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Illegal Aliens - Domestic Council Committee, (1)
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Illegal Aliens - Domestic Council Committee, (1)
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The original documents are located in Box 9, folder "Illegal Aliens - Domestic Council
Committee, (1)" of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 9 of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS SERVICE
WITHDRAWAL SHEET (PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES)
FORM OF
DOCUMENT
CORRESPONDENTS OR TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
1. Memo
F. Lynn May to Jim Greene and attachments
5/22/75
C
FILE LOCATION
Domestic Council
Files of Richard Parsons
General Subject File - Illegal Aliens, Domestic Council Committee on
Jan. -Dec. 1975
RESTRICTION CODES
(A) Closed by Executive Order 11652 governing access to national security information.
(B) Closed by statute or by the agency which originated the document.
WHM, 7/23/79
(C) Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in the donor's deed of gift.
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
GSA FORM 7122 (7.72)
STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENT FORD ON ILLEGAL ALIENS
September 12, 1974
"The Illegal Aliens legislation is necessary to establish
clear guidleines regarding the law for employment of
aliens who work in this country. The House has already passed
a bill. I would hope the Senate could consider this measure
during the fall term.
November 18, 1974
"Current estimates by the Immigration and Naturalization
Service indicate that there are some 4 to 7 million illegal
aliens in the United States. Prompt action on a pending
illegal alien bill would help solve this critical problem
by providing sanctions against the hiring of illegal aliens.
This would make more jobs available for our own citizens.
December 9, 1974
The President urges passage ofthe Farm Labor Contractors
Amendment (which was passed on Nov 22 and Nov 26 by the
Senate and House respectively and became PL93-518).
This legislation adds a jail sentence of up to one year to the
present $500 criminal fine, and a maximum fine of $10,000
as well as a maximum three-year jain sentence for subsequent
violations -- including unregistered crew leaders who
knowingly recruit illegal aliens.
January 6, 1975
Executive Order of the President establishing the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Jim-
Let's descuss
the attached and
The Next step.
Thake
Dide.
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
JIM CANNON
SUBJE Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
On January 6, 1975 you established the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens to develop, coordinate and present to the President policy issues that
cut across agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with the
national problem of illegal aliens. To date there has been no Cabinet level
meeting of the Committee/and the few meetings of the Committee have been
basically staff discussion groups.
There have been estimates of from 3 to 15 million illegal aliens in the United
States today. The impact of these illegal aliens has been widespread, but
analytical data to substantiate their presence is unavailable. The illegals
have been named as sources of trouble in many key areas of our society. They
allegedly occupy both skilled and non-skilled jobs, which American citizens
could hold. They are often cited as culprits in the rise in crime in the areas
in which they are concentrated. The dramatic rise in public welfare and
medical costs, particularly in border areas are also attributed to them.
Increased publicity in the last year has made the public aware of the prevalence
of illegal aliens and their threat to our economic and social well-being. The
negative reaction to the admission of Vietnamese refugees could be taken as a
rough gauge of the mood against aliens, who are potential competitors for
employment during a recession. Lack of accurate data on the illegals, has
rendered analysis of their impact nearly impossible and has prevented an
assessment of the resources necessary to meet the problem.
-2-
OPTIONS
1. The simplest alternative would be merely to work out a legislative strategy
for the passage of the Rodino Bill which prohibits employment of illegal aliens.
(You recommended passage of the bill on September 12 and November 18, 1974.).
No other substantive action would be taken, apart from establishing a position
on the Kennedy Bill, which would allow illegal aliens residing in the U.S. for
more than 3 years to be allowed to remain as legal aliens.
Pros
This option would permit a positive measure without incurring
great additional costs or creating mandates for further action.
Cons
It is very limited "political" approach to the problem, and does
not do much to solve the larger accompanying economic and
social problems.
2. The next alternative would consist of implementation of option 1, plus a
limited study of some issues related to illegal aliens, utilizing agency per-
sonnel, interested state and local officials and consultants. The studies
would be restricted to economic and law enforcement aspects of the problem
such as:
a.
How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in
what industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the
U.S. labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied
by illegal aliens?
b.
Do the illegals contribute to capital shortage by sending their
savings to their homeland?
C.
Does the minimum wage become the maximum wage in border areas?
d.
What can be done to better enforce existing and proposed laws
dealing with illegal aliens?
e.
How to insure that the enforcement does not discriminate against
legal aliens and U.S. citizens, etc.?
-3-
Pros
This proposal would provide the data to assess the impact of
illegal aliens in some critical areas.
--
It would be relatively inexpensive and while a full-time staff
would not be required, agencies would have to commit greater
resources than they have at present.
Cons
This narrow approach will be attacked by interest groups like
county and city governments, who are asking Federal help to meet
the social costs of the illegal alien problem.
The economic side of the problem is inter-related with the social,
cultural, and foreign relations aspects.
3. The third alternative would be a broad, comprehensive examination of the
entire problem of illegal aliens. This would include the elements of options
1 and 2, plus studies in:
a.
The area of social services including an examination of the costs
of welfare and unemployment insurance, the impact and cost of
health delivery, and the cost of education for illegal aliens.
b.
The area of cultural impact such as the characteristics of the illegal
aliens age, skills, background and the willingness to do work that
U.S. citizens are not willing to do.
C.
The area of foreign relations such as the study of how our policy
on illegal aliens affects our foreign policy and vice versa, working
closely with the secretary of State's Committee on Illegal Aliens.
Pros
This proposal is all encompassing, and would provide a large universe
of reliable data with which to assess the extent and resources neces-
sary to deal with the illegal alien problem.
-4-
Cons
This proposal will take time, money and the commitment of a
full-time staff of agency personnel or consultants (some could be
contracted out) . The full study would probably not be completed
by 1976.
The results of the larger study, particularly in the social services
area, could produce evidence of the inordinate costs of illegal aliens
on state and local governments. This could create pressures for
Federal subsidies to ease the problem.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 6, 1975
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
January 6, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE DOMESTIC COUNCIL
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Assistant to the President Baroody
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Chairman, Council on Economic Advisers
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality
Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency
Director, ACTION
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
I am today establishing a new Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
This Committee will develop, coordinate and present to me policy issues that
cut across agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with this
National problem. The Attorney General will serve as the Chairman of this
Committee. The membership of the Committee will consist of the Secretary
of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary
of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare, Assistant to the President Baroody, and the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget.
GERALD R. FORD
###
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
Old
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20530
JUSTITIA
March 11, 19.75
Sile
TO:
Attached List of Addressees
FROM:
Jonathan C. Rose,
Associate Deputy Attorney General
SUBJECT: Cabinet Committee on Illegal Aliens
As discussed at the February 28, 1975 meeting, two
task forces will be established to study particular issues
relating to the illegal alien problem. Dr. Marrs of the
White House will head one task force with the responsi-
bility of studying the feasibility and public acceptability
of requiring proof of citizenship of legal alien status
prior to obtaining employment. The task force will have
representatives from INS, HEW, and the Domestic Council. I
would suggest that INS designate a representative familiar
with the work of the Federal Advisory Committee on False
Identification. Dr. Marrs will arrange for the task force
meetings.
A second task force will be headed by a representative
from the Department of Agriculture. INS and Labor will
have representatives on this task force. It will estimate
the economic impact of legislation which entirely removes
illegals from the country. The study will focus both on
agriculture on the Southwest border and urban employers in
big cities like New York. Additionally, the study will
consider what the options are available concerning workers
now in the country. The Department of Agriculture will
arrange for task force meetings.
The next Cabinet Committee meeting will be held at
10:30 a.m., Friday, March 21, 1975 in the Office of the
Deputy Attorney General. I would hope that Mr. North
would be present to explain some Department of Labor
studies on the economic impact of illegal aliens.
Attachment
Addressee List
OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20530
Updated 2/21/1
February 1975
Cabinet Committee on Illegal Aliens
White House -
Fernando E. c. DeBaca
456-2701
Special Assistant to the
President
2827
Room 197, Old Executive
Office Building
(Washington, D. C. 20500)
Dr. Theodore C. Marrs
456-2735
Special Assistant to the
President
Room 103, Old Executive Office
Building
(Washington, D. C. 20500)
State
Leonard F. Walentynowicz
632-9576
Administrator
Bureau of Security and
Consular Affairs
Room 6811
Department of State
(Washington, D. C. 20520)
Treasury
James J. Featherstone
964-5054
Deputy Assistant Secretary,
Designate
Room 3449
Treasury Department
(Washington, D. C. 20220)
David R. Macdonald
964-2033
Assistant Secretary
(Enforcement, Operations,
& Tariff Affairs)
Room 3448
Treasury Department
(Washington, D. C. 20220)
Vernon Hann
964-2416
Acting Assistant Commissioner
Bureau of Customs
Room 804
2100. K Street, N. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20229)
CONT.
- 2 -
Justice
Jonathan C. Rose
739-2105
Associate Deputy
Attorney General
Room 4236
Justice Department
(Washington, D. C. 20530)
Bruce E. Fein
739-2061
Counsel to the Director
Office of Justice Policy
& Planning
Room 4233
Justice Department
(Washington, D. C. 20530)
Edward W. Scott, Jr.
739-3101
Deputy Assistant
Attorney General for
Administration
Room 1111
Department of Justice
(Washington, D. C. 20530)
James F. Greene
376-8356
Deputy Commissioner
Immigration & Naturalization Service
Room 7104, Chester Arthur Bldg.
425 Eye Street, N. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20536)
John Nahan
376-3434
Management Analyst
Immigration & Naturalization Service
Room 7003
425 Eye Street, N. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20536)
Agriculture
J. Dawson Ahalt
447-7043
Staff Economist
Room 214A, Administration Bldg.
Department of Agriculture
14th & Jefferson Drive, N. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20250)
CONT.
- 3 -
Commerce
Karl E. Bakke
967-4772
General Counsel
Room 5870
Department of Commerce
(Washington, D. C. 20230)
Bernard V. Parette
967-4772
Deputy General Counsel
Department of Commerce
Room 5870
(Washington, D. C. 20230)
Labor
Alfred G. Albert
961-3821
Deputy Solicitor
Department of Labor
Room 4148
14th & Constitution Ave., N.W.
(Washington, D. C. 20210)
HEW
Ira Goldstein
245-1865
Special Assistant to the
Assistant Secretary for
Planning & Evaluation
Room 5027, North Bldg.
Health, Education & Welfare
330 Independence Ave., S. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20201)
William A. Morrill
Assistant Secretary for Planning
245-1858
& Evaluation
Room 5027, North Bldg.
Health, Education & Welfare
330 Independence Ave., S. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20201)
OMB
David M. Bray
395-4892
Deputy Associate Director
for Economics & Government
Office of Management & Budget
Room 9202
New Executive Office Bldg.
(Washington, D. C. 20503)
James N. Purcell, Jr.
395-4516
Chief, Justice-Treasury
Branch
Office of Management & Budget
Room 9220, New Executive
Office Building
(Washington, D. C. 20503)
CONT.
- 4 -
Domestic
Geoffrey C. Shepard
456-2562
Council
Associate Director
Domestic Council
Room 234, Old Executive
Office Building
(Washington, D. C. 20500)
F. Lynn May
456-6437
Staff Assistant
Domestic Council
Room 235, Old Executive
Office Building
(Washington, D. C. 20500)
NSC
Stephen Low
395-5004
Staff Member for Latin
American Affairs
National Security Council
Room 380, Old Executive
Office Building
(Washington, D. C. 20500)
DOT
Herbert R. Kaiser, Jr.
426-4492
Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Environment, Safety & Consumer
Affairs
Room 10101
Department of Transportation
400 - 7th Street, S. W.
(Washington, D. C. 20590)
Keep
STATENT PRO DOMINA JUSTITIA OF
Department of Justice
}
SPEECH BY
LEONARD F. CHAPMAN, JR., COMMISSIONER
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE
"Iligal Pline sile
BEFORE THE
EXECUTIVES CLUB OF CHICAGO
12:00 NOON
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1975
LA SALLE HOTEL
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here and
to have this opportunity to speak to the Executives Club of Chicago.
I always welcome an occasion to speak to an audience of businessmen.
I believe it is the business community -- the employers -- in this nation
who are going to have to help solve one of the great problems our country
is
facing today if it is going to be solved at all.
That problem, which I plan to discuss with you today - illegal
aliens - is one in which we all stand to lose -- business, labor and
everyone else -- unless steps are taken soon to combat it. The problem is
having a major impact on our country right now.
A million or more jobs are lost to American citizens because illegal
aliens hold employment and compete for job openings; money earned by illegal
aliens is sent out of the country to families back home, instead of being
spent in the United States to support our own economy; untold amounts are
lost to Federal and local treasuries in the form of unpaid taxes; and many
more dollars are added to our tax bills each year to make up for the cost
of services, such as schools, welfare and medical care which are utilized
by illegal aliens without paying their share of the cost.
To illustrate the scope of the problem, last year the Immigration
Service apprehended 800,000 illegal aliens. Nearly one million persons
were caught in this country illegally. Yet that is merely the tip of the
iceberg. The great majority of illegal aliens never see an immigration
officer. In 1974 we found 10 times more persons illegally in the United
- 1 -
States than we did just a decade ago, but that was only a small percentage
of
those
who
entered perhaps 25 per cent. And we located no more than
10 per cent of the illegal aliens residing in the nation.
While Congress has set limits resulting in no more than 400,000 legal
immigrants to the United States each year, there are several times that
many coming in surreptitiously across our borders. Or they are entering
as tourists, for visits that in theory will last only a few weeks but in
reality often turn into near-permanent resettlement.
The economic impact of these vast numbers of uninvited guests is
substantial. Yet, I believe the debilitating effect on our social structure
of suchwholesale violations of our law is even more serious. This break-
down of immigration law and order cannot help but weaken our nation.
There is no questioning such a breakdown. We estimate there are up
to 10 or 12 million aliens living illegally in this country. For all
practical purposes they are virtually beyond the reach of the Immigration
Service. There are a half million or more within this Chicago area, in-
cluding portions of Indiana and Wisconsin. And more are coming each year.
To cope with this vast number the Immigration Service has 1,700 agents
to patrol the nation's borders, and just 900 investigators who are spread
thinly throughout major cities. In the Chicago District we have 66 enforce-
ment officers. And their job includes not only apprehension of illegal
aliens, but the time consuming responsibility for investigating fraud
against the immigration laws. This force has grown very little in the
past 10 years, while the problem they are charged with solving has grown
- 2 -
ten-fold at least. We do receive some help from local police, although
they do not actually have authority to make arrests for violation of
immigration law.
Although it is relatively easy to slip across our 6,000 miles of
mostly open border, many aliens pay large sums to smugglers to bring them
in to the interior of the country. Fees of $200 to $700 are commonplace,
and the cost may run to $1,200 or $1,500.
Last fiscal year we caught 8,000 smugglers in the process of smuggling
83,000 aliens. This was double the number of aliens we caught being smug-
gled the previous year. Yet because of clogged courts and busy U. S.
Attorneys, few of the smugglers are prosecuted, even though they are
subject to penalties of up to five years in prison and $2,000 fine for each
alien being smuggled.
In addition, fraud against the immigration laws is rampant. Last
year our investigative force completed 17,000 fraud cases, triple the num-
ber of 10 years ago. And with additional manpower, we could have investi-
gated many more. There are currently 14,000 fraud cases pending, and
we have 65,000 leads on the location of one or more illegal aliens.
The use of counterfeit, altered and fraudulently obtained documents
is also increasing. Last year we found 8,400 fraudulent border crossing
cards in the Southwest. And this was obviously just a few compared to the
number in actual use. These fake cards are now so available that the
counterfeiter's price on the street has dropped to about half of what it
was just a year ago.
- 3 -
Sham marriage to gain resident status under the law is another fraud
that has become commonplace. In some areas nearly 100 per cent of our
fraud investigations involve just this one aspect.
We devote considerable effort to uncovering rings which specialize
in arranging fake marriages for aliens at $1,000 to $1,500 a marriage.
One case in Miami which we are still investigating offers a good
illustration.
A woman there who is a citizen had married at least six alien husbands,
and each of her two daughters had married three alien men. Her common law
husband had two marriages to alien women. All 14 marriages were to facilitate
entry to this country. One of the men whom the woman had married brought
two children with him. Although she had been paid well for each of the
marriages, this enterprising lady applied for and collected welfare in each
of her six married names. Not wanting to miss out on a good thing, her
two daughters were collecting welfare in each of their three married names.
And the lady was also collecting an Aid to Dependent Children welfare check
for the two children brought in by one of the men she had married. In
total, there were 13 welfare checks involved.
And, finally, she was assigned a rent-free public housing apartment,
which she had sublet and for which she was collecting rent.
The total cost to the public of this burgeoning enterprise was several
thousands of dollars, and resulted in the fraudulent entry into this country
of at least 14 aliens.
- 4 -
Aliens come to this country for just one reason -- to work, earn money
and send it home. And when they are unsuccessful in finding work, they
often end up on welfare rolls. Los Angeles County recently sent the Immi-
gration Service a bill for $8 million for medical care they had provided
to illegal aliens over one year. Later they filed a suit in federal court
to collect.
In 1973, the California State Social Welfare Board estimated the cost
of welfare payments to illegal aliens to be at least $100 million a year.
And last December, a Superior Court judge in California ruled that aliens
may receive welfare in the state without proving that they are legally in
this country, unless they have already been ordered deported. There are
estimated to be in excess of one million illegal aliens in California, so
you may judge what impact that will have on welfare costs in the state.
The total of the many costs to taxpayers of the illegal alien problem
is difficult to measure. It is undoubtedly substantial. A large part
of our $10 billion balance of payments deficit is the result of money which
is earned here and sent out of the country by illegal aliens.
The income tax loss is an elusive figure to determine. However, to
obtain an indication of the total problem, we ran a pilot program with
Internal Revenue for three months last year. In that period we referred
to IRS 1,700 illegal aliens whom we suspected had tax liabilities. From
this small sample, IRS collected $168,000 out of a total assessment of a
quarter of a million dollars.
- 5 -
How do the aliens avoid taxes? It's simple. They claim as many
dependents as is necessary to avoid having tax withheld. We recently
apprehended an 18-year-old boy who was claiming 18 dependents. We are
now working with IRS to set up permanent programs to recover more of
these funds from aliens we apprehend.
However, as significant as these other costs are, none is as serious
as the jobs that are lost to U. S. citizens and legal aliens because of
the presence of illegal aliens.
Unfortunately, too many people are under the mistaken impression
that the only jobs held by illegal aliens are in farm labor or on jobs as
busboys or parking cars that no one else wants. That may have been true
once, but it no longer is the case. The old image of the Mexican peasant
picking lettuce in the hot sun for a dollar a day is not accurate.
Many persons still consider the illegal alien situation to be strictly
a Mexican problem. That is no longer true either. As a matter of fact,
in the Northern industrial cities, where the higher paying jobs in factories
and construction are to be found, the illegal aliens we apprehend are mostly
non-Mexican.
It is in the cities where opportunities exist for the illegal alien
to work and escape detection that the problem is most severe and the impact
on employment is greatest.
Although 90 per cent of the 800,000 apprehensions we made last year
consisted of Mexican nationals, nearly all of these were in the Southwest
- 6 -
border area. In cities of the Northeastern industrial area, where many
illegals hold good paying jobs, 97 per cent of our apprehensions were
non-Mexican. Even in the Southeast, the number of non-Mexicans appre-
hended was 70 per cent of the total. And many are holding good jobs.
Here in Chicago last month, we apprehended 559 illegal aliens, of
whom 432 or 77 per cent were employed. Of that number, 396, or 92 per
cent were making more than $2.50 an hour. And 20 per cent were making more than
$4.50 an hour.
That is 432 jobs in one city in one month that were made available
to unemployed citizens. And we were operating within the constraints of
limited resources. In answer to the statement that illegal aliens take
only jobs that Americans shun, I would like to point out that 41 per cent
of our nation's black teenagers are unemployed. Overall, teenage unemploy-
ment is 20 per cent. I am confident that a majority of these young people
would welcome many of even the lower paying jobs that are held by illegal
aliens.
The frustration of young people -- black and white -- being unable
to find work is obviously a very dangerous element that leads to increased
crime and other serious social problems.
A national news magazine this week stated that "Employers find they
can fill jobs that pay only $2 or $2.25 an hour for gas station attendants,
security guards, dishwashers. Those openings are often grabbed up by
people who used to earn two or three times as much."
- 7 -
Nearly a year ago, the Wall Street Journal observed that there were
growing numbers of applicants for unskilled jobs. They cited as examples
2,800 applications for 40 jobs as meter readers, and 1,600 for jobs as
animal tenders at a city zoo. There are many more unemployed now than
there were a year ago.
Still, we find illegal aliens in jobs paying considerably better than
$2.25. While unemployment in the construction industry is nearly 20 per
cent, we find illegal aliens working as painters earning nearly $10 an
hour. We find them working in Washington installing dry wall in a new
condominium project earning more than $6 an hour and we find them working on
construction of the metro subway system, with earnings of $400 a week.
Most of these jobs are held by non-Mexicans, and most entered the
country as tourists or students, simply found work and remained here. More
than 6 million visitors entered this country last year, and our records do
not show the departure of 10 per cent of those - more than 600,000 people.
Our records system is not perfect, so even if it is in error by 50 per
cent, there are at least 300,000, probably many more, who failed to leave.
Many of these are college graduates or are skilled persons who can
and do take highly-paid employment. A list of tourists who stayed on to
work in this country and were apprehended by the New York Immigration
office alone in recent weeks includes a Greek plumber making $12 an hour, a
Jamaican carpenter making $7 an hour, a Japanese airline office worker
making $4 an hour, a West Indian lab technician making $6.80 an hour,
- 8 -
a Liberian working as assistant manager in a shoe store earning $5.25 an
hour, a German secretary making $5 an hour, a native of Trinidad making
$5.30 an hour as a welder.
You probably read last week about the apprehension of nearly 50 persons
by a janitorial service and earning $3.75 an hour here in Chicago
All of these had entered the country as tourists and had failed to
depart.
I have told the Congress and I have told others that with legislation
making it unlawful to employ illegal aliens and some modest increases in
manpower to enforce the law, the Immigration Service could quickly make
available one million jobs which are now held by persons not legally
entitled to be in this country.
I believe that eventually there will be a law requiring employers to
determine the legality of prospective employees. Right now a House Judiciary
subcommittee is holding hearings on the Rodino Bill, which has previously
passed the House in two different Congresses. This bill would make it un-
lawful to hire knowingly an illegal alien.
Some say the bill is too weak in that it allows the employer to shift
the responsibility back to the alien by simply having him sign a statement
attesting that he is legally in the country.
The Immigration Service has suggested to the committee and I support
a proposal which would require employers to obtain not only a signed state-
ment from each job applicant as to citizenship or legal residency but would
- 9 -
also require documentary evidence of the information furnished in the
statement. Among the documents which are not considered suitable identi-
fication is the Social Security card. Until recently anyone could obtain
one by mail. There are some 200 million in circulation, and even now the
Social Security Administration will issue a card to an alien who needs
one for college purposes or to open a bank account, even if the law does
not permit that alien to hold a job in this country.
I believe the only practical way to stop this silent invasion of
illegal aliens into our nation is to turn off the magnet of jobs that draws
them here. If we continue to allow anyone to obtain employment, without
regard to their legal entry into the nation, then millions will continue
to come. And only when the United States economy has fallen to the level
of less developed nations and there are no more opportunities here will
they stop coming.
Populations of Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and other
Latin American countries will double by 1990. Labor forces are growing
even more rapidly. Half of Mexico's population is under 15 years of age.
Its labor force totaled 16 million in 1970 but will be 28 million
in 10 more years and 40 million by 1995.
The push-pull forces of limited opportunity in their own countries
and the magnet of economic well being in the United States are driving
these people to America. They are so desperate that there is little they
won't do to achieve their goal of finding jobs in this great land of ours.
- 10 -
For nearly 200 years America has been a land of plenty. We have
been fortunate to enjoy adequate resources, an abundance of energy,
plentiful food and jobs for nearly everyone. Now, we are finding short-
ages in many of the necessities we have taken for granted. Nearly 7.5
million Americans are out of work and our seemingly inexhaustible raw
materials are beginning to run low, causing us to become over dependent
upon foreign sources. I am not suggesting that we turn our backs upon
the rest of the world nor upon the needy and developing nations. However,
I do not believe we can absorb the world's unemployed while our own workers
go begging for jobs. Nor can we continue to accommodate into our popula-
tion several million unaccounted for persons each year, who add to the
burden of our cities, our welfare rolls, our schoools and our hospitals,
while contributing little of their earnings to our economy.
I am confident that most -- nearly all -- American employers would
obey a law against hiring illegal aliens. It has been my experience when
speaking before businessmen that they are shocked to learn of the magnitude
and the impact of this problem on our country, and they want to do some-
thing to correct it. Furthermore, I am convinced that except for a few
unscrupulous people who deliberately employ illegal alien labor to their
own advantage, most employers are not aware that they may be hiring illegal
aliens.
I believe legislation such as that being considered now will be a
major step toward correcting this. For the first time the nation will be
on record against employing illegal aliens with a national policy to that
effect.
- 11 -
In the meantime, it is my hope that as businessmen become aware of
the seriousness of this problem and the consequences to our nation, they
will begin on their own to take steps to avoid hiring illegal aliens. A
thorough check of references and past work history is already done routinely
for many job applicants. I would like to see this extended so that the
employment chances for anyone entering this country illegally for the pur-
pose of finding a job would become minimal. And I would like to see
companies publicly announce their intention to avoid the hiring of illegal
aliens.
Discouraging the illegal alien job applicant - either by law or by
the cooperation of employers ----- is virtually the only answer to the problem,
short of fencing in our country or building the Immigration Service to an
immense size - two choices that I surely do not advocate.
As long as there are people and nations who are poor and as long as
our policy of an open border remains, we will always have a problem of
persons trying to enter our country in any way possible.
The situation is such that I believe it demands immediate action.
It affects all segments of our social and economic life, and it is going
to take cooperation on the part of business, labor and government to deal
with it. The time to start is now.
Thank you.
DOJ-1975-03
- 12 -
AND TEXAS
Raesons FYI
TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN CATTLE RAISERS ASSOCIATION
410 EAST WEATHERFORD ST.
FORT WORTH. TEXAS 76102
CATTLE * RAISERS ASSOCIATION *
HILMAR G. MOORE, PRESIDENT
JOHN B. ARMSTRONG, 2ND V.P. & TREAS.
J.A. WHITTENBURG. III, VICE PRESIDENT
DON C. KING, SECY. GEN. MGR.
April 2, 1975
Mr. Richard Dunham, Director
Domestic Council
FYILPYF
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. Dunham:
For your information and review, we are enclosing a copy of a
resolution adopted by the membership of this Association during
the 98th Annual Convention in Austin, Texas, March 26, 1975.
This resolution expresses to the Congress of the United States the
TSCRA's opposition to H. R. 982, The Rodino Bill on Illegal Aliens.
Your consideration of this resolution and our position will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Hilmn 2.mone
HILMAR G. MOORE
President
HGM:dws
Enclosure
PUBLISHERS OF The Cattloman
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
recognizes the problem our nation faces in controlling illegal aliens that have
taken jobs from American citizens, and
WHEREAS, members of this Association are employers of persons
with Spanish surnames and do not want to be faced with a situation which
would require discriminating against those persons, and
WHEREAS, the members of the Association do not want to serve as
the policing force in the illegal alien problem and yet be subject to criminal
penalties for not properly policing the criminal problem,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Texas and Southwestern
Cattle Raisers Association express to the Congress of the United States its
position on H.R. 982, The Rodino Bill on Illegal Aliens, that they are opposed
to legislation that would put the burden of solving the illegal alien problem
on the backs of employers by making them the police force in the fight against
illegal aliens and imposing criminal sanctions on employers for the criminal
acts of the illegal aliens.
Adopted at the 98th Annual Convention of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle
Raisers Association, March 26, 1975.
April 3, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Dick Parsons
FROM:
Kathleen Ryan
LR
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens -- A Summary
Background:
The Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens was established by Presidential order on January 6,
1975. Membership on the Committee includes: the Attorney
General, Chairman; the Secretary of State; the Secretary
of Treasury; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary
of Commerce; the Secretary of Labor; the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare; Assistant to the President
Baroody; and the Director of Office of Management and
Budget.
The purpose of the Committee is to develop,
coordinate, and present to the President policy issues
that cut across agency lines so that better programs can
be developed for dealing with the national problem of
illegal aliens.
The country must examine the continued validity
of the basic assumptions underlying our national immigration
policy. The Committee feels"it must begin to make immigra-
tion policies, laws, and other enforcement rational and
honest."
The American Immigration System:
In America at first there was no immigration
system at all: everyone was welcome. Exclusionary
legislation started in 1882 -- the Chinese Exclusion Act
of that year. In the 1920's the exclusionary policies
were supplemented by more complicated origin quota systems.
These systems set a maximum quota for the number of immigrants
to be admitted from each nation of the Old World. All
these laws of the period regulated immigration from the
Eastern Hemisphere, but not from the Western Hemisphere.
In 1965 Congress finally passed the Immigration
Amendments. This highly intricate system was designed
broadly to meet three goals: to facilitate the unification
of families; to allow the admission of some workers with
needed skills; and to permit the arrival of a relatively
small number of carefully defined refugees,
-2-
Illegal Aliens:
The United States today faces the
tremendous problem of illegal aliens. Reliable data,
or any data at all, on these illegal aliens, illegal
immigrants as they are called by the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare, is unavailable. No
one is certain what effect these people have on the
country as a whole. The major cause of their great
influx is the economic disparity between the United
States and the country of origin of the illegal aliens.
Last year the number of illegal aliens
located exceeded by 121,000 the number of aliens
admitted as immigrants. There have been estimates of
from 3 to 15 million illegal aliens in the United States.
Of the approximate 6 million temporary visitors to
the United States in FY 1974 10% or 600,000 did not
depart upon expiration of their authorized stay. Yet,
50% of this number usually can be resolved by clerical
means leaving 300,000 cases unresolved. (Immigration &
Naturalization service Statistics)
During the past five fiscal years (1970-74),
a total of 422, 875 deportable aliens were located who
had been admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants,
and of this number 82% were found to be student and
visitor status violators. (I&NS) HEW evidence indicates
that the illegal immigrant is typically 21 to 61 years
of age and able-bodied.
It has also been charged that illegal aliens
tend to spend a large share of their earnings in their
home country, and this may result in a foreign exchange
loss of at least $150 million per year. (Department of
Agriculture)
Legislation:
On May 3, 1973 the House passed HR 982,
known as the Rodino bill. It was not passed by the Senate
in the 93rd Congress. The present Congress has had no
markup of the bill, but hearings have been held.
The bill would prohibit employment of
illegal aliens and utilize a three-tiered penalty struc-
ture (warning and taxation for first offense, followed
by imposition of civil and then criminal penalties.)
also farm habor Contractor Registration Actof1965 amended
contractors Confress who knowingly engage in the services illegal
in 93 - criminal pualties for farm labor of
aliens.
-3-
HR 981, also not passed in the 93rd Congress,
would make technical adjustments to the Immigration and
Nationality Act. The central feature of the bill is
the creation of a preference system applicable to the
Western Hemisphere because there has been a long waiting
period for Western Hemisphere visa applicants due to
the quota of 120,000 a year. This bill has been endorsed
by the Department of Justice.
Summary of the Department Reports:
A charter and agenda of issues were sent
by ex-Attorney General Saxbe on January 17, 1975 to
the various departments involved with the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens. The responses to
the memorandum generally answered the questions posed,
and few original ideas were supplied.
Department of Justice
Mr. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Commissioner
of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (I&NS),
responded to the memorandum. Mr. Chapman is convinced
that the present national effort to solve the illegal
alien problem requires concerted government-wide
cooperation and feels the presence of large numbers of
illegal aliens within our country has an impact on
practically every sector of our society.
A small amount of data on the characteristics
of illegal immigrants has been obtained from apprehended
aliens. The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and
the Department of Labor have awarded two consulting firms,
Linton, Mields and Coston, Inc., and TransCentury Corp.,
a contract to design a major study to determine the size,
characteristics, and impact of the illegal alien population.
I&NS hopes to receive funding to do the study which is to
be completed by late 1976.
To control foreign visitors to America I&NS
hopes three developments will help. First, I&NS and the
Visa Office are developing a secure documentation system
which will make it difficult for an overstay to establish
an identity showing legitimate presence as an alien in
this country. Secondly, they hope for passage of the
Rodino bill. Third, I&NS and the State Department are
jointly working on an improved control program over entry
by one high risk category of visitor -- by eliminating the
-4-
waiver of visa requirements pertaining to entries into
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
To help solve the problem of deportable
aliens admitted as nonimmigrants I&NS suggests a three-
sided approach. The program of information exchange
between I&NS and the Visa Office should be intensified.
I&NS should expand its cooperative effort with the local
Employment Service Offices to find illegal aliens holding
high paying jobs in areas of great unemployment. Liaison
with the Internal Revenue Service must be expanded so
that a more extensive tax collection program can be
inaugurated.
When asked how Justice and HEW cooperate
in the concept of a universal identification card, their
response was through the efforts of the Federal Advisory
Commission on False Identification. I&NS is developing
a secure alien identification card which incorporates
unique identification features. (They do not state what
is unique.)
These two efforts, along with the HEW
concept of a Standard Universal Identifier (SUI)
applicable to a National Health Program, they feel
provide some common ground for cooperation. Nowhere
does the department state categorically if it is pro or
con the universal identification card.
The Department of State: L. Walentynowicz
The State Department feels that only a
definitely chartered group will give the problem of
illegal aliens the kind of study, comprehensive review
and ultimate output it deserves. The Canadian govern-
ment is also currently reviewing its immigration policy
and has issued a "green paper" on the subject.
Traditionally, U.S. immigration policy has
not been primarily determined by foreign policy consider-
ations, altough it has had -- and continues to have --
substantial foreign policy implications. Mexico is the
only country with which the illegal alien problem has
become an important foreign policy issue. Mexico cannot
support its growing population, and the Mexican people
look to the United States for economic betterment.
-5-
State points out that implicit in the Jackson-
Vanik amendment to the Foreign Trade bill, which states
that all countries should permit free emigration, is the
commitment to the idea to admit some of those aliens
permitted unrestricted emigration.
With respect to the control of nonimmigrant
aliens the Department feels that it is possible that more
effective implementation of the existing system coupled
with enactment of legislation to penalize employers
who give employment to aliens not authorized to be so
employed, and to prevent unauthorized self-employment,
will accomplish the desired goal of controlling foreign
visitors. The department does not believe that there
is any hard evidence to indicate such an approach would
unduly impede commerce and trade.
State also feels that a broad statement on
the underlying principles of immigration by the U.S.
Government should be promulgated initially. After
the views of those affected by immigration policies --
pressure groups in business, agriculture; labor
organizations; and specified ethnicities -- have been
voiced and considered, should the Committee make
specific proposals. The Canadian government employed
this method.
Department of Treasury: David R. Macdonald
The Department of Treasury dealt with
the aspects of taxation of illegal aliens. A 90-day
test to determine the feasibility of an IRS/I&NS inter-
agency effort to improve compliance with Federal Tax
laws by apprehended illegal aliens was completed in
June 1974. The vast majority of illegal aliens
interviewed during this test had no taxes withheld
from their wages, were claiming high numbers of
exemptions to avoid paying taxes, or simply had no
intention of paying Federal taxes. This test substantiated
a long-held belief that illegal aliens in the United
States represent an area of noncompliance.
The IRS, I&NS and the Social Security
Administration are presently developing a test program
to secure the payment of withholding taxes by employers
of illegal aliens.
-6-
Treasury feels that something must be done
to ensure tax compliance with regard to nonresident and
illegal aliens, but it is equally opposed to a universal
identification card.
The Department of Agriculture: J. Dawson Ahalt
The Department of Agriculture has discussed
two issues: the impact of illegal aliens on the U.S.
farm labor situation; and current U.S. labor needs.
As in every area dealing with illegal aliens reputable
data is unavailable.
Competition with U.S. agricultural workers
comes from both illegal aliens and the "green carder."
The latter is an alien who has been issued a permanent
work permit and enjoys comparatively free movement across
national borders. The "green card" is an I-151 and blue
in color.
In the field of agriculture competition
from illegal aliens occurs primarily in the short term
markets. Each employed alien is occupying a job that
would otherwise be available to a U.S. worker. Yet,
most short term domestic workers, enter agrìculture
to provide a seasonal source of secondary earnings.
These people are most likely to be displaced by seasonal
illegal alien workers.
To the extent that illegal alien labor
represents an increase in the total labor supply, the
illegals depress the wage rate paid all workers in a
given labor market.
According to Agriculture there has been a
shift in domestic labor use over the past three years
toward intermediate and long-term employment with but
few apparent wage incentives.
The Department's response to the questions
of the physical existence of a sufficient domestic labor
supply and the ability to improve seasonal labor manage-
ment capabilities are ambiguous.
Most border areas have integrated economies.
To totally restrict illegal alien workers would result in
severe short run damage to the economies on both sides
of the border. The Department feels gradual, scheduled
changes in the availability of jobs or wage rates for
-7-
illegal workers should be encouraged in order to avoid
disastrous consequences to the farmers employing these
workers.
Certification of additional temporary aliens
is a conceptual possibility, but the administration would
require a radical departure from past immigration enforce-
ment policies.
Agriculture concludes that domestic labor
could easily substitute for displaced aliens if a large
domestic supply of secondary and moonlight labor existed.
Otherwise an expensive system of income transfer payments
would have to be established to absorb personal income
loss when not working.
The Department of Commerce: Karl E. Bakke
The Census Bureau has informed the Depart-
ment of Commerce that there is no simple or inexpen-
sive way in which to obtain data on a population that
does not want its characteristics known. They also have
no estimates as to alien transfers out of the United
States.
Commerce has not systematically investigated
the extent of illegal alien immigration or the size of
the illegal alien population. And at present no reliable
methods have been developed by them for making estimates
of this group.
The Department does state that the relative
contribution of alien immigration to population growth
has increased substantially since 1960 because alien
immigration has shown a steady moderate increase, and the
annual number of births has fallen sharply during the
period. Natural increase continues to be a far more
important contributor to our population growth than net
immigration in spite of the decline in the number of
births and a moderate rise in the number of deaths.
Commerce believes that natural increase is likely to
remain a greater contributor to population growth in
the future, unless the laws controlling immigration
are changed.
-8-
The Department of Labor: Alfred G. Albert
The Department of Labor has no independent
source of data regarding illegal aliens, and relies on
the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The major policy change which Labor feels
should be considered would in effect eliminate the
labor certification as a condition for the admission of
immigrants. Only 40,000 of the 400,000 immigrants are
affected by the labor certification, and Labor thinks it
is a waste of time and money.
The Department believes that illegal aliens
are increasingly working in jobs that citizens and
permanent residents would welcome -- the building trades
is one example. Labor also feels that since illegals
often must accept substandard wages and working conditions,
they interfere with the normal workings of the labor
force and perpetuate those substandard conditions.
Our own labor force, supplemented by the
400,000 immigrants who enter each year, plus the numbers
of non-immigrants who enter for temporary work without
labor certifications, very adequately meet the needs of
of our economy. Assuming that all the illegals were
removed and isolated shortages of labor were to develop
either for temporary or permenent employment, the
present provisions of the law provide for the entry of
needed aliens. This is not to say that policy and
procedural changes could not be made which would remove
some of the incentives for aliens to enter illegally or
enter legally and then violate their status, and to
speed the labor certification process for immigrants
while reducing governmental costs.
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare:
William A. Morrill
HEW initiated in 1973 a program to spot check
errors in welfare costs One of these areas was designated
"error due to citizenship and alienage program element.'
The errors related to "citizenship/alienage" in proportion
to the total cases ranged from a low of 0.3% (Tennessee) to
a high of 3.2% (Pennsylvania) among the ten states found
to have errors of this type. There is no record of what
proportion of each case is in fact in error.
-9-
Under the present regulations governing the
Migrant Health Program (Title 42, Public Health Act, Part 56)
any migrant worker is eligible, regardless of citizenship.
Again there are no firm statistics on how much is spent
by the Migrant Health Program on illegal aliens. HEW's
statistics estimate $1.5 million, or approximately 6.3%
of the total Migrant Health Program budget for FY'75.
In regard to the issuance of a universal
identification card HEW evidence shows that: 1) the
privacy issues are very real, both in terms of recent
legislation and the increasing tide of public opinion;
2) if the social security card is utilized, HEW estimates
the initial cost to be in excess of $100 million and
the marginal annual cost at around $10 million thereafter;
3) assuming the addition of a thumbprint to the social
security card, an extensive amount of time would be
necessary to implement the system; and, 4) very recent
experience with attempts to coordinate the Social
Security Administration's new citizenship identification
requirements with the I&NS have not yet increased their
effectiveness in apprehending illegal immigrants.
Outside groups are also affected by immigration
policy. Ethnic minorities that are legal U.S. citizens
are many times treated like their illegal "brothers."
HEW feels that it is very important that these individuals
and organizations be contacted in the formulation stages
and before the Committee forwards any recommendations
to the President. HEW has provided a list of some of
these organizations.
Conclusions:
I feel that the reports mainly deal with the
symptoms, and not the causes. The major problem lies
with Mexico, our southern neighbor. Mexico's economy is
in poor shape, and hopefully the discovery of oil will
help.
In 1970 Mexico had a population of about
50 million. At the current growth rate of 3.5% annual
increase, one of the largest in the world, the Mexican
population will double in about 20 years. By 1985, the
population of Mexico is expected to reach 85 million,
and by 1995 about 120 million.
-10-
The Final Report of the Special Study Group on
Illegal Immigrants from Mexico, January 15, 1973, assumes
1 million illegal aliens, of which 85% are estimated to
be Mexican, and 58% of these to be migrant workers.
If this percentage is valid, our major source of illegal
aliens is Mexico.
Perhaps a system could be instituted
between the U. S. Government and the Mexican Government
that for every illegal alien apprehended of Mexican
origin a certain amount of money would be dropped from
our aid program to Mexico. This might provide an impetus
for the Mexican Government to curb illegal emigration.
I realize this would cause quite a furor.
The Mexicans, of course, claim that they are doing their
best and have many illegal aliens from Central America.
We should urge passage of the Rodino bill.
If some sort of citizenship identifier is
agreed upon, maybe manpower from public service employ-
ment could be used.
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4
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(Telephoned Pobletis This)
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
May 16, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR :
DICK PARSONS
FROM :
JIM CAVANAUGI
SUBJECT :
Illegal Aliens
N
file
Please prepare a memorandum for the President
regarding the attached request.
Thanks.
CC: Dick Dunham
/
GERALO LIVERSE R. FORD
gave Marilyn
a copy for
L. may to
prepare a draft,
FORDO is LIBRARY DERALD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
May 15, 1975
TO:
DICK DUNHAM
JIM CAVANAUGH
FROM:
SUBJECT:
JIM Illegal CANNON Jun Aliens
At our weekly meeting with the President today
he raised the question about what we were doing about
illegal aliens. He wanted to know the status of the
study we are making. How much are they costing us?
And what can be done about them. Would you give me a
report as soon as possible.
Many thanks.
JMC: jm
DRAFT
ACTION MEMORANDUM
April 4, 1975
TO:
DICK PARSONS
FROM:
Kathleen Ryan
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens
Background:
On April 3, 1975, the Domestic Council Committee
on Illegal Aliens held its third meeting.
Mr. David North of Linton, Mields and Coston,
Inc. provided a summary of the study his consulting firm
was prepared to undertake on illegal aliens. The study will
address itself to these areas: a residential survey of
illegal aliens; an industrial survey; theflow of EWI's
(entered without inspection); the flow of fraudulent
document holders; the demography of illegals; and the impact
of illegals on legal aliens. Funds have not been appropriated
for this study. The expected completion date will be in
early 1977.
The meeting then broke down into a general
discussion of illegal aliens. Each person addressed a question
on illegal aliens that had already been stated in their
departments' response to the memorandum from ex-Attorney General
Saxbe on January 17, 1975 .
The Committee is stymied. There are no reliable
statistics available on a group that does not want its
characteristics known. The study and statistics apparently
will take two years to complete.
-2-
Some of sort of grand design is urgently needed.
PROPOSALS:
1. Specific Agenda. Have a specific agenda for
each meeting. Studies to be assigned to each department with
their due date. i.e. Statistics from all departments on the
impact of illegal aliens. Agriculture to gather all its
statistics on migrant labor, the percentage of which is
illegal; how many illeGals work in the short term agricultural
labor market, and how many in the intermediate and long range
markets. Labor could show how illegals take away jobs from
citizens, legal aliens, and legal residents.
2. The Rodino Bill. The Rodino bill has
been designed to prohibit the employment of illegal aliens,
except domestics, by use of a three-tiered penalty structure.
The bill does not appear to be very strong, but a stronger
bill can come after the exhaustive study has been done.
Some Federal Law should prohibit the employment of illegal
aliens.
The bill would go into effect three months after
it is passed. Publicity should be given to the bill before
its enforcement. Farmers that rely heavily on illegal aliens
will need some time to adjust.
3. Documentation for Employment. This should be
given careful study. If one needs a social security number
-3-
to be elegible for benefits after employment. Why not
use a social security card to show eligibility for employ-
ment. Public Service Employment could be used to staff
the undertaking.
4. Mexico. A policy with Mexico in regard
to illegal aliens should be thought out.
State and NSC
could help develop a strategy.
April 3, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Dick Parsons
FROM:
Kathleen Ryan
KR
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens -- A Summary
Background:
The Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens was established by Presidential order on January 6,
1975. Membership on the Committee includes: the Attorney
General, Chairman; the Secretary of State; the Secretary
of Treasury; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary
of Commerce; the Secretary of Labor; the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare; Assistant to the President
Baroody; and the Director of Office of Management and
Budget.
The purpose of the Committee is to develop,
coordinate, and present to the President policy issues
that cut across agency lines so that better programs can
be developed for dealing with the national problem of
illegal aliens.
The country must examine the continued validity
of the basic assumptions underlying our national immigration
policy. The Committee feels"it must begin to make immigra-
tion policies, laws, and other enforcement rational and
honest.'
The American Immigration System:
In America at first there was no immigration
system at all: everyone was welcome. Exclusionary
legislation started in 1882 -- the Chinese Exclusion Act
of that year. In the 1920's the exclusionary policies
were supplemented by more complicated origin quota systems.
These systems set a maximum quota for the number of immigrants
to be admitted from each nation of the Old World. All
these laws of the period regulated immigration from the
Eastern Hemisphere, but not from the Western Hemisphere.
In 1965 Congress finally passed the Immigration
Amendments. This highly intricate system was designed
broadly to meet three goals: to facilitate the unification
of families; to allow the admission of some workers with
needed skills; and to permit the arrival of a relatively
small number of carefully defined refugees,
-2-
Illegal Aliens:
The United States today faces the
tremendous problem of illegal aliens. Reliable data,
or any data at all, on these illegal aliens, illegal
immigrants as they are called by the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare, is unavailable. No
one is certain what effect these people have on the
country as a whole. The major cause of their great
influx is the economic disparity between the United
States and the country of origin of the illegal aliens.
Last year the number of illegal aliens
located exceeded by 121,000 the number of aliens
admitted as immigrants. There have been estimates of
from 3 to 15 million illegal aliens in the United States.
Of the approximate 6 million temporary visitors to
the United States in FY 1974 10% or 600,000 did not
depart upon expiration of their authorized stay. Yet,
50% of this number usually can be resolved by clerical
means leaving 300,000 cases unresolved. (Immigration &
Naturalization service Statistics)
During the past five fiscal years (1970-74),
a total of 422,875 deportable aliens were located who
had been admitted to the United States as nonimmigrants,
and of this number 82% were found to be student and
visitor status violators. (I&NS) HEW evidence indicates
that the illegal immigrant is typically 21 to 61 years
of age and able-bodied.
It has also been charged that illegal aliens
tend to spend a large share of their earnings in their
home country, and this may result in a foreign exchange
loss of at least $150 million per year. (Department of
Agriculture)
Legislation:
On May 3, 1973 the House passed HR 982,
known as the Rodino bill. It was not passed by the Senate
in the 93rd Congress. The present Congress has had no
markup of the bill, but hearings have been held.
The bill would prohibit employment of
illegal aliens and utilize a three-tiered penalty struc-
ture (warning and taxation for first offense, followed
by imposition of civil and then criminal penalties.)
-3-
HR 981, also not passed in the 93rd Congress,
would make technical adjustments to the Immigration and
Nationality Act. The central feature of the bill is
the creation of a preference system applicable to the
Western Hemisphere because there has been a long waiting
period for Western Hemisphere visa applicants due to
the quota of 120,000 a year. This bill has been endorsed
by the Department of Justice.
Summary of the Department Reports:
A charter and agenda of issues were sent
by ex-Attorney General Saxbe on January 17, 1975 to
the various departments involved with the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens. The responses to
the memorandum generally answered the questions posed,
and few original ideas were supplied.
Department of Justice
Mr. Leonard F. Chapman, Jr., Commissioner
of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (I&NS),
responded to the memorandum. Mr. Chapman is convinced
that the present national effort to solve the illegal
alien problem requires concerted government-wide
cooperation and feels the presence of large numbers of
illegal aliens within our country has an impact on
practically every sector of our society.
A small amount of data on the characteristics
of illegal immigrants has been obtained from apprehended
aliens. The Law Enforcement Assistance Administration and
the Department of Labor have awarded two consulting firms,
Linton, Mields and Coston, Inc., and TransCentury Corp.,
a contract to design a major study to determine the size,
characteristics, and impact of the illegal alien population.
I&NS hopes to receive funding to do the study which is to
be completed by late 1976.
To control foreign visitors to America I&NS
hopes three developments will help. First, I&NS and the
Visa Office are developing a secure documentation system
which will make it difficult for an overstay to establish
an identity showing legitimate presence as an alien in
this country. Secondly, they hope for passage of the
Rodino bill. Third, I&NS and the State Department are
jointly working on an improved control program over entry
by one high risk category of visitor -- by eliminating the
-4-
waiver of visa requirements pertaining to entries into
Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
To help solve the problem of deportable
aliens admitted as nonimmigrants I&NS suggests a three-
sided approach. The program of information exchange
between I&NS and the Visa Office should be intensified.
I&NS should expand its cooperative effort with the local
Employment Service Offices to find illegal aliens holding
high paying jobs in areas of great unemployment. Liaison
with the Internal Revenue Service must be expanded so
that a more extensive tax collection program can be
inaugurated.
When asked how Justice and HEW could cooperate
in the concept of a universal identification card, their
response was through the efforts of the Federal Advisory
Commission on False Identification. I&NS is developing
a secure alien identification card which incorporates
unique identification features. (They do not state what
is unique.)
These two efforts, along with the HEW
concept of a Standard Universal Identifier (SUI)
applicable to a National Health Program, they feel
provide some common ground for cooperation. Nowhere
does the department state categorically if it is pro or
con the universal identification card.
The Department of State: L. Walentynowicz
The State Department feels that only a
definitely chartered group will give the problem of
illegal aliens the kind of study, comprehensive review
and ultimate output it deserves. The Canadian govern-
ment is also currently reviewing its immigration policy
and has issued a "green paper" on the subject.
Traditionally, U.S. immigration policy has
not been primarily determined by foreign policy consider-
ations, altough it has had -- and continues to have --
substantial foreign policy implications. Mexico is the
only country with which the illegal alien problem has
become an important foreign policy issue. Mexico cannot
support its growing population, and the Mexican people
look to the United States for economic betterment.
-5-
State points out that implicit in the Jackson-
Vanik amendment to the Foreign Trade bill, which states
that all countries should permit free emigration, is the
commitment to the idea to admit some of those aliens
permitted unrestricted emigration.
With respect to the control of nonimmigrant
aliens the Department feels that it is possible that more
effective implementation of the existing system coupled
with enactment of legislation to penalize employers
who give employment to aliens not authorized to be so
employed, and to prevent unauthorized self-employment,
will accomplish the desired goal of controlling foreign
visitors. The department does not believe that there
is any hard evidence to indicate such an approach would
unduly impede commerce and trade.
State also feels that a broad statement on
the underlying principles of immigration by the U.S.
Government should be promulgated initially. After
the views of those affected by immigration policies --
pressure groups in business, agriculture; labor
organizations; and specified ethnicities -- have been
voiced and considered, should the Committee make
specific proposals. The Canadian government employed
this method.
Department of Treasury: David R. Macdonald
The Department of Treasury dealt with
the aspects of taxation of illegal aliens. A 90-day
test to determine the feasibility of an IRS/I&NS inter-
agency effort to improve compliance with Federal Tax
laws by apprehended illegal aliens was completed in
June 1974. The vast majority of illegal aliens
interviewed during this test had no taxes withheld
from their wages, were claiming high numbers of
exemptions to avoid paying taxes, or simply had no
intention of paying Federal taxes. This test substantiated
a long-held belief that illegal aliens in the United
States represent an area of noncompliance.
The IRS, I&NS and the Social Security
Administration are presently developing a test program
to secure the payment of withholding taxes by employers
of illegal aliens.
-6-
Treasury feels that something must be done
to ensure tax compliance with regard to nonresident and
illegal aliens, but it is equally opposed to a universal
identification card.
The Department of Agriculture: J. Dawson Ahalt
The Department of Agriculture has discussed
two issues: the impact of illegal aliens on the U.S.
farm labor situation; and current U.S. labor needs.
As in every area dealing with illegal aliens reputable
data is unavailable.
Competition with U.S. agricultural workers
comes from both illegal aliens and the "green carder."
The latter is an alien who has been issued a permanent
work permit and enjoys comparatively free movement across
national borders. The "green card" is an I-151 and blue
in color.
In the field of agriculture competition
from illegal aliens occurs primarily in the short term
markets. Each employed alien is occupying a job that
would otherwise be available to a U.S. worker. Yet,
most short term domestic workers, enter agriculture
to provide a seasonal source of secondary earnings.
These people are most likely to be displaced by seasonal
illegal alien workers.
To the extent that illegal alien labor
represents an increase in the total labor supply, the
illegals depress the wage rate paid all workers in a
given labor market.
According to Agriculture there has been a
shift in domestic labor use over the past three years
toward intermediate and long-term employment with but
few apparent wage incentives.
The Department's response to the questions
of the physical existence of a sufficient domestic labor
supply and the ability to improve seasonal labor manage-
ment capabilities are ambiguous.
Most border areas have integrated economies.
To totally restrict illegal alien workers would result in
severe short run damage to the economies on both sides
of the border. The Department feels gradual, scheduled
changes in the availability of jobs or wage rates for
-7-
illegal workers should be encouraged in order to avoid
disastrous consequences to the farmers employing these
workers.
Certification of additional temporary aliens
is a conceptual possibility, but the administration would
require a radical departure from past immigration enforce-
ment policies.
Agriculture concludes that domestic labor
could easily substitute for displaced aliens if a large
domestic supply of secondary and moonlight labor existed.
Otherwise an expensive system of income transfer payments
would have to be established to absorb personal income
loss when not working.
The Department of Commerce: Karl E. Bakke
The Census Bureau has informed the Depart-
ment of Commerce that there is no simple or inexpen-
sive way in which to obtain data on a population that
does not want its characteristics known. They also have
no estimates as to alien transfers out of the United
States.
Commerce has not systematically investigated
the extent of illegal alien immigration or the size of
the illegal alien population. And at present no reliable
methods have been developed by them for making estimates
of this group.
The Department does state that the relative
contribution of alien immigration to population growth
has increased substantially since 1960 because alien
immigration has shown a steady moderate increase, and the
annual number of births has fallen sharply during the
period. Natural increase continues to be a far more
important contributor to our population growth than net
immigration in spite of the decline in the number of
births and a moderate rise in the number of deaths.
Commerce believes that natural increase is likely to
remain a greater contributor to population growth in
the future, unless the laws controlling immigration
are changed.
-8-
The Department of Labor: Alfred G. Albert
The Department of Labor has no independent
source of data regarding illegal aliens, and relies on
the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The major policy change which Labor feels
should be considered would in effect eliminate the
labor certification as a condition for the admission of
immigrants. Only 40,000 of the 400,000 immigrants are
affected by the labor certification, and Labor thinks it
is a waste of time and money.
The Department believes that illegal aliens
are increasingly working in jobs that citizens and
permanent residents would welcome -- the building trades
is one example. Labor also feels that since illegals
often must accept substandard wages and working conditions,
they interfere with the normal workings of the labor
force and perpetuate those substandard conditions.
Our own labor force, supplemented by the
400,000 immigrants who enter each year, plus the numbers
of non-immigrants who enter for temporary work without
labor certifications, very adequately meet the needs of
of our economy. Assuming that all the illegals were
removed and isolated shortages of labor were to develop
either for temporary or permenent employment, the
present provisions of the law provide for the entry of
needed aliens. This is not to say that policy and
procedural changes could not be made which would remove
some of the incentives for aliens to enter illegally or
enter legally and then violate their status, and to
speed the labor certification process for immigrants
while reducing governmental costs.
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare:
William A. Morrill
HEW initiated in 1973 a program to spot check
errors in welfare costs. One of these areas was designated
"error due to citizenship and alienage program element."
The errors related to "citizenship/alienage" in proportion
to the total cases ranged from a low of 0.3% (Tennessee) to
a high of 3.2% (Pennsylvania) among the ten states found
to have errors of this type. There is no record of what
proportion of each case is in fact in error.
-9-
Under the present regulations governing the
Migrant Health Program (Title 42, Public Health Act, Part 56)
any migrant worker is eligible, regardless of citizenship.
Again there are no firm statistics on how much is spent
by the Migrant Health Program on illegal aliens. HEW's
statistics estimate $1.5 million, or approximately 6.3%
of the total Migrant Health Program budget for FY'75.
In regard to the issuance of a universal
identification card HEW evidence shows that: 1) the
privacy issues are very real, both in terms of recent
legislation and the increasing tide of public opinion;
2) if the social security card is utilized, HEW estimates
the initial cost to be in excess of $100 million and
the marginal annual cost at around $10 million thereafter;
3) assuming the addition of a thumbprint to the social
security card, an extensive amount of time would be
necessary to implement the system; and, 4) very recent
experience with attempts to coordinate the Social
Security Administration's new citizenship identification
requirements with the I&NS have not yet increased their
effectiveness in apprehending illegal immigrants.
Outside groups are also affected by immigration
policy. Ethnic minorities that are legal U.S. citizens
are many times treated like their illegal "brothers."
HEW feels that it is very important that these individuals
and organizations be contacted in the formulation stages
and before the Committee forwards any recommendations
to the President. HEW has provided a list of some of
these organizations.
Conclusions:
I feel that the reports mainly deal with the
symptoms, and not the causes. The major problem lies
with Mexico, our southern neighbor. Mexico's economy is
in poor shape, and hopefully the discovery of oil will
help.
In 1970 Mexico had a population of about
50 million. At the current growth rate of 3.5% annual
increase, one of the largest in the world, the Mexican
population will double in about 20 years. By 1985, the
population of Mexico is expected to reach 85 million,
and by 1995 about 120 million.
-10-
The Final Report of the Special Study Group on
Illegal Immigrants from Mexico, January 15, 1973, assumes
1 million illegal aliens, of which 85% are estimated to
be Mexican, and 58% of these to be migrant workers.
If this percentage is valid, our major source of illegal
aliens is Mexico.
Perhaps a system could be instituted
between the U. S. Government and the Mexican Government
that for every illegal alien apprehended of Mexican
origin a certain amount of money would be dropped from
our aid program to Mexico. This might provide an impetus
for the Mexican Government to curb illegal emigration.
I realize this would cause quite a furor.
The Mexicans, of course, claim that they are doing their
best and have many illegal aliens from Central America.
We should urge passage of the Rodino bill.
If some sort of citizenship identifier is
agreed upon, maybe manpower from public service employ-
ment could be used.
May 21, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR JIM CAVANAUGH
FROM:
DICK PARSONS
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
Per your request, the following is a brief description of the status of the
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens:
The Committee has met several times, but it is currently at a
crossroads with several directions in which it might go.
Accordingly, we are preparing a decision memorandum for
the President with the assistance of the Labor and Justice
Departments. It should be completed early next week.
FORD is LIBRARY 07V339
May 21, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR JIM CAVANAUGH
FROM:
DICK PARSONS
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
Per your request, the following is a brief description of the status of the
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens:
The Committee has met several times, but it is currently at a
crossroads with several directions in which it might go.
Accordingly, we are preparing a decision memorandum for
the President with the assistance of the Labor and Justice
Departments. It should be completed early next week.
GERALD FORD
GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY
This form marks the file location of item number
/
,
as listed on the pink form (GSA form 7122, Withdrawal Sheet) at the
front of the folder.
W.H.M 7/23/79
June 27, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
FROM:
DICK PARSONS
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
The following options regarding the future course of the Domestic Council
Committee on Illegal Aliens were presented to the President:
1. A Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years. The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalisation study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illegal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
Pro - This option would permit a positive step by step approach
without incurring great additional costs or creating mandates
for further action. It would furnish data necessary to
establishing the parameters of the problem and for the formulation
of a logical sequence of studies lending to solutions.
Con - It is a limited approach to the problem and would not do much
before the election to solve the larger accompanying economic
and social impact of the pressure of illegal aliens apart from
establishing sanctions against employment.
FORD LIBRAGA
-2-
2. An Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
a. What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
c. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
Pro - It would provide a large body of background data and accelerate
your Administration's efforts to deal with the problem.
Con - This proposal would take time, money and the commitment of a
full time staff of agency personnel or consultants. The impact
studies could heighten tensions among Spanish speaking
groups and the results, particularly in the social services
area, could produce evidence of the inordinate cost of illegal
aliens on state and local governments. This could create
pressures for Federal subsidies to ease the problem.
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An option, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalising these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
GERAED FORD
-3-
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under a quota system.
Pro - Would provide the data for a "legalistic" solution to the problem
by examining the feasibility of admitting more aliens as
immigrants and legal workers.
Con - The study could incur the opposition of organised labor to
whom the "Bracero" program was an anathema.
DECISION:
The President chose options 2 and 3. It is incumbent, therefore, for the
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens to implement this decision.
I suggest that the Deputy Attorney General call a meeting of the Committee,
requesting attendance of Under Secretaries and designated representatives
to give new life to the Committee and to discuss effectuation of the President's
decision.
RDP: FLM: mem
GENELA FORD AFBRART
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
June 20, 1975
ADMINISTRATIVELY CONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM FOR:
JIM CANNON
-22
FROM:
JIM CONNOR
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens
The President has reviewed your memorandum of June 16th
on the above subject and the following recommendations were
approved:
Option 2 - Immediate Comprehensive Approach
Option 3- - Review of Immigration and Work Entry
Laws
Please follow-up with appropriate action.
CC: Don Rumsfeld
THE WHITE HOUSE
ACTION
WASHINGTON
June 16, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
JIM CANNON June
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
On January 6, 1975, you established the Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens to develop, coordinate and present policy issues that cut across
agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with the national problem
of illegal aliens. The meetings of the Committee have revealed the current
total lack of solid data on the problem and the difficulity in obtaining it. The
Committee is divided on its future course -- whether it should adopt a limited,
methodical approach which would take several years to carry out or attempt
a quicker resolution with several attendant risks. Your guidance is necessary
to resolve this impasse.
OPTIONS:
There are two competing alternatives for the Committee's future activities and
a non exclusive third option.
1. Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years. The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalization study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illegal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
FORD is LIBRARY
Pro - This option would permit a positive step by step approach
without incurring great additional costs or creating mandates
for further action. It would furnish data necessary to
establishing the parameters of the problem and for the formulation
of a logical sequence of studies lending to solutions.
Con - It is a limited approach to the problem and would not do much
before the election to solve the larger accompanying economic
and social impact of the pressure of illegal aliens apart from
establishing sanctions against employment.
2. Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
a. What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
C. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
Pro - It would provide a large body of background data and accelerate
your Administration's efforts to deal with the problem.
Con - This proposal would take time, money and the commitment of a
full time staff of agency personnel or consultants. The impact
studies could heighten tensions among Spanish speaking
groups and the results, particularly in the social services
area, could produce evidence of the inordinate cost of illegal
aliens on state and local governments. This could create
pressures for Federal subsidies to ease the problem.
GERALO FORD DIBRARY
-3-
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An option, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalizing these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under a quota system.
Pro - Would provide the data for a "legalistic" solution to the problem
by examining the feasibility of admitting more aliens as
immigrants and legal workers.
Con - The study could incur the opposition of organized labor to
whom the "Bracero" program was an anathema.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Option 1 (Limited Step by Step Approach)
- Levi, Buchen, Marsh
Seidman
Option 2 (Immediate Comprehertsive Approach)
- Dunlop, Lynn, Cannon
Option 3 (Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws) - Levi, Buchen, Marsh,
Lynn, Cannon
DECISION:
Option 1
or
Option 2
Option 3
Yes
No
GENALE FORD LIBRARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
June 30, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
HAROLD R. TYLER
Chairman
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS Dick
Associate Director and Counsel
Domestic Council
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
As you may recall, we recently presented the President with a series of options
regarding the future course of the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
These were:
1. A Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years. The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalization study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illegal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
2. An Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
-2-
a.
What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
c. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An option, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalizing these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under a quota system.
DECISION:
The President chose 2 and 3. May I suggest that you call a meeting of the
department and agency representatives to the Committee to discuss effectuation
of the President's decision. If you would designate one of your assistants as
a contact in this subject area, my assistant, Lynn May, will work with him in
setting up the meeting.
duly 14, 1975
Dear Senator Packwood:
This is in further response to your recent letter to
Bill Kendall requesting a meeting to discuss S. 1928,
the Alien Employment Act.
As you know, the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens, which is being chaired by Deputy Attorney General
Harold Tyler, is in the process of assessing the impact
of illegal aliens in this country and developing recem-
mendations for dealing with this problem. I have asked
Dick Parsons of my staff, who is the White House liaison
to the Committee, to contact your office to arrange a
meeting to discuss the provisions of your bill.
Sincerely,
James M. Cannon
Assistant to the President
for Domestic Affairs
The Honorable Bob Packwood
United States Senate
Washington, D. c. 20510
bee: Bill Kendall
RDP;med
GERALD FORD LIBRATA
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
DATE: July 7, 1975
TO:
DICK PARSONS
FROM: JIM CAVANAUGH
x
of
SUBJ: Sen. Packwood Letter Re.
S. 1928
FYI
Action X
Please draft a reply to
Senator Packwood for
Jim Cannon's signature.
you prepare ? a
draft, please
D.
GERALD R FORD
July 1, 1975
Dear Senator:
Thank you for your letter regarding S. 1928,
the Alien Employment Act.
I shall be pleased to pass your request for a
meeting along to the appropriate office for their
consideration. I am sure your will be hearing
from them shortly.
With best wishes,
Sincerely,
William T. Kendall
Deputy Assistant
to the President
Honorable Bob Packwood
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
bcc: w/incoming to Jim Cannon for further action please
WTK:ba
cf
+
DD 101 e W a 47
FORD is LIBRARY 070830
RUSSELL B. LONG, LA., CHAIRMAN
HERMAN E. TALMADGE, GA.
CARL T. CURTIS, NEBR.
VANCE HARTKE, IND.
PAUL J. FANNIN, ARIZ.
ABRAHAM RIBICOFF, CONN.
CLIFFORD P. HANSEN, WYO.
HARRY F. BYRD. JR., VA.
ROBERT J. DOLE, KANS,
GAYLORD NELSON, WIS.
BOB PACKWOOD, OREG.
WALTER F. MONDALE, MINN.
WILLIAM V. ROTH, JR., DEL
United States Senate
MIKE GRAVEL ALASKA
BILL BROCK, TENN.
LLOYD BENTSEN. TEX.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
WILLIAM D. HATHAWAY, MAINE
FLOYD K. HASKELL, COLO.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510
15
MICHAEL STERN, STAFF DIRECTOR
DONALD V. MOOREHEAD, CHIEF MINORITY COUNSEL
June 18, 1975
Mr. William T. Kendall
Deputy Assitant to the President
for Legislative Affairs
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Bill:
Last Thursday I introduced S. 1928, the Alien
employment Act, which I have been preparing for the
past year to locate those aliens illegally employed in
this Country and to prohibit such employment in the
future. My involvement in this area is precipitated by
a personal conviction that legislation heretofore offered
on the subject of illegal alien employment is deficient
in two principal areas:
1. Such legislation purports to locate
illegals by requiring employees merely to
state whether they are legally entitled to
employment in this Country. It is my
opinion and that of many other authorities
with whom I have discussed this procedure
that it is not enough. The illegal alien
has, in most instances, come to this
Country for purposes of employment and
broken the law by obtaining employment. To
expect him to voluntarily own up to his
illegal status under these circumstances is
not realistic.
2. Legislation heretofore considered makes
no allowance for the fact that much of the
agricultural employment in this Country is
performed by those not entitled to employ-
ment. The agricultural employer has not
broken the law by hiring these aliens and
to enact legislation to prohibit such employ-
ment without giving such employer time to
adjust would cause extreme financial hardship
and simply leave crops rotting in the field
for lack of a harvest force.
Mr. Kendall
June 18, 1975
Page 2
The Alien Employment Act addresses itself to both
of the foregoing deficiencies. First, the Act establishes
procedures by which the right of an employee to employment
is determined through identification. Second, a limited
exemption is provided to those agricultural employers
who cannot find sufficient numbers of persons legally
entitled to employment.
I would appreciate it if you could set a time
when members of my staff could discuss the provisions
of the Act with those who will be called upon by the
President to advise as to what the Administration's position
should be on this legislation.
Cordially,
BOB Bol PACKWOOD
BP:kbs
$
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 18, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS/F. LYNN MAY
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
On June 30, we forwarded to you a memorandum which outlined the President's
decisions regarding the future activities of the Domestic Council Committee
on Illegal Aliens. We have since consulted with other White House and OMB
staff members who have some jurisdiction over illegal aliens and related
matters. All of them agree that the present organization of the Domestic
Council Committee is ill-suited to carry out the tasks approved by the
President, citing the need for better direction and the coordination of
Committee activities.
Accordingly, we have taken a first cut at a new organizational structure for
the Committee, which is presented for your consideration. Structurally, it
entails breaking the Committee's activities into specific categories based on
the President's decision and assigning task forces to work on them. The
categories that we thought of are:
(1) A study of the impact of illegal aliens on jobs.
(2) A study of the impact on the social services (welfare, education,
health services, unemployment insurance, etc.)
(3) A review of existing laws on immigration and admission for
employment.
(4) A examination of the law enforcement aspects related to illegal
aliens.
(5) A examination of existing and proposed legislation affecting illegal
aliens.
-2-
The people consulted in this matter advocated the temporary appointment
of an Executive Director to the Committee to coordinate the activities of the
task force and the designation of key people to work on the task forces.
Extensive government experience and initiative were stressed as prime
qualities for these jobs.
We have attached a draft diagram of our concept of the Committee's organiza-
tional structure with some of the participatory agencies to serve on the
task forces. We'd appreciate your comments on this.
September 5, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: JIM CANNON
FROM:
DICK PARSONS
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
The President established the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens on January 6. 1975 to develop, coordinate and present policy
issues to deal with the problem of illegal aliens (See Tab A). Deputy
Attorney General Silberman chaired several meetings of the Committee
last Spring but little substantive was accomplished apart from the
discovery that there was virtually no positive data available on illegal
aliens in the files of Federal agencies. The Immigration and Naturaliza-
tion Service, however, formulated a study proposal intended to deter-
mine the distribution. characteristics, flows and impact of illegal aliens
in the United States. This study is currently awaiting Congressional
appropriations.
Silberman's departure from the Justice Department resulted in a loss of
leadership in the Domestic Council Committee. In June, the Domestic
Council submitted an option memorandum to the President requesting
guidance on the direction and level of resources to be employed in
analysis of the illegal aliens problem (See Tab B). Based on the
President's decision to pursue a major.comprehensive effort, I wrote
a memorandum to the Attorney General suggesting a reorganization of
the Committee into specific task forces with permanent staff (See Tab C).
I have been informally notified that the Attorney General intends to
assume chairmanship of the Domestic Council Committee and is preparing
a memorandum detailing his plans for its revival. I will forward this to
you as soon as I receive it.
Attachments
FORD LIBRARY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 6, 1975
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
January 6, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE DOMESTIC COUNCIL
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Assistant to the President Baroody
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Chairman, Council on Economic Advisers
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality
Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency
Director, ACTION
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
I am today establishing a new Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
This Committee will develop, coordinate and present to me policy issues that
cut across agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with this
National problem. The Attorney General will serve as the Chairman of this
Committee. The membership of the Committee will consist of the Secretary
of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary
of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare, Assistant to the President Baroody, and the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget.
GERALD R. FORD
###
B
June 30, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
HAROLD R. TYLER
Chairman
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS
Associate Director and Counsel
Domestic Council
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
As you may recall, we recently presented the President with a series of options
regarding the future course of the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
These were:
1. A Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years. The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalization study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illegal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
2. An Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
FORD 3 LIBRARY
-2-
a. What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
C. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An option, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalizing these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under a quota system.
DECISION:
The President chose 2 and 3. May I suggest that you call a meeting of the
department and agency representatives to the Committee to discuss effectuation
of the President's decision. If you would designate one of your assistants as
a contact in this subject area, my assistant, Lynn May, will work with him in
setting up the meeting.
GERALD FORD NEBRADA
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 18, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS/F. LYNN MAY
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
On June 30, we forwarded to you a memorandum which outlined the President's
decisions regarding the future activities of the Domestic Council Committee
on Illegal Aliens. We have since consulted with other White House and OMB
staff members who have some jurisdiction over illegal aliens and related
matters. All of them agree that the present organization of the Domestic
Council Committee is ill-suited to carry out the tasks approved by the
President, citing the need for better direction and the coordination of
Committee activities.
Accordingly, we have taken a first cut at a new organizational structure for
the Committee, which is presented for your consideration. Structurally, it
entails breaking the Committee's activities into specific categories based on
the President's decision and assigning task forces to work on them. The
categories that we thought of are:
(1) A study of the impact of illegal aliens on jobs.
(2) A study of the impact on the social services (welfare, education,
health services, unemployment insurance, etc.)
(3) A review of existing laws on immigration and admission for
employment.
(4) A examination of the law enforcement aspects related to illegal
aliens.
(5) A examination of existing and proposed legislation affecting illegal
aliens.
-2-
The people consulted in this matter advocated the temporary appointment
of an Executive Director to the Committee to coordinate the activities of the
task force and the designation of key people to work on the task forces.
Extensive government experience and initiative were stressed as prime
qualities for these jobs.
We have attached a draft diagram of our concept of the Committee's organiza-
tional structure with some of the participatory agencies to serve on the
task forces. We'd appreciate your comments on this.
FORD is LIBRARY
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 8, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Jim Cannon
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
This memorandum responds to your request for an update on where
we are on the illegal aliens problem.
BACKGROUND
The President established the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens on January 6, 1975, to develop, coordinate and present to
him policy issues dealing with the problem of illegal aliens (See
Tab A). Although the Attorney General was designated to serve as
Chairman of the Committee, the first few meetings were chaired by
Deputy Attorney General Silberman early last Spring. Little of
substance was accomplished at these meetings, apart from determin-
ing that there was no good data on the scope of the problem.
Silberman's departure from the Department of Justice resulted in a
loss of leadership on the Committee.
In June, you submitted an options paper to the President requesting
guidance on the direction and level of resources to be employed in
analysis of the illegal aliens problem (See Tab B). Based on the
President's decision to pursue a major comprehensive effort, I wrote
to Deputy Attorney General Tyler (Silberman's successor), informing
him of the President's decision (See Tab C) and suggesting a new
organizational structure for the Committee (See Tab D).
CURRENT STATUS
Partially as a result of the early findings of the Committee, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service formulated a study proposal
which would enable it to determine the distribution, characteristics
number, flow and impact of illegal aliens in this country: This
study is currently awaiting Congressional appropriations.
As a result of the President's June decision and our follow-up
correspondence, I am advised that the Attorney General intends to
personally assume chairmanship of the Committee and to create a
full-time staff capacity within the Department of Justice. He is
preparing a memorandum to you detailing his plans in this regard.
GERALD ASSUSIT
A
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 6, 1975
Office of the White House Press Secretary
THE WHITE HOUSE
January 6, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE DOMESTIC COUNCIL
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Assistant to the President Baroody
Director, Office of Management and Budget
Chairman, Council on Economic Advisers
Chairman, Council on Environmental Quality
Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency
Director, ACTION
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
I am today establishing a new Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
This Committee will develop, coordinate and present to me policy issues that
cut across agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with this
National problem. The Attorney General will serve as the Chairman of this
Committee. The membership of the Committee will consist of the Secretary
of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary
of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare, Assistant to the President Baroody, and the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget.
GERALD R. FORD
###
THE WHITE HOUSE
B
WASHINGTON
June 13, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
JIM CANNON
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
On January 6, 1975, you established the Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens to develop, coordinate and present policy issues that cut across
agency lines to provide better programs for dealing with the national problem
of illegal aliens. The meetings of the Committee have revealed the current
total lack of solid data on the problem and the difficulity in obtaining it. The
Committee is divided on its future course -- whether it should adopt a limited,
methodical approach which would take several years to carry out or attempt
a quicker resolution with several attendant risks. Your guidance is necessary
to resolve this impasse.
OPTIONS:
There are two competing alternatives for the Committee's future activities and
a non exclusive third option.
1.
Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years. The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalization study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illogal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
GRAED ? FORD
-L-
Pro - This option would permit a positive step by step approach
without incurring great additional costs or creating mandates
for further action. It would furnish data necessary to
establishing the parameters of the problem and for the formulation
of 3 logical sequence of studies lending to solutions.
Con - It is a limited approach to the problem and would not do much
before the election to solve the larger accompanying economic
and social impact of the pressure of illegal aliens apart from
establishing sanctions against employment.
2. Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
a. What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
c. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
Pro - It would provide a large body of background data and accelerate
your Administration's efforts to deal with the problem.
Con - This proposal would take time, money and the commitment of a
full time staff of agency personnel or consultants. The impact
studies could heighten tensions among Spanish speaking
groups and the results, particularly in the social services
area, could produce evidence of the inordinate cost of illegal
aliens on state and local governments. This could create
pressures for Federal subsidies to ease the problem.
GERALD FORD
-3-
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An option, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalizing these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under 2 quota system.
Pro - Would provide the data for a "legalistic" solution to the problem
by examining the feasibility of admitting more aliens as
immigrants and legal workers.
Con - The study could incur the opposition of organized labor to
whom the "Bracero" program was an anathema.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Option 1 (Limited Step by Step Approach)
- Levi, Buchen, Marsh
Seidman
Option 2 (Immediate Comprehensive Approach)
- Dunlop, Lynn, Cannon
Option 3 (Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws) - Levi, Buchen, Marsh,
Lynn, Cannon
DECISION:
Option 1
or
Option 2
Option 3
Yes
No
FORD is LIBRARY
AB
J
June 30, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
HAROLD R. TYLER
Chairman
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS
Associate Director and Counsel
Domestic Council
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
BACKGROUND:
As you may recall, we recently presented the President with a series of options
regarding the future course of the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.
These were:
1. A Limited Step by Step Approach:
A limited option would be to establish a legislative strategy for the passage
of the Rodino Bill, which establishes penalties for the employment of illegal
aliens, and determine a position on the Kennedy Bill, which would confer
legal status on illegals who have resided in the United States for more
than three years, The Committee would also monitor an Immigration and
Naturalization study, currently awaiting Congressional appropriations
approval, which would identify the number, location and employment
patterns of illegals in the United States. Following completion of this
preliminary study and building on the data it provides, a series of impact
studies could then be devised, if considered necessary, to examine the
effect of illegal aliens in areas like jobs, schools, social welfare, etc.
2. An Immediate Comprehensive Approach:
An alternative approach would encompass the legislative and monitoring
activities outlined above plus the immediate commencement of long-range
impact studies to examine such problems as:
GERALD ASTURIT ? FORD
-2-
2.
What are the cost effects of illegal aliens on social services like
welfare, unemployment insurance, health delivery and education?
b. What is the cultural and social impact of illegal aliens on areas in
in which they settle? Do they make contributions to the communities
in which they concentrate or are they parasites?
C. What is the effect of the illegal aliens influx on our foreign policy and
international relations? (This question would be examined in concert
with the Secretary of State's Interagency Committee for Study of
Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States.)
d. How many and what type of jobs do the illegals take away and in what
industries? Can these jobs be filled by Americans and is the U.S.
labor force adequate and willing to work in jobs now occupied by
illegal aliens?
3. Review of Immigration and Work Entry Laws:
An cotion, not excluded by adoption of either of the proceding two,
would be an examination of current laws covering immigration and admission
of aliens for employment. This study would seek to determine whether or
not liberalizing these laws would remove the influx of illegals and their
impact on the economy. It could review the policies of other countries in
this regard, notably Europe, and evaluate the old Federal "Bracero"
employment program, in which Mexican citizens were allowed entry for
employment under a quota system.
DECISION:
The President chose 2 and 3. May I suggest that you call a meeting of the
department and agency representatives to the Committee to discuss effectuation
of the President's decision. If you would designate one of your assistants as
a contact in this subject area, my assistant, Lynn May, will work with him in
setting up the meeting.
FORD
AB
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 18, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL
FROM:
RICHARD D. PARSONS/F. LYNN MAY
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
On June 30, we forwarded to you a memorandum which outlined the President's
decisions regarding the future activities of the Domestic Council Committee
on Illegal Aliens. We have since consulted with other White House and OMB
staff members who have some jurisdiction over illegal aliens and related
matters. All of them agree that the present organization of the Domestic
Council Committee is ill-suited to carry out the tasks approved by the
President, citing the need for better direction and the coordination of
Committee activities.
Accordingly, we have taken a first cut at a new organizational structure for
the Committee, which is presented for your consideration. Structurally, it
entails breaking the Committee's activities into specific categories based on
the President's decision and assigning task forces to work on them. The
categories that we thought of are:
(1) A study of the impact of illegal aliens on jobs.
(2) A study of the impact on the social services (welfare, education,
health services, unemployment insurance, etc.)
(3) A review of existing laws on immigration and admission for
employment.
(4) A examination of the law enforcement aspects related to illegal
aliens.
(5) A examination of existing and proposed legislation affecting illegal
aliens.
BEREAD R. FORD
-2-
The people consulted in this matter advocated the temporary appointment
of an Executive Director to the Committee to coordinate the activities of the
task force and the designation of key people to work on the task forces.
Extensive government experience and initiative were stressed as prime
qualities for these jobs.
We have attached a draft diagram of our concept of the Committee's organiza-
tional structure with some of the participatory agencies to serve on the
task forces. We'd appreciate your comments on this.
FORD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 8, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Jim Cannon
Item
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
This memorandum responds to your request for an update on where
we are on the illegal aliens problem.
BACKGROUND
The President established the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens on January 6, 1975, to develop, coordinate and present to
him policy issues dealing with the problem of illegal aliens (See
Tab A). Although the Attorney General was designated to serve as
Chairman of the Committee, the first few meetings were chaired by
Deputy Attorney General Silberman early last Spring. Little of
substance was accomplished at these meetings, apart from determin-
ing that there was no good data on the scope of the problem.
Silberman's departure from the Department of Justice resulted in a
loss of leadership on the Committee.
Min June, you submitted an options paper to the President requesting
guidance on the direction and level of resources to be employed in
analysis of the illegal aliens problem (See Tab B). Based on the
country whose
President's decision to pursue a major comprehensive effort, I wrote
to Deputy Attorney General Tyler (Silberman's successor), informing
him of the President's decision (See Tab C) and suggesting a new
organizational structure for the Committee (See Tab D).
CURRENT STATUS
Partially as a result of the early findings of the Committee, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service formulated a study proposal
which would enable it to determine the distribution, characteristics,
OMB
number, flow and impact of illegal aliens in this country. This
study is currently awaiting Congressional appropriations.
of?
As a result of the President's June decision and our follow-up
correspondence, I am advised that the Attorney General intends to
personally assume chairmanship of the Committee and to create a
full-time staff capacity within the Department of Justice. He is
preparing a memorandum to you detailing his plans in this regard.
Pat - hit's Put This into computer
FORD
Requested
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 23, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Jim Cannon
FROM:
Dick Parsons D.
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
You recently inquired about which Congressional Committees
had oversight responsibility on the Illegal Aliens issue.
They are:
The Immigration and Naturalization Subcommittee of
the Senate Judiciary Committee (Sen. James Eastland,
Chairman; Sen. Hiram Fong, Ranking Minority Member) ;
and
The Immigration, Citizenship and International Law
Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Judiciary
(Rep. Joshua Eilberg, Chairman; Rep. Hamilton Fish,
Ranking Minority Member)
di
you about talk
Ham
with
Mohlem
The Thanks Jun
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 16, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR :
WARREN HENDRIKS
FROM :
PAT MCKEE
SUBJECT :
Illegal Aliens
Would you please add to the tracking system, the
Attorney General's responsibilities of Chairing
the Committee on Illegal Aliens, and the fact that
he will be reporting via memorandum to Mr. Cannon
detailing his plans?
Thanks.
Attachment
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 8, 1975
Torking
MEMORANDUM FOR: Jim Cannon
Item
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
FORD LIBRARY
This memorandum responds to your request for an update on where
we are on the illegal aliens problem.
BACKGROUND
The President established the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal
Aliens on January 6, 1975, to develop, coordinate and present to
him policy issues dealing with the problem of illegal aliens (See
Tab A). Although the Attorney General was designated to serve as
Chairman of the Committee, the first few meetings were chaired by
Deputy Attorney General Silberman early last Spring. Little of
substance was accomplished at these meetings, apart from determin-
ing that there was no good data on the scope of the problem.
Silberman's departure from the Department of Justice resulted in a
loss of leadership on the Committee.
June, you submitted an options paper to the President requesting
Pasa coutty wross
guidance on the direction and level of resources to be employed in
analysis of the illegal aliens problem (See Tab B). Based on the
President's decision to pursue a major comprehensive effort, I wrote
to Deputy Attorney General Tyler (Silberman's successor), informing
him of the President's decision (See Tab C) and suggesting a new
organizational structure for the Committee (See Tab D).
CURRENT STATUS
Partially as a result of the early findings of the Committee, the
Immigration and Naturalization Service formulated a study proposal
which would enable it to determine the distribution, characteristics,
OmB,
number, flow and impact of illegal aliens in this country. This
study is currently awaiting Congressional appropriations.
ok?
As a result of the President's June decision and our follow-up
correspondence, I am advised that the Attorney General intends to
personally assume chairmanship of the Committee and to create a
full-time staff capacity within the Department of Justice. He is
preparing a memorandum to you detailing his plans in this regard.
Pat - hit's Put This into computer
317
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 23, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: Jim Cannon
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
You recently inquired about which Congressional Committees
had oversight responsibility on the Illegal Aliens issue.
They are:
The Immigration and Naturalization Subcommittee of
the Senate Judiciary Committee (Sen. James Eastland,
Chairman; Sen. Hiram Fong, Ranking Minority Member) ;
and
The Immigration, Citizenship and International Law
Subcommittee of the House Committee on the Judiciary
(Rep. Joshua Eilberg, Chairman; Rep. Hamilton Fish,
Ranking Minority Member)
7711
Parsons Fyl
September 27, 1975
Dear James:
Your views on "illegal aliens" have been widely
disseminated for consideration within the
Administration.
Sincerely,
Theodore C. Marrs
Special Assistant to the President
The Most Reverend James S. Rausch
General Secretary
United States Catholic Conference
1312 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.
Washington, D.C. 20005
TCM:pft
CC: Atty. General (thru Phil Buchen) - FYI
CC: Demestic Council - FYI
>
GERRLD LEVERIT FORD
CC: Secretary, HEW - FYI
CC: Hudley Chapman - (INS)
STATES
UNITED
CATHOLIC
1312 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20005
Most Reverend Joseph L Bernardin, Archbishop of Cincinnati
CONFERENCE
President
MOST REV. JAMES S. RAUSCH
General Secretary
REV. ROBERT V. MONTICELLO
Associate General Secretary
REV. MICHAEL J. SHEEHAN
Assistant General Secretary
September 2, 1975
The Honorable Theodore C. Marrs
Special Assistant - Human Resources
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Ted:
For your information, I am sending you the attached
copy of a letter I have just written to President Ford
on legislation dealing with "illegal aliens." As you
know, the United States Catholic Conference is greatly
concerned about the government's policy in this regard.
Anything you can do to insure careful consideration of
our views by appropriate officials within the Administra-
tion would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
James S. Rausch
Most Reverend James S. Rausch
General Secretary
Enclosure
JSR/jc
STATES
UNITED
CATHOLIC
1312 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20005
Most Reverend Joseph L. Bernardin, Archbishop of Cincinnati
CONFERENCE
President
MOST REV. AMES S. RAUSCH
General Secretary
REV. ROBERT V. MONTICELLO
Associate General Secretary
REV. MICHAEL J. SHEEHAN
Assistant Ceneral Secretary
September 2, 1975
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Mr. President:
I am writing you about a matter of great concern to
the Catholic bishops of the United States. At the meeting
of June 18, 1975, between members of the Executive Committee
of the United States Catholic Conference and yourself, we
expressed our views about the "illegal alien problem" in
the United States. At that time our position was that we
supported legislation which would grant meaningful amnesty
to those aliens who had been residing in this country for
sometime and in particular to those who had established
families here. We also stressed our opposition to any
punitive measures by the Federal government against these
persons.
In late July, just before the beginning of the summer
recess of Congress, the Committee on the Judiciary of the
U.S. House of Representatives voted to report out a bill
(H.R.8713) dealing with "illegal aliens."
During consideration of this legislation by both the
Subcommittee and the full Judiciary Committee, the U.S.C.C.
expressed strong reservation about several of its provisions
and, in the testimony presented on March 13, 1975, recommend-
ed a number of changes. None of the changes which were sug-
gested have been incorporated in the final version of the
bill approved by the Judiciary Committee. Therefore, it is
our judgment that H.R.8713 still remains SO seriously de-
fective that it should be opposed in its entirety.
It is our judgment that this legislation has been de-
veloped in the context of totally inadequate information on
the part of either the Legislative or Administrative branches
of the government. The government really does not know how
The President
Page two
September 2, 1975
many so-called illegal aliens are in the United States and
it can only guess at the impact they are having on the
economy.
If enacted in this form, this legislation will create
a serious civil rights problem by greatly enhancing the
possibility of job discrimination against minority group
persons. By providing sanctions against any employers who
hire an illegal alien, it is creating a situation which
assuredly will lead to discrimination against any person
belonging to a minority group whose legal status might be
called into question.
Furthermore, this legislation would result in inhumane
and immoral treatment of large numbers of very poor people
who have been residing in this country for a number of
years, many of whom have established families here. We con-
sider it unconscionable that our government should even con-
sider separating families by forcing a mass exodus or de-
portation of millions of men, women, and children.
On August 20, I issued a statement concerning this leg-
islation, on behalf of the U.S. Catholic Conference. I am
enclosing a copy of this statement for your information.
I am writing both to keep you informed of our views
and to request that your Administration join us in opposing
passage of H.R. 8713.
Sincerely yours,
+ fames S. Rousch
Most Reverend James S. Rausch
General Secretary
Enclosure
JSR/jc
United States Catholic Conference
August 20, 1975
Statement on
"Illegal Alien" Legislation
On a number of occasions during the past several
years the Bishops of the United States have spoken out
about the need for a humane and just approach in our
government's policies established to solve current national
and international economic problems. We have spoken for
the need of balancing the normal consumers' demand in the
market place with the special needs of the working class,
the poor, and the elderly, especially in regard to the costs
of food and fuel. We have emphasized the need for a radical
change in the consumptive habits of the more advanced
societies in order to insure a just distribution of the
world's goods to the less fortunate both at home and abroad.
We have tried to focus attention on the interdependent nature
of the world community of nations and the moral obligation
of the United States and other developed and wealthy soci-
eties to share more of the wealth which they have managed
to accumulate and control.
Once again we feel compelled to speak out on these
matters because of a very dangerous direction in which the
Congress of the United States is moving in dealing with one
very important aspect of our troubled economy. Soon after
the summer recess, the Committee on the Judiciary will bring
before the United States House of Representatives a bill
which will, in effect, attempt to provide a "scapegoat"
solution to our economic problems. The Judiciary Committee
will propose that Congress pass an "Illegal Alien Bill"
(H.R. 8713) which will supposedly help us out of our
economic morass.
Although there is little available in terms of support-
ing facts, advocates of this legislation claim that literally
millions of illegal aliens have come into our country in
recent years. It is further alleged that these people are
taking a significant number of jobs that would otherwise be
available for citizens or lawful resident aliens; that they
are adding to the tax load by utilizing health, education, and
social services; and, that they are causing a drain on our
monetary resources by sending a good deal of the money they
earn out of the U.S. to support their families at home.
(over)
The stated purpose of this legislation is to stop the
influx of illegal aliens into our country by cutting off the
economic incentives that attract them here in the first place.
This is to be accomplished by making it illegal for any
employer to hire or to continue to employ any alien who has
not been properly certified by the government to be eligible
for employment. In essence, the government will be requiring
the employers of this nation to enforce the immigration laws
which it failed to enforce in the past either as a matter of
policy or incompetence.
In our opinion, this legislation is objectionable from
several points of view. In the first place, neither Congress
nor the Administration has demonstrated that they have
adequate information on the scope of the illegal alien problem
or of the possible effects of this new legislation on lawful
alien residents and citizens. They have no idea how many
illegal aliens are really in the country. Their estimates
range from 2 to 12 million. They really do not know whether
the illegals who are here are holding jobs which either citizens
or lawful residents would be willing to accept. They can only
guess at the additional costs being created by the alleged
increased need for public services or the alleged amount of
money being sent out of the country by illegals.
That the Federal government's information about illegal
aliens is inadequate is best verified by the fact that in
both fiscal years 1975 and 1976, the Immigration and Natura-
lization Service has sought special appropriations of $1 million
from Congress to conduct a study of the problem. In a document
submitted to Congress justifying the need for this study it
is stated:
"Without knowing the actual scope of the problem, it
is not possible to attack it effectively. It is,
therefore, mandatory that I.&N.S. assess the illegal
alien situation to determine not only the magnitude,
but also the characteristics, mode, and locations of
entry, area of residence, and extent of impact of the
illegal alien population."
In addition, President Ford recently appointed a special
Cabinet Committee to study the matter. There seems to be
little doubt that the government itself recognizes its lack
of basic information. Therefore, neither the Congress nor the
Administration should initiate major new policies in regard
to illegal aliens prior to conducting comprehensive and ob-
jective studies of this matter.
- 3 -
Assuming that the problem is of such magnitude as to
justify some sort of legislative remedy of this nature, the
legislation proposed by the House Judiciary Committee is
seriously defective to the point of being completely unde-
sirable. In attempting to solve an economic problem this
proposal will create a civil rights problem of horrendous
magnitude.
By providing sanctions against any employer who hires
an illegal alien, this legislation would create a situation
that assuredly will lead to discrimination against any person
belonging to a minority group whose legal status might be
called into question. Legal aliens and minority group
citizens will be denied employment simply because employers
will not want to run the risk of inadvertently violating
the law.
On the request of Congressman Don Edwards (D.-Calif.),
Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Rights and
Constitutional Rights, the United States Commission on Civil
Rights, through its Staff Director, submitted comments on this
proposed legislation on July 28, 1975. The following excerpts
from these comments summarize the Commission's point of view:
"It is our view that the passage of H.R. 8713 in its
present form will have a direct discriminatory effect
on minority persons seeking employment, whether they
are citizens or aliens authorized to work in the
United States."
"Secondly, even if employers were to request the same
proof of status from all applicants, the difficulties
in making determinations of citizenship or alien status
will inevitably result in employers hiring less minority
applicants in order to minimize the risk of hiring illegal
aliens. Minority citizens as well as minority legal
aliens will be the victims of discriminatory hiring."
"However, attempts to solve this country's serious
economic problems cannot be made at the expense of
the civil and constitutional rights of minority persons.
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
also submitted comments on July 23, 1975, in a similar vein
to Congressman Edwards. Their position can be summarized by
the following quotation from those comments:
(over)
- 4 -
"Specifically, the illegal alien bill has provisions
which when implemented will inevitably result in certain
groups being treated differently solely on the basis that
members of these groups look 'foreign'
On June 18, 1975, an important meeting took place at
the White House between the members of the Executive Committee
of the U.S. Catholic Conference/National Conference of Catholic
Bishops and the President of the United States.
This delegation, headed by Archbishop Joseph L. Bernardin,
President, USCC/NCCB, discussed with President Ford a number
of public policy issues of pressing concern to the Catholic
Bishops of the United States. An issue of major import con-
cerned the matter of the illegal alien problem. At this meeting,
the Bishops stressed their support for legislation which would
grant a meaningful amnesty to these people and opposed any
punitive measures by the government against the aliens.
On March 13, 1975, Msgr. George Higgins, Secretary for
Research, presented the testimony of the U.S.C.C. on this
matter before the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration,
Citizenship, and International Law. In this testimony, the
U.S.C.C. focused much of its attention on the most serious
problem with this legislation, that is, how to humanely handle
those aliens without legal status who already are and have been
residing in this country for sometime. We have been particu-
larly concerned with the effects of this legislation on those
who have established families here and have become integrated
into our society. They are generally very poor people living
a marginal existence. In our testimony, Msgr. Higgins stated:
"The effect of the present wording
would be
a screening by the employer of all the employees within
ninety days after the law was enacted. The dismissal
of untold numbers of workers from their jobs in such a
short period of time would cause unbelievable havoc among
their families and in the communities where they live.
It would be physically impossible for the Immigration
Service to move such large numbers of people. Moreover,
it is unconscionable that our government should even
consider separating families by forcing a mass exodus
or deportation of literally millions of men, women, and
children."
- 5 -
Our basic position is that the Federal government should
deal with the problem of the future influx of illegal aliens
separately from the problem of those already residing in this
country. Those who are already here are here because the
government has been both unwilling and unable to enforce its
own immigration laws. Most of these people have established
families, part of whom are American citizens with all of the
rights of citizenship.
To cut these families off from their meager economic
sustenance and to force upon them the great hardship of
emigrating or to attempt some sort of mass deportation effort
would be both inhumane and immoral. For a nation which for
two hundred years has been a symbol of hope for the oppressed
and the poor of all nations of the world, such an action
would be unthinkable.
There is only one just and humane solution to this important
aspect of the problem which would be consistent with the
tradition and ideals of a country which has been known as the
"nation of immigrants" that is, to once again show our generosity
by allowing these people to become legal residents. Consequently,
we have advocated that a meaningful amnesty provision be
incorporated into this legislation. Such a provision would.
allow people who have already been in the country for a period
of time, particularly those who have family ties here, to
adjust their status. This must be done without penalizing
those who are waiting to come into the country through normal
immigration channels. The number of those adjusted in this
manner must not be charged against existing immigration quotas.
The bill (H.R. 8713) as it is presently written has a
so-called "amnesty provision." Close analysis of the provision
has shown that it will benefit relatively few people at best.
We consider this provision as little more than lip service to
the concept of amnesty and therefore judge it to be completely
inadequate.
In conclusion, we call upon the Congress and the President
to reject the proposed "Illegal Alien Bill" (H.R. 8713) as
unjust and discriminatory.
OCT 15 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR JIM CAVANAUGH
THROUGH:
DICK PARSONS
FROM:
LYNN MAY
Lynn
SUBJECT:
Update on Illegal Aliens
Cannon's report to the President might be as follows:
The Attorney General has agreed to serve as Chairman of the
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens and will meet shortly
with Secretary Dunlop to discuss the appropriate course of activity
for the Committee. Members of the Domestic Council have held
a preliminary meeting with Justice Department personnel to establish
a new organizational structure and an agenda for the next meeting
of the Committee, tentatively scheduled for next month.
September 8, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Jim Cannon
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
This memorandum responds to your request for an update on where
we are on the illegal aliens problem.
BACKGROUND
The President established the Domestic Council Committee on Illeg.
Aliens on January 6, 1975, to develop, coordinate and present to
him policy issues dealing with the problem of illegal aliens (See
Tab A) - Although the Attorney General was designated to serve as
Chairman of the Committee, the first few meetings were chaired by
Deputy Attorney General Silberman early last Spring- Little of
substance was accomplished at these meetings, apart from determin
ing that there was no good data on the scope of the problem.
Silberman's departure from the Department of Justice resulted in
loss of leadership on the Committee.
In June, you submitted an options paper to the President requesti
guidance on the direction and level of resources to be employed i
analysis of the illegal aliens problem (See Tab B). Based on the
President's decision to pursue a major comprehensive effort, I WI
to Deputy Attorney General Tyler (Silberman's successor), informi
him of the President's decision (See Tab C) and suggesting a new
organizational structure for the Committee (See Tab D) -
CURRENT STATUS
Partially as a result of the early findings of the Committee, th
Immigration and Naturalization Service formulated a study propos
which would enable it to determine the distribution, characteris
number, flow and impact of illegal aliens in this country. This
study is currently awaiting Congressional appropriations.
As a result of the President's June decision and our follow-up
correspondence, I am advised that the Attorney General intends t
personally assume chairmanship of the Committee and to create a
full-time staff capacity within the Department of Justice. He i
preparing a memorandum to you detailing his plans in this regard
GERALD FORD
October 23, 1975
Lynn,
Jim Kingzett, Legislative Assistant
to Senator Bob Packwood, called to
inquire if he might have an update
on the Committee on Illegal Aliens.
Can you prepare something for him?
Kingzett would also like to have the
name of your contact in the Depart-
ment of Justice who is coordinating
the work of the committee.
Kingzett's number if 224-5244.
Dick
FORD is LIGRARY 076830
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
November 19, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR
JIM CAVANAUGH
FROM:
RAY WALDMANN
they
SUBJECT:
Illegal Aliens
At todays OMB Directors Review on the Justice Department, the
question of the activities of the Immigration and Naturalization Service
in dealing with the border crossings, particularly Mexicans, was
discussed. Results to date of INS activities are unsatisfactory. Jim
Lynn suggested that a Domestic Council Task Force be established to
review this problem, develop solutions in addition to continuing
Administration support for the Rodino Bill. It was mentioned by OMB
staff that several efforts along this line had been mounted in the
past including a Domestic Council Group established last spring which
"came to nothing, as most of these groups do. 11
Jim Lynn specifically asked that I pass on to you his request that
this group be reactivated or a new group set up, not to achieve anything
by the time of the State of the Union, but to come up with workable
program solutions after "a years hard work."
cc: Dick Parsons
;
OFFICE PRESIDENT SIVIS )) a UNITED
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
o
12/5
TO :
Dick Parsons
FROM: Calvin Associate J. Collier Director for C
Economics and Government
I am sure that this will be of
interest to you.
Attachment
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
UNITED
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
18
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
December 3, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR CALVIN COLLIER
Subject: Study of Illegal Aliens
You may recall the Immigration and Naturalization Service received
$1 million in FY 1976 to study the size, characteristics, and impact
of the illegal alien population in the United States. Prior to
apportioning 1976 funds, we asked INS for a report on how they
intend to proceed with the study. The INS report is attached
for your review.
If you perceive problems with the study design, this is the time
to register them, though you will see that some components of the
study are already underway. For our part, we believe the study will
focus on the important illegal alien issues, though we do note that
at least a part of the $200 thousand devoted to operations research
will be used to develop methods for dealing with the problem rather
than to measure its characteristics and magnitude.
Comments on the study design will be appreciated. We will need any
comments or suggestions by December 10.
Mike Co
Malcolm E. Arnold
Budget Examiner
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
JULY 1973 EDITION
GSA FPMR (41 CFRI 101.11.6
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
CO 1285-P
TO
: James F. Hoobler, Director
DATE:
Management Programs and Budget Staff
NOV 18 1975
Associate Deputy Commissioner
FROM :
for Planning and Evaluation
Immigration and Naturalization Service
SUBJECT: Report on I&NS Plans for Illegal Alien Study
There are currently unknown numbers of illegal aliens in the United
States impacting the health, education, welfare, labor, criminal justice,
and other socio-economic systems. The Immigration and Naturalization
Service has been under considerable pressure to determine the magnitude
and real impact of the illegal alien population on the United States,
but heretofore there has been no reliable method to assess this major
problem. Available data has been based purely on apprehension data or
single "horror story" cases which may typify the problem, but this
information alone has given us no integrated information as to the
real scope of the illegal alien population. Because of this major need,
$1 million was requested in our FY 1976 Budget to enable I&NS to under-
take a major study to determine the size, characteristics, and impact
of the illegal alien problem.
Because of the significant amount of the funds allocated for the Study,
considerable precaution has been taken to ensure that the Study done
with these funds will ensure the maximum and optimum results to assist
the Service in policy and resource planning and evaluation and to inform
other Federal and State agencies of the preliminary impacts of illegal
aliens on their various systems.
Under a contract awarded by LEAA, David North of Linton and Company
designed a major study to determine the magnitude, characteristics, and
impact of the illegal alien population on the United States. The
formulation of this design was coordinated with I&NS at all stages,
including review by key Service personnel to ensure the accuracy and
practicability of the design. The final design was completed in late May.
As a further precaution, Lesko Associates evaluated and validated the
design as a part of a contract to give a preliminary estimate of the
number of illegal aliens in the United States and to give the staff in
the Office of Planning and Evaluation ongoing statistical analysis capability.
This evaluation made some minor modifications in the design to ensure
complete statistical validity and reliability.
Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan
5010-110
- 2 -
The study as designed consists of seven specific but interrelated studies.
These studies and their expected end products are:
Specific Study
End Product
1.
Residential Survey
Data on stock of illegals (numbers,
characteristics, and distribution
within the U.S.)
2.
Border Patrol Staffing
Data on flows of those entering
Pattern Experiment
without inspection across the
Southwest border
3.
Border Patrol Sensor
Data on flows of those entering
Reporting Experiment
without inspection across the
Southwest border
4.
Fraudulent Documentation
Data on flows of those entering the
Study (air and land ports)
country with fraudulent documentation
at air and land ports of entry
5.
Characteristics Study
Data on the detailed characteristics
of illegal aliens
6.
Industrial Survey
Data on impacts of illegal aliens on
the labor market and their characteristics
7.
Impact of Illegals on
Data on impacts of illegal aliens on
Legal Aliens
legal aliens and related minority
groups
Each study will provide data on flows, stock, characteristics or impacts
of the illegal alien population. The attached chart shows the relation-
ships among the studies and how they relate to the four types of information
to be obtained from the Study as a whole. The Fraudulent Document Study
and the Border Patrol Sensor Reporting and Staffing Experiments will pre-
dominately give information on the flow of illegal aliens into the United
States. Both the Residential and the Industrial Surveys will provide
information on the stock, characteristics, and impact of illegal aliens,
while the Characteristics Study is aimed primarily at characteristics data.
Finally, the Impact of Illegal Aliens on Legals and Related Minority
Groups will provide largely impact data.
- 3 -
Although each of the seven studies carries/can be repeated later, each
study is designed primarily to secure data within the next twelve months
on the subject of illegal aliens. Each study contains, to a varying
degree, a system for securing comparable information in the future without
repeating the entire study.
Four of the seven parts involve utilization of Service manpower along an
experimental design. Three of these studies, the Border Patrol Staffing
Pattern Experiment, the Border Patrol Sensor Reporting Experiment, and
the Fraudulent Document Study, have already been initiated because of the
long-term nature of these parts of the study. The fourth, the Industrial
Survey will be started early in CY 1976. The following chart shows the
estimated cost and timing for each of the studies.
Study
Estimated Cost
Estimated Timing
Border Patrol Staffing
September, 1975 - June, 1976
Border Patrol Sensor
$100,000
September, 1975 - June, 1976
Fraudulent Document
September, 1975 - February, 1976
Industrial
January, 1976 - March, 1976
Residential
$650,000
January, 1976 - March, 1976
Characteristics
January, 1976 - March, 1976
Impact of Illegals on
$50,000
January, 1976 - June, 1976
Legals
Related Studies (including $200,000
January, 1976 - June, 1976
Operations Research)
As shown in the chart, $200,000 has been allocated for a number of impact and
operations research studies which will be conducted throughout the year.
These studies will include determination of preliminary impacts of illegal
aliens on some of the socio-economic systems of the United States and
operations research analyses of I&NS enforcement programs.
These operations research studies will experiment with various tactics for
improved border prevention. Examples of such studies are examination of
sensor response capability through strike forces to respond 100 percent
to alarms (perhaps with the assistance of one or two helicopters). or a
cost-benefit study of fully manning the Chula Vista Station and eliminating
stations with very small numbers of apprehensions.
- 4 -
Other such studies will combine several enforcement efforts (i.e.,
fingerprinting with interior repatriation, while others might combine
sensor technology such as simulation under 100 percent directional sensors
with traffic check points (where in existence) to find the most cost-
effective method or methods of border enforcement. These studies will
provide information on variance of flows, deterrence factors and most
importantly on possible management improvements for an effective border
prevention program. Testing alternative methods and their results will
be essential knowledge for future policy and program change.
At the conclusion of all parts of the Study, with the assistance of the
direction gained from the operations research studies, I&NS will be in a
position to make more sound decisions about program and policy alternatives
and to allocate its resources more effectively.
Edum Janes
ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDY
RELATIONSHIP OF SEVEN STUDIES
RESIDENTIAL SURVEY
IMPACT OF ILLEGALS
FRAUDULENT DOCUMENT STUDY
ON LEGALS AND
(LANDPORT AND AIRPORT)
RELATED MINOBITY GROUPS
FLOWS
STOCK
CHARACTERISTICS
IMPACT
BORDER PATROL SENSOR
CHARACTERISTICS
EXPERIMENT
STUDY
BORDER PATROL STAFFING
EXPERIMENT
INDUSTRIAL SURVEY
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
December 9, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR DICK PARSONS
FROM:
LYNN MAY hmq
SUBJECT:
INS Study
This study is the linchpin to our efforts to understand and
resolve the illegal aliens problem. Theoretically it will
give us a much better understanding of their numbers,
locations and impact on our economy.
I am a little concerned about the study's aspirations exceeding
its results, but not being familar with polling method
ologies makes me a poor critic. I have not been able to
ascertain any major flaws in the study in my conversation
with OMB, INS or the Labor Department. If the samples are
true, it apparently will achieve what it purports.
FORD : LIBRAR 07V830
12-10-75 4:45 P.M. Telephoned. No problem with study design
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Lynn-
May I I have your
Comments & recommendations
by Tues. / Dec. 9 th
Thanks.
FORD is LIBRAR 07V830
j
MTM
PRESIDENT
OFFICE
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
and
UNITED
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
RECEIVE
STATE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
December 3, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR MR. PARSONS
Subject: Study of Illegal Aliens
You may recall the Immigration and Naturalization Service received
$1 million in FY 1976 to study the size, characteristics, and impact
of the illegal alien population in the United States. Prior to
apportioning 1976 funds, we asked INS for a report on how they
intend to proceed with the study. The INS report is attached
for your review.
If you perceive problems with the study design, this is the time
to register them, though you will see that some components of the
study are already underway. For our part, we believe the study will
focus on the important illegal alien issues, though we do note that
at least a part of the $200 thousand devoted to operations research
will be used to develop methods for dealing with the problem rather
than to measure its characteristics and magnitude.
Comments on the study design will be appreciated. We will need any
comments or suggestions by December 10.
Malcolm E. Arnold
Budget Examiner
OPTIONAL FORM NO. 10
JLLY 1973 FUITION
GSA FPMR 141 CFR) 101-11.6
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
Memorandum
CO 1285-P
TO
: James F. Hoobler, Director
DATE:
Management Programs and Budget Staff
NOV 18 1975
Associate Deputy Commissioner
FROM :
for Planning and Evaluation
Immigration and Naturalization Service
SUBJECT: Report on I&NS Plans for Illegal Alien Study
There are currently unknown numbers of illegal aliens in the United
States impacting the health, education, welfare, labor, criminal justice,
and other socio-economic systems. The Immigration and Naturalization
Service has been under considerable pressure to determine the magnitude
and real impact of the illegal alien population on the United States,
but heretofore there has been no reliable method to assess this major
problem. Available data has been based purely on apprehension data or
single "horror story" cases which may typify the problem, but this
information alone has given us no integrated information as to the
real scope of the illegal alien population. Because of this major need,
$1 million was requested in our FY 1976 Budget to enable I&NS to under-
take a major study to determine the size, characteristics, and impact
of the illegal alien problem.
Because of the significant amount of the funds allocated for the Study,
considerable precaution has been taken to ensure that the Study done
with these funds will ensure the maximum and optimum results to assist
the Service in policy and resource planning and evaluation and to inform
other Federal and State agencies of the preliminary impacts of illegal
aliens on their various systems.
Under a contract awarded by LEAA, David North of Linton and Company
designed a major study to determine the magnitude, characteristics, and
impact of the illegal alien population on the United States. The
formulation of this design was coordinated with I&NS at all stages,
including review by key Service personnel to ensure the accuracy and
practicability of the design. The final design was completed in late May.
As a further precaution, Lesko Associates evaluated and validated the
design as a part of a contract to give a preliminary estimate of the
number of illegal aliens in the United States and to give the staff in
the Office of Planning and Evaluation ongoing statistical analysis capability.
This evaluation made some minor modifications in the design to ensure
complete statistical validity and reliability.
BERALD ? FORD
Buy U.S. Savings Bonds Regularly on the Payroll Savings Plan
$010.110
- 2 -
The study as designed consists of seven specific but interrelated studies.
These studies and their expected end products are:
Specific Study
End Product
1. Residential Survey
Data on stock of illegals (numbers,
characteristics, and distribution
within the U.S.)
2. Border Patrol Staffing
Data on flows of those entering
Pattern Experiment
without inspection across the
Southwest border
3. Border Patrol Sensor
Data on flows of those entering
Reporting Experiment
without inspection across the
Southwest border
4.
Fraudulent Documentation
Data on flows of those entering the
Study (air and land ports)
country with fraudulent documentation
at air and land ports of entry
5. Characteristics Study
Data on the detailed characteristics
of illegal aliens
6. Industrial Survey
Data on impacts of illegal aliens on
the labor market and their characteristics
7. Impact of Illegals on
Data on impacts of illegal aliens on
Legal Aliens
legal aliens and related minority
groups
Each study will provide data on flows, stock, characteristics or impacts
of the illegal alien population. The attached chart shows the relation-
ships among the studies and how they relate to the four types of information
to be obtained from the Study as a whole. The Fraudulent Document Study
and the Border Patrol Sensor Reporting and Staffing Experiments will pre-
dominately give information on the flow of illegal aliens into the United
States. Both the Residential and the Industrial Surveys will provide
information on the stock, characteristics, and impact of illegal aliens,
while the Characteristics Study is aimed primarily at characteristics data.
Finally, the Impact of Illegal Aliens on Legals and Related linority
Groups will provide largely impact data.
LIBRARY GERALD FORD
- 3 -
Although each of the seven studies carries/can be repeated later, each
study is designed primarily to secure data within the next twelve months
on the subject of illegal aliens. Each study contains, to a varying
degree, a system for securing comparable information in the future without
repeating the entire study.
Four of the seven parts involve utilization of Service manpower along an
experimental design. Three of these studies, the Border Patrol Staffing
Pattern Experiment, the Border Patrol Sensor Reporting Experiment, and
the Fraudulent Document Study, have already been initiated because of the
long-term nature of these parts of the study. The fourth, the Industrial
Survey will be started early in CY 1976. The following chart shows the
estimated cost and timing for each of the studies.
Study
Estimated Cost
Estimated Timing
Border Patrol Staffing
September, 1975 - June, 1976
Border Patrol Sensor
$100,000
September, 1975 - June, 1976
Fraudulent Document
September, 1975 - February, 1976
Industrial
January, 1976 - March, 1976
Residential
$650,000
January, 1976 March, 1976
Characteristics
January, 1976 March, 1976
Impact of Illegals on
$50,000
January, 1976 June, 1976
Legals
Related Studies (including
$200,000
January, 1976 June, 1976
Operations Research)
As shown in the chart, $200,000 has been allocated for a number of impact and
operations research studies which will be conducted throughout the year.
These studies will include determination of preliminary impacts of illegal
aliens on some of the socio-economic systems of the United States and
operations research analyses of I&NS enforcement programs.
These operations research studies will experiment with various tactics for
improved border prevention. Examples of such studies are examination of
sensor response capability through strike forces to respond 100 percent
to alarms (perhaps with the assistance of one or two helicopters). or a
cost-benefit study of fully manning the Chula Vista Station and eliminating
stations with very small numbers of apprehensions.
GERALD ? FORD
- 4 -
Other such studies will combine several enforcement efforts (i.e.,
fingerprinting with interior repatriation, while others might combine
sensor technology such as simulation under 100 percent directional sensors
with traffic check points (where in existence) to find the most cost-
effective method or methods of border enforcement. These studies will
provide information on variance of flows, deterrence factors and most
importantly on possible management improvements for an effective border
prevention program. Testing alternative methods and their results will
be essential knowledge for future policy and program change.
At the conclusion of all parts of the Study, with the assistance of the
direction gained from the operations research studies, I&NS will be in a
position to make more sound decisions about program and policy alternatives
and to allocate its resources more effectively.
FORD OTHER LIBRARY
ILLEGAL ALIEN STUDY
RELATIONSHIP OF SEVEN STUDIES
2
RESIDENTIAL SURVEY
IMPACT OF ILLEGALS
FRAUDULENT DOCUMENT STUDY
ON LEGALS AND
(LANDPORT AND AIRPORT)
RELATED MINORITY GROUPS
FLOWS
STOCK
CHARACTERISTICS
IMPACT
BORDER PATROL SENSOR
CHARACTERISTICS
EXPERIMENT
STUDY
BORDER PATROL STAFFING
EXPERIMENT
INDUSTRIAL SURVEY
GERALD
FORD
THE WHITE HOUSE
#7501148
WASHINGTON
December 10, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR JIM CANNON
THROUGH:
DICK PARSONS
FROM:
LYNN MAY
Request
SUBJECT:
Ray Waldmann's Memo to Jim Cavanaugh
on Illegal Aliens
Waldmann forwarded to Cavanaugh a suggestion from Jim Lynn
that either a new Domestic Council Task Force be established
to develop solutions in regard to the influx of illegal
aliens in our country or the old Domestic Council Committee
on Illegal Aliens be reactivated.
Currently the Attorney General is moving, albeit slowly, to
put new life into the established Committee. He has held
discussions with Secretary Dunlop on the subject and plans
to hold a Cabinet level meeting of the Committee in the next
four to five weeks. I recommend that you send him the
attached memo (Tab A) querying him on his progress.
Meanwhile, members of the Secretary of State's "Interagency
Committee for the Study of Problems Related to Illegal
Mexican Migration into the United States", which is affiliated
with the Domestic Council, held preliminary talks with the
Mexican government on December 5, as a prelude to a full
scale meeting between the Committee and Mexican officials to
discuss possible joint actions to resolve the problem.
Attachment
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
December 10, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
The Honorable Edward H. Levi
The Attorney General
FROM:
James M. Cannon
Assistant to the President for
Domestic Affairs
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens
The President has asked me about the progress of the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens. I am advised that you
have taken the initiative in this area and I would appreciate
it if you could send me a brief description of your plans for
the Committee.
December 10, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
The Honorable Edward H. Levi
The Attorney General
FROM:
James M. Cannon
Assistant to the President for
Domestic Affairs
SUBJECT:
Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens
The President has asked me about the progress of the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens. I am advised that you
have taken the initiative in this area and I would appreciate
it if you could send me a brief description of your plans for
the Committee.
LM:RDP:mm:med
GREATS FORD