Ellis Island - Its legal status
General Services Administration, Office of General Counsel. 1963. Ellis Island - Its legal status
Over a period of several years, efforts have been made to dispose of Ellis Island through competitive sale and, through the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to dispose of it under section 203(k) of that Act for public health or educational purposes. None of these efforts have resulted in satisfactory offer from the standpoint of the Federal Government. An opinion has been requested on the legal status of Ellis Island in New York Harbor. Ellis Island has been determined under the provisions of section 3(g) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 to be surplus to the needs of all Federal agencies. This report discusses the history and legal status of Ellis Island.