the scarce few jobs available. This fueled antisemitism, xenophobia, nativism, and isolationism.

President Roosevelt could have issued an executive order to admit the St. Louis refugees, but public hostility towards immigrants and other political considerations made him reluctant to take this step.

The St. Louis sailed back to Europe on June 6, 1939, after the US government refused to permit the passengers to disembark.

Captain Schroeder ordered the ship to change heading to return to Europe 24 days after leaving, with a diminishing supply of food and pressures from Hapag to return to Germany.

A US Coast Guard vessel followed the ship to ensure no passengers tried to jump off.

On June 17, the liner docked at the Belgian port of Antwerp, more than a month after it had set sail from Hamburg.

The passengers had been hoping to land in Cuba, but the option of landing at the Isla de la Juventud was not confirmed, and the negotiations with President Bru were closed.

The St. Louis was scheduled for a tourist cruise after the return.

The JDC was able to find several countries that would take portions of the refugees: 181 could go to Holland, 224 to France, 288 to Great Britain, and 214 to Belgium.

Here is a breakdown of the number of passengers taken in by each country:

The return to Europe was a desperate situation for the passengers, who knew their return to Germany was most likely a death sentence.

On May 13, 1939, a German passenger ship, the St. Louis, left the port of Hamburg with approximately 900 passengers, mainly Jewish refugees holding Cuban landing permits.

The ship stopped in Cherbourg, France, on May 15, 1939, to take on more passengers, bringing the total number of passengers to 937.

The Cuban government invalidated all landing permits on May 15, 1939, setting off a chain of events that would change the course of history.

Cuban president Federico Laredo Bru refused to accept the landing permits on May 27, 1939, denying entry to the Jewish refugees.

The St. Louis arrived in the Havana harbor on May 27, 1939, but the passengers were not permitted to leave the ship.

Less than 30 passengers met the new visa requirement and were allowed to enter Cuba.

The ship remained anchored in the Havana harbor for six days, from May 27 to June 2, 1939, in the hope that the refugees would eventually be allowed to land.

President Bru insisted that the St. Louis leave the Havana harbor on June 2, 1939.

The ship sailed north, close to the Florida coast, in the hope that the United States would permit the refugees to land.

The refugees abandoned hope of refuge and sailed for Europe on June 6, 1939.

On June 17, 1939, the St. Louis docked in Antwerp, Belgium, and the passengers were taken to their countries of refuge.

The SS St. Louis was a ship with a tragic fate, arriving in Cuba with over 900 Jewish refugees only to be turned away and forced to return to Europe, where many of its passengers would eventually perish in the Holocaust.

The story of the SS St. Louis is a poignant reminder of the devastating consequences of xenophobia and intolerance.

In 1938, the SS St. Louis set sail from Hamburg, Germany, with 937 Jewish passengers fleeing Nazi persecution, including 254 children.

The ship's journey was marked by a series of rejections from various countries, including Cuba, the United States, and Canada.

The SS St. Louis was eventually forced to return to Europe, where many of its passengers would face unimaginable horrors in the concentration camps.

The story of the SS St. Louis serves as a powerful warning about the dangers of complacency and the importance of standing up against injustice.

The tragedy of the SS St. Louis is a stark reminder of the importance of compassion and empathy in the face of adversity.

The S.S. St. Louis was preparing to leave Cuba on June 2.

The ship's departure was a moment of great emotional intensity, with farewells being shouted overboard to friends and family in rented boats below.

The St. Louis was waiting for the conclusion of negotiations between the JDC representative, Lawrence Berenson, and President Bru.

The Cuban government wanted $500 per refugee to obtain a visa, which would have cost the JDC around $500,000.

Berenson believed he wouldn't have to pay that much, estimating the cost to be around $125,000.

However, several men claiming affiliation with the Cuban government approached Berenson, demanding $400,000 to $500,000 to ensure the St. Louis passengers' return.