The Unenforceable Exclusion
The federal government stalls on the Geary Act because it lacks the millions required to mass-deport Chinese residents.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Chinese question occupied the cabinet today. It is understood that the conclusion reached is that the law cannot be enforced for the reason that there is no money available. The act only carries an appropriation of $100,000, while it is estimated that it would cost more than $5,000,000 to deport all the Chinese in the country who have not complied with the law. One cabinet member remarked on the 'utter inability of the government to give any effect to the law' without further action by Congress. Meanwhile, the administration is embarrassed by the situation; if the Chinese residents would simply comply, it would simplify matters, but the impression is that most will resist as long as possible.
“This statement exhibited what one member of the cabinet called the utter inability of the government to give any effect to the law.”
This 1893 fiscal crisis over the Geary Act highlights the performative nature of anti-Chinese legislation, which was often driven more by political theater than administrative feasibility. The struggle mirrors how modern immigration policies often collide with the practical limits of bureaucratic budgets and legal capacity.
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