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'''Harry Renton Bridges''', a San Francisco labor leader and an Australian citizen who entered the United States in 1920, underwent two failed deportation attempts between 1938 and 1945 for his affiliation with the [[Communist Party]]

'''Harry Renton Bridges''', a San Francisco labor leader and an Australian citizen who entered the United States in 1920, underwent two failed deportation attempts between 1938 and 1945 for his affiliation with the [[Communist Party]]

Bridges was born in 1901 in Melbourne, Australia and settled in [[San Francisco]] in 1920 where he became an organizer of the longshoremen. As a labor organizer, he played an important role in the [[Waterfront strikes|1934 San Francisco waterfront]] strike. Two years later Bridges became the founding president of the [[International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union]] (ILWU).  

Bridges was born in 1901 in Melbourne, Australia and settled in [[San Francisco]] in 1920 where he became an organizer of the longshoremen. In 1921 he joined the anarchist Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). 

 

As a labor organizer, he played an important role in the [[Waterfront strikes|1934 San Francisco waterfront]] strike. Two years later Bridges became the founding president of the [[International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union]] (ILWU). "My thinking is [[Marxist]]," Bridges later proclaimed. "And the basic thing about this lousy capitalist system is that the workers create the wealth, but those who own it – the rich – keep getting richer, and the poor get poorer."  When [[Unemployment|unemployed]] [[Great Depression|Depression]] workers tried to take the waterfront jobs that union members had walked away from, Bridges’ workers unleashed verbal and physical violence against the new workers.

 

In 1938 the government instituted a deportation proceeding against Bridges pursuant to a law allowing deportation of individuals who are, at the time the proceeding is instituted and being prosecuted, members of or affiliated with an organization that advises, advocates, and teaches the overthrow by force and violence of the U.S. government. Bridges requested that the government name the organization and the government stated it was the Communist Party of the U.S. In December 1939 the Trial Examiner found that Bridges was neither a member of nor affiliated with the Communist Party and therefore could not be deported.

In 1938 the government instituted a deportation proceeding against Bridges pursuant to a law allowing deportation of individuals who are, at the time the proceeding is instituted and being prosecuted, members of or affiliated with an organization that advises, advocates, and teaches the overthrow by force and violence of the U.S. government. Bridges requested that the government name the organization and the government stated it was the Communist Party of the U.S. In December 1939 the Trial Examiner found that Bridges was neither a member of nor affiliated with the Communist Party and therefore could not be deported.

Bridges became a U.S. citizen in 1945. Under Bridges' leadership the ILWU continued to grow in size and influence, and took an active stand against the [[Korean war]] and [[Vietnam war]].

Bridges became a U.S. citizen in 1945. Under Bridges' leadership the ILWU continued to grow in size and influence, and took an active stand against the [[Korean war]] and [[Vietnam war]].