During the 1930s, the United States largely closed its doors to refugees seeking to escape religious and political persecution in Europe. Tragically, the absence of legal paths of immigration to the nation that is a beacon of liberty and religious freedom condemned many of those refugees to death.

Given this deplorable history, the United States subsequently made special provisions to take in refugees from particularly harrowing situations in Eastern Europe, Cuba and Southeast Asia. In 1989, Congress passed legislation authored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., codifying the U.S. interest in assisting religious and ethnic minorities escape persecution.

The measure originally applied to Jews and evangelical Christians from the former Soviet Union as well as Christians and other refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In 2003, Congress expanded the amendment to encompass refugees from Iran — mostly Christians, but also Jews, Bahais, Zoroastrians and other persecuted minorities. San Antonio is home to a relatively large Mandaean exile community that has fled Iran over the past decade.

Congress has routinely renewed the refugee measure for 22 years. This year, as in the past, Lautenberg attached the legislation as an amendment to the foreign operations budget. But Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee with oversight over immigration policy, has stopped the Lautenberg Amendment dead in its tracks.

Smith raises two categories of objections. The first have to do with fairness. Smith contends that the 2,000 or so refugees who enter the United States annually under the Lautenberg Amendment receive preferential treatment in comparison with the other 73,000 refugees the United States takes in.

But that's precisely the point of the amendment — to recognize special situations of persecution and open a relief valve to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe.

Smith's second area of concern is that the amendment has never been subjected to oversight. Is the refugee program being run wisely and efficiently? Are people entering the United States under false pretenses?

Oversight hearings are entirely appropriate. We are confident that after hearing the facts about the refugee program, Smith will agree that the Lautenberg Amendment is a judicious and compassionate policy for legal immigration.

We also trust that Smith will move swiftly. He indicated to the Express News Editorial Board his desire to hold a hearing in January. The last temporary extension of the Lautenberg Amendment expired on May 31. The pipeline for Iranian refugees has now been closed for six months.

The Lautenberg Amendment, in addition to providing a legal and orderly path for immigration, is also an expression of this nation's highest ideals about religious and political freedom. It should be renewed as quickly as possible.