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The original documents are located in Box 9, folder "Illegal Aliens - Domestic
Council Committee, (3)" of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
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Digitized from Box 9 of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
ILLEGAL ALIENS
Q. How would you solve the problem of illegal
aliens, entering and working in the United States?
A. We have anywhere from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 illegal
aliens in this country, which is, roughly, the total
number of unemployed in this country. This is a very
serious matter, but let me tell you what we are trying
to do abou it.
Number one, we are working very closely in a new
program with the Mexican Government. There has been
a tremendous increase in the flow of illegal aliens
from Mexico. The cooperation that we are developing
with the Mexican Government will, I think, produce
some results in stopping that flow.
When I was in Mexico about twenty months ago, I
personally talked to President Excheverria about this.
Number two, in my budget I have recommended additional
employees for the Immigration and Naturalization Service
so it can do a better job of finding illegal aliens
and seeking to deport them.
There is one other thing we are trying to do. I have
favored legislation that passed the House, last year
as I recall, that makes it mandatory for an employer
to ask whether a prospective employee is an illegal
alien. That would be helpful.
4-7-76
April 9, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Jim Cannon
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Progress of the Domestic Council
Committee on Illegal Aliens
You requested a summary of what the Committee has done so far.
On January 21, 1976, the Committee established five
task forces and a steering committee to better and
more efficiently handle the subject matter. The
task force areas are: economic and labor market
impact; immigration law and policy; enforcement;
social and community impact; and foreign relations.
On March 4, 1976, the Steering Committee met and
worked out outlines for each task force to follow
in approaching and executing its respective area.
On April 18-20, the Committee's Foreign Relations
Task Force (Interagency Committee on Illegal Mexican
Migration) will host a delegation of Mexicans here in
Washington in order to discuss the illegal alien prob-
lem and how to approach it.
Presently, there are no other definitive progressions.
DOMESTIC COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL ALIENS
STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
APRIL 12, 1976
Agenda
Chairman:
Edward H. Levi, Attorney General
Subject:
U.S.-Mexico meeting on illegal
Mexican immigration, April 19-21,
1976, Washington, D. C.
Presentation:
William H. Luers, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Latin
American Affairs and chairman,
Interagency Committee on Illegal
Mexican Migration
(Interagency Committee serves as
Foreign Relations task force of
Domestic Council Committee)
Discussion
AG to open meeting - No good; either Sec. of State,
Jim Cannon or me.
The April 19-21 Meeting of the Mexican and American
Committees on Mexican Worker Migration into the
United States
SCOPE PAPER
1.
The Perception of the Problem: The perception of
many segments of the United States population, in-
cluding organized labor, and officials on our south-
western border, is that the influx of illegal aliens
from Mexico deprives US citizens and legal alien
residents of jobs, depresses wage scales, puts a burden
on our social services (schools, hospitals, welfare
rolls, etc.), and adversely affects our balance of
payments through remittances abroad. Other US groups,
including some farm owners and the owners and operators
of service industries, believe the "illegals" are
necessary to fill jobs that Americans and legally
resident aliens will not perform and that any attempt
to stem the flow of illegals or to deport those here
will have serious adverse effects on our economy.
(The Mexican Government takes this second position.)
Some segments of the Mexican-American population in the
US believe that action should be taken to stop the
influx of illegal migrants from Mexico which other
segments of this group feel that no major restrictive
action should be taken.
DECLASSIFIED
E.O. 12958 Sec. 3.6
CONFIDENTIAL
GDS
95-42,#31) #31; NSC letter 9/23/96
By let NARA, Date 1/9/97
CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
2.
The "Facts": At present we do not have reliable
information on the number of illegals in the US nor
of their full impact on our economy. However, the
problem of illegals is receiving increasing attention
among the US sectors concerned with them and their
continued influx into the United States appears to
be a problem -- with both economic and political
overtones -- that will continue to grow at an increasing
rate over the next decade.
The cause of the influx rests primarily on the
disparity between the Mexican and American economies.
The "push" factor is the lack of employment opportunity
in Mexico (with an estimated 750,000 people coming into
the job market in Mexico annually and only about 300,000
jobs becoming available). The "pull" factors in the
United States are the alleged availability of jobs, the
high pay, compared to Mexican wage scales, the proximity,
and the relative ease with which illegals can cross the
border and remain undetected as they work in the US.
3. The Needs: In the face of the forthcoming meeting
with the Mexican Committee, we must examine what we
want to get out of the meeting and analyze what the
Mexicans might hope to achieve at the meeting.
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
-3-
The Mexican Position
For some years after the termination of the
bracero program in 1964, the principal Mexican foreign
policy goal vis-a-vis the United States appeared to be
to induce us to enter into a new bracero agreement.
An ancillary part of the campaign to get a new agree-
ment was a continuous and highly vociferous stream of
complaints that we were mistreating illegal aliens
detained in the US.
This changed in October, 1974, when Echeverria,
in his border meeting with President Ford announced
that Mexico considered the illegal migrant problem a
Mexican problem that should be solved by the economic
development of Mexico and the consequent provision of
sufficient employment for its own people. Subsequent
to the Echeverria statement, the claims of mistreatment
of illegals in the US diminished greatly.
What do the Mexicans Want?
Having said they do not want a new bracero program,
what do the Mexicans now really want? Probably the
status quo -- the continuation of the relatively un-
checked entry into the United States of large numbers
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
-4-
of Mexicans, the lack of sufficient resources by US
immigration forces to significantly stem the flow of
illegals, and the lack of concerted efforts by the
United States to find and deport Mexicans illegally
working in the United States.
Given this position, the Mexicans, at the forth-
coming meeting are likely to:
1.
Maintain that the United States really needs
the illegals to fill jobs that Americans will not take,
and that thus, we should do nothing significant to
stop the flow.
2.
Use attack as the best defense, accusing us of
not guaranteeing the "human rights" of the illegals in
questions of wages, working conditions, guarantee that
salaries earned are paid when they are caught and
deported, etc.
3.
Agree that all sorts of studies should be
made on the illegal question -- where they come from
in Mexico -- why they come to the United States -- how
many illegals there are, etc. As long as they can
convince us to talk and study rather than taking any
action, the status quo they desire will continue.
CONF IDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
-5-
4.
Complain that in the absence of firm informa-
tion we are making "unfair" efforts to "stir up" our
population, particularly in the southwest, by using
estimates (8 million illegals of which 5 million are
Mexican) in public speeches, particularly by INS
officials.
5.
Offer palliatives (to show they are concerned
about "doing something" about the problem) such as
suggesting joint action against the smugglers of
illegal aliens -- a suggestion we would want to accept,
but which would not really have any significant effect
on the flow of aliens across the border.
The US Position
US policy regarding illegal aliens has been limited
to enforcement of current immigration law by INS. INS
has been hampered in its enforcement efforts by inade-
quate resources. We have only very recently begun to
develop the information and executive branch interest
requisite for a comprehensive policy approach and
possible changes in the law as currently written. Our
efforts should lead to a sharpened understanding of the
impact of illegals on our society and national interests
upon which a policy position and specific actions could
be based. We perceive that there is a problem with
CONPIDENTIAL
CONF IDENTIAL
-7-
4.
An understanding on the part of the Mexicans
that there is increasing pressure within the US to
"do something" about the problem -- pressure that, in
the absence of some evidence that the United States and
Mexico are taking actions, in the short range, to reduce
the flow may well lead the Congress and the Administration
to adopt a tough unilateral policy that will be harmful
to our bilateral relations.
5.
Agreement with the Mexicans to attack some of
the obvious problems like the question of the "coyotes"
who smuggle aliens, recognizing that cooperation in
enforcement matters would be highly useful, but at the
same time understanding that such measures, while they
may result in good publicity, will not be sufficient
to reduce the political and economic pressures to solve
the illegal alien problem.
6.
Agreement with the Mexicans to give continued
attention to the illegal migrant problem, continue the
dialogue regarding it, and mutually seek effective ways
to reduce the problem.
ARA/MEX:J.T.Dreyfuss:mrg
4/9/76 x-22415
CONFIDENTIAL
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
August 20, 1976
Thanks, Dick
Dawn
FORD LIBRARY
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE
PLEASE ADDRESS REPLY TO
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20536
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
AND REFER TO THIS FILE NO.
CO 1006-P
Dùch:
Dear Mr Parsons:
The Immigration and Naturalization Service recently commissioned
The Gallup Organization, Inc. to conduct a study of public attitudes to-
ward immigration and illegal aliens.
The study measured public attitudes on the following:
1. level of immigration considered desirable;
2. extent to which illegal aliens enter the U. S.;
3. extent to which the problem of illegal aliens
has been read or heard about;
4. seriousness of the problem of illegal aliens;
5. types of problems resulting from presence of illegal
aliens and seriousness of certain of these problems;
6. extent of agreement with possible actions to deal
with the illegal alien problem.
The findings are based upon the responses of 1,549 adults who were
personally interviewed and who are representative of the civilian popula-
tion 18 years of age and over living in the United States.
Following are some of the significant findings of the survey and the
pages in which more detailed data is available in the complete publication
of the results.
74 percent of the respondents termed the illegal alien
problem as "very serious" or "somewhat serious". Pages
12 & 13.
87 percent of the respondents said that the taking of jobs
from legal residents by illegal aliens was a "serious prob-
lem" or "somewhat of a serious problem". 88 percent of the
respondents of Latin American ethnic origin expressed the
same attitudes. Page 17.
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
1/16-1976
- 2 -
83 percent of those asked expressed the opinion that
the depressing of wages by illegal aliens is a "seri-
ous problem" or "somewhat of a serious problem," with
54 percent expressing the stronger opinion. 81 per-
cent of persons asked who were of Latin American ethnic
origin expressed these same opinions, with 61 percent
stating the stronger opinion. Page 17.
The majority of Americans (80%) agree that there should
be a law against hiring illegal aliens with 62 percent
stating that they "agree strongly" with such a statement.
Pages 18 & 19.
The survey certainly seems to substantiate that the majority of the
American public is concerned about the problem of illegal aliens taking
jobs and impacting in other ways upon our society and economy, and that
most people believe there should be a law against hiring illegals.
I am enclosing for your interest a copy of the survey. Please call
me if you would like additional copies or if I can answer any questions
about the survey.
Sincerely,
Euapman L. F. Chapman Jr.
Commissioner
Honorable Richard D. Parsons
Assistant Director and Counsel
Domestic Council
The White House
Washington, D. C. 20500
Enclosure
THE GALLUP STUDY OF
ATTITUDES TOWARD
ILLEGAL ALIENS
CONDUCTED FOR:
THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE
THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION, INC.
53 BANK STREET
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
JUNE, 1976
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Number
INTRODUCTION
1
THE QUESTIONS ASKED
2
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
4
Extent to Which Public has Heard or Read About the
Problem of Illegal Aliens
5
Perceived Number of Illegal Aliens Entering the Country
6
Should Immigration Policy be Changed
10
Seriousness of the Problem of Illegal Aliens
12
Problems Resulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens
14
Seriousness of Selected Problems Caused by Presence
of Illegal Aliens
16
What Should be Done
18
The Gallup Crganization: Inc
1.
INTRODUCTION
This is a report on a study of public attitudes toward immigration
and illegal aliens. Specific objectives included the determination of
the following:
1. Level of immigration considered desirable.
2. Perceived extent to which illegal aliens enter the U.S.
3. Extent to which the problem of illegal aliens has been
read or heard about.
4.
Perceived seriousness of the problem of illegal aliens.
5. Types of problems resulting from presence of illegal aliens
and perceived seriousness of certain of these problems.
6. Extent of agreement with selected possible actions to be
taken to deal with the problem of illegal aliens.
Design of the Research
The findings are based on the responses of 1,549 adults. Personal
interviews were conducted between April 23 and 27, 1976, as part of the
Gallup Omnibus. Information about the design and composition of the
sample can be found in the Technical Appendix. Also in the technical
appendix are tables of sampling tolerances recommended for consideration
of percentage differences within the report. The questions asked are
given on the following pages.
The Gallup Crganization. Inc
2.
THE QUESTIONS ASKED
EVERYONE WAS ASKED:
1. Currently 400,000 immigrants are allowed to enter the U.S. each year. Do
you feel we should allow more than 400,000, allow fewer than 400,000, or
maintain our policy?
ALL THOSE WHO ANSWERED "MORE" IN QUESTION 1 WERE ASKED:
2. Would you favor or oppose allowing as many immigrants to come as wish to
come?
ALL THOSE WHO ANSWERED "FEWER" IN QUESTION 1 WERE ASKED:
3. Would you favor or oppose stopping immigration altogether?
EVERYONE WAS ASKED:
4. How many aliens would you say enter this country illegally every year?
Would you say a large number, a fair number, or only a small number?
5. How much of a problem do you think illegal aliens are in this country --
would you say they are a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem,
or not too serious a problem?
6. Have you read or heard anything recently about the problem of illegal
aliens?
7. In the past few years would you say that fewer or more aliens are entering
this country illegally, or has there been no change?
8. What problems, if any, result from the presence of illegal aliens in this
country?
9. I am going to read a number of problems that some feel are created by the
presence of illegal aliens in this country. For each that I read, tell
me if you feel this is a serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a
problem.
Illegal aliens take away jobs from legal residents.
Illegal aliens are often involved in criminal activities.
Illegal aliens bring down wages by working for less pay.
Illegal aliens often collect unemployment or welfare and are
a drain on the taxpayer.
-
The Gallup Crganization. Inc.
3.
10. I am going to read you some statements that have been made concerning the
matter of illegal aliens. As I read each statement, tell ne the extent to
which you agree or disagree with each statement. (RESPONDENT WAS SHOWN A
CARD LISTING THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS).
Congress should pass a law to make it illegal for an employer
to hire an illegal alien.
Illegal aliens should be given a chance to become U.S. Citizens.
Illegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back to where they
came from.
Certain types of businesses need inexpensive labor and should be
allowed to hire illegal aliens.
The Gallup Crganization. Inc
SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS
The Gallup Organization. Inc.
5.
Extent to Which Public Has Heard or Read About the Problem of Illegal Aliens
The question: Have you read or heard anything recently about the problem
of illegal aliens?
About half (52%) of those questioned indicated that they had read or heard
something recently about the problem of illegal aliens. Respondents living in
the West, particularly those in states bordering on Mexico, were especially
likely to have heard or read about the problem, over two thirds responding yes
to the question. In addition, upper socio-economic groups were more likely than
lower, and men more likely than women, to say they had heard or read recently
about the problem of illegal aliens.
Don't
Number of
Yes
No
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
National
52
48
*
100
(1549)
Sex
Men
58
42
*
100
(770)
Women
46
54
*
100
(779)
Education
College
65
35
*
100
(508)
High School
51
49
*
100
(818)
Grade School
31
68
1
100
(215)
Annual Family Income
$15,000 and over
61
39
*
100
(605)
$10,000 - $14,999
54
46
*
100
(352)
$5,000 - $9,999
46
54
*
100
(285)
Under $5,000
35
64
1
100
(268)
Region
East
54
46
0
100
(434)
Midwest
43
57
*
100
(421)
South
48
52
*
100
(434)
West
67
33
*
100
(260)
Mexican Border
69
31
#
100
(262)
*
Less than one-half of one percent.
The Gallup Crganization. Inc.
6.
Perceived Number of Illegal Aliens Entering the Country
The questions: How many aliens would you say enter this country illegally
every year? Would you say a large number, a fair number,
or only a small number?
In the past few years would you say that fewer or more aliens
are entering this country illegally, or has there been no
change?
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those asked said they thought a large number of
aliens entered the country illegally each year. Over half (58%) felt the number
has been increasing in the past few years. Respondents in upper socio-economic
groups were somewhat more likely to say a large number of illegal aliens enter
each year. Of those living in the West and particularly in the Mexican border
states, however, the percentage was much higher (78% and 81% respectively). Re-
spondents of Latin American descent were also particularly likely to say that
large numbers of illegal aliens enter this country each year.
As might be expected, those who had heard or read something about the
problem were more likely to say that the number of illegal aliens entering is
large, than those who hadn't heard or read anything (80% -vs- 44%). Even so,
among those who hadn't heard or read about the problem, about half those who
ventured an opinion (44 out of 86%) thought that a large number of illegal
aliens were entering each year.
The Gallup Crganization Inc.
7.
Number of Aliens Entering the Country
Large
Fair
Small
Don't
Number of
Number
Number
Number
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
National
63
22
6
9
100
(1549)
Sex
Men
68
19
7
6
100
(770)
Women
59
25
5
11
100
(779)
Education
College
65
24
8
3
100
(508)
High School
63
23
5
9
100
(818)
Grade School
57
19
6
18
100
(215)
Annual Family Income
$15,000 and over
67
23
5
5
100
(605)
$10,000 - $14,999
63
24
6
7
100
(352)
$5,000 - $9,999
60
24
7
9
100
(285)
Under $5,000
57
18
8
17
100
(268)
Region
East
61
25
5
9
100
(434)
Midwest
54
30
7
9
100
(421)
South
64
18
8
10
100
(434)
West
78
14
4
4
100
(260)
Mexican border
81
12
3
4
100
(262)
Ethnic Origin
Latin American
81
10
7
2
100
(58)
Other Whites
64
23
6
7
100
(1317)
Read/Heard About Problem
Yes
80
15
2
3
100
(832)
No
44
31
11
14
100
(709)
The Gallup Crganization. Inc.
8.
Asked whether they thought the number of aliens entering illegally each year
was increasing or decreasing, much the same groups that thought that large numbers
of aliens were entering illegally also thought that the number was increasing.
Interestingly, respondents of Latin American descent deviated from this
pattern. Although 81% of them said that large numbers of illegal aliens entered
this country each year, only half of them (compared to 58% nationally) thought
this number had been increasing in recent years. Thirty-six percent, compared
to 19% nationally, replied that there has been no change in recent years.
This contrasts with, for example, respondents in Mexican border states, of
whom 81% also thought that the number of aliens entering this country illegally
each year is large, and 67% (significantly higher than the national average of
58%) responded that the number has been increasing in recent years.
Don't
Number of
More
No Change
Fewer
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
National
58
19
7
16
100
(1549)
Sex
Men
62
18
7
13
100
(770)
Women
54
19
7
20
100
(779)
Education
College
66
15
8
11
100
(508)
High School
57
19
7
17
100
(818)
Grade School
47
25
3
25
100
(215)
Annual Family Income
$15,000 and over
66
16
8
10
100
(605)
$10,000 - $14,999
58
18
7
17
100
(352)
$5,000 - $9,999
54
20
6
20
100
(285)
Under $5,000
48
23
4
25
100
(268)
Continued
The Gallup Crganization. Inc.
9.
Continued
Don't
Number of
More
No Change
Fewer
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
Region
East
60
16
8
16
100
(434)
Midwest
50
26
6
18
100
(421)
South
57
17
7
19
100
(434)
West
68
15
5
12
100
(260)
Mexican border
67
16
5
12
100
(262)
Ethnic Origin
Latin American
50
36
5
9
100
(58)
Other Whites
60
18
7
15
100
(1317)
Read/Heard about Problem
Yes
75
13
5
7
100
(832)
No
40
25
9
26
100
(709)
How Many Aliens Enter
Large number
71
16
5
8
100
(967)
Fair number
46
22
13
19
100
(348)
Small number
22
49
14
15
100
(101)
The Gallup Organization. Inc.
10.
Should Immigration Policy be Changed
The questions:
Currently 400,000 immigrants are allowed to enter the
U.S. each year. Do you feel we should allow more than
400,000, allow fewer than 400,000, or maintain our policy.
(IF "MORE") Would you favor or oppose allowing as many
immigrants to come as wish to come?
(IF "FEWER") Would you favor or oppose stopping immigra-
tion altogether?
The majority of Americans (52%) favor allowing fewer immigrants to enter
the U.S. each year than are currently admitted. Over one in six (18%) favor
stopping immigration altogether. Only 5% favor allowing more to enter, while
37% think the current level of immigration should be maintained.
Having heard or read about the problem of illegal aliens has virtually
no effect on the attitudes of people toward United States immigration policy.
Most inclined to favor stopping immigration altogether are those respondents
with grade school education (29%), manual laborers and farmers (23%), those in
the South (26%), and those who think large numbers of illegal aliens are entering
the country each year (22%).
Those whose ethnic origin is Eastern European or Latin American are most
likely to favor increasing the number of immigrants admitted each year.
Immigrants Allowed to Enter U.S.
Maintain
Fewer but
Don't
Number of
More
Same
Not Stopped
Stop
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
%
National
5
37
34
18
6
100
(1549)
Education
College
10
44
30
10
6
100
(508)
High School
3
37
35
19
6
100
(818)
Grade School
6
24
36
29
5
100
(215)
Continued
The Gallup Crganization. Inc
11.
Continued
Immigrants Allowed to Enter U.S.
Maintain
Fewer but
Don't
Number of
More
Same
Not Stopped
Stop
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
%
Occupation
White collar
9
44
30
12
5
100
(511)
Blue collar &
farmer
3
32
37
23
5
100
(642)
Non-labor force
5
35
36
18
6
100
(321)
Region
East
7
38
34
16
5
100
(434)
Midwest
4
45
31
14
6
100
(421)
South
6
26
35
26
7
100
(434)
West
4
39
38
15
4
100
(260)
Mexican border
7
41
34
14
4
100
(262)
Ethnic Origin
East European
11
47
26
10
6
100
(138)
Latin American
13
35
42
7
3
100
(58)
Other Whites
4
36
35
19
6
100
(1179)
Read/Heard About
Problem
Yes
7
36
36
17
4
100
(832)
No
4
38
33
18
7
100
(709)
Number of Aliens
Entering
Large number
6
33
35
22
4
100
(967)
Fair number
4
45
33
10
8
100
(348)
Small number
11
42
38
7
2
100
(101)
The Gallup Crganization. Inc
12.
Seriousness of the Problem of Illegal Aliens
The question: How much of a problem do you think illegal aliens are in
this country -- would you say they are a very serious prob-
lem, a somewhat serious problem, or not too serious a prob-
lem?
Asked how serious a problem illegal aliens are in this country, 37% said
very serious, 37% said fairly serious, and 19% said not too serious.
There was little variation in these figures among socio-economic groups.
Young people were less likely than older people to view illegal aliens as
a serious problem. By region, those living in the West and the Mexican
border states were most concerned (51% in each said illegal aliens were
a serious problem), while those in the Midwest were least concerned (only 25%
said "serious problem").
Having heard or read about the problem of illegal aliens made people much
more likely to regard them as a serious problem (50% -vs- 23%). This level of
concern was also directly related to the perceived number of illegal aliens
entering the country.
The Gallup Crganization Inc.
13.
Problem of Illegal Aliens
Very
Somewhat
Not Too
Don't
Number of
Serious
Serious
Serious
Know
Total
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
National
37
37
19
7
100
(1549)
Age
18 - 34 years
29
44
22
5
100
(560)
35 - 49 years
44
32
17
7
100
(383)
50 years and over
40
33
19
8
100
(560)
Region
East
40
37
18
5
100
(434)
Midwest
25
44
24
7
100
(421)
South
37
34
18
11
100
(434)
West
51
31
16
2
100
(260)
Mexican border
51
32
15
2
100
(262)
Read/Heard about Problem
Yes
50
35
13
2
100
(832)
No
23
40
26
11
100
(709)
Number of Aliens Entering
Large number
51
37
10
2
100
(967)
Fair number
13
49
36
2
100
(348)
Small number
8
23
66
3
100
(101)
The Gallup Crganization Inc
14.
Problems Resulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens
The question: What problems, if any, result from the presence of illegal
aliens in this country?
Eighty-two percent of those asked named at least one problem caused by the
presence of illegal aliens.
Over half (51%) mentioned that illegal aliens take jobs away from residents
and another 20% said they were used for cheap labor. People in labor union
households were more likely than others to give these reasons than members of
non-union households. Residents of the West and of the Mexican border states were
also particularly likely to mention these problems, as were those who had heard
or read something about illegal aliens.
Other frequently mentioned problems were "increasing welfare rolls" (13%)
and, relatedly, "we have to provide for them" (12%). These categories are also
more frequently mentioned by those who have heard or read about the presence of
illegal aliens and by those who consider them a serious problem. Interestingly,
respondents of Latin American heritage were less likely than others to mention
these problems (although they were equally likely to mention the previously
referred to labor related problems), while residents of the Mexican border
states in general were actually more likely to name these problems.
Crime was mentioned as a problem by 12% of all respondents. This level
did not differ greatly by population groups with one exception - only 1% of
the respondents of Latin American heritage mentioned it.
The Gallup Organization. Inc.
15.
Incidence of Naming Selected Problems
Resulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens
Take Jobs
Cheap
Increase
Provide
Number of
Away
Labor
Welfare
For Them
Crime
Interviews
%
%
%
%
%
National
51
20
13
12
12
(1549)
Union Household
Yes
55
26
12
11
13
(349)
No
50
19
13
12
11
(1200)
Region
East
57
18
15
8
13
(434)
Midwest
46
16
9
11
10
(421)
South
45
17
11
14
10
(434)
West
60
37
17
16
13
(260)
Mexican border
61
34
17
21
8
(262)
Ethnic Origin
Latin American
58
21
8
6
1
(58)
Other Whites
52
21
14
13
13
(1317)
Read/Heard about Problem
Yes
62
28
17
16
13
(832)
No
39
13
8
7
10
(709)
Seriousness of Problem
of Illegal Aliens
Very serious
62
24
20
18
13
(568)
Somewhat serious
54
20
12
11
14
(587)
Not too serious
35
18
4
6
7
(295)
The Gallup Crganization. Inc.
16.
Seriousness of Selected Problems Caused by Presence of Illegal Aliens
The question: I am going to read a number of problems that some feel
are created by the presence of illegal aliens in this
country. For each that I read, tell me if you feel this
is a serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a
problem.
Illegal aliens take away jobs from legal residents.
Illegal aliens are often involved in criminal
activities.
Illegal aliens bring down wages by working for
less pay.
Illegal aliens often collect unemployment or welfare
and are a drain on the taxpayer.
Responses to this question echoed to a great degree responses to the
unprompted question of what problems are created by the presence of illegal
aliens. Over half those asked felt that taking jobs away from legal residents,
bringing down wages by working for less, and being a drain on the taxpayer were
serious problems caused by illegal aliens. One in three (34%) responded that
inv vement of illegal aliens with criminal activities was a serious problem.
Those living in Mexican border states were less likely to feel that in-
volvement of illegal aliens in crime was a serious problem, but more likely to
feel that the other problems were serious. Respondents of Latin American
descent were more likely to say that a serious problem was caused by illegal
aliens taking away jobs from legal residents and bringing down wages, but
considerably less likely than others to say that their involvement in criminal
activities and being a drain on taxpayers were serious problems.
The Gallup Organization. Inc.
17.
Ethnic Origin
Region
Latin
Other
Mid-
Mexican
National
American
White
East
west
South
West
Border
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Take Away Jobs From
Legal Residents
Serious problem
57
63
58
58
50
59
66
69
Somewhat serious
problem
30
25
31
31
39
27
22
22
Not a problem
9
10
8
8
9
8
11
8
Can't say
4
2
3
3
2
6
1
1
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Often Involved in
Criminal Activity
Serious problem
34
19
36
37
31
37
30
29
Somewhat serious
problem
37
35
39
38
38
36
38
35
Not a problem
16
35
14
16
15
11
22
25
Can't say
13
11
11
9
16
16
10
11
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Bring Down Wages
Serious problem
54
61
53
56
47
56
60
64
Somewhat serious
problem
29
20
31
30
35
25
24
21
Not a problem
11
13
12
10
13
10
12
12
Can't say
6
6
4
4
5
9
4
3
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Collect Unemployment
Serious problem
57
47
58
60
51
59
58
63
Somewhat serious
problem
20
17
20
19
26
19
18
18
Not a problem
12
20
12
12
12
9
14
9
Can't say
11
16
10
9
11
13
10
10
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Number of Interviews
(1549)
(58)
(1317)
(434)
(421)
(434)
(260)
(262)
The Gallup Organization. Inc.
18.
What Should be Done
The question: I am going to read you some statements that have been made
concerning the matter of illegal aliens. As I read each
statement, tell me the extent to which you agree or dis-
agree with each statement.
Congress should pass a Law to make it illegal for
an employer to hire an illegal alien.
Illegal aliens should be given a chance to become
U.S. citizens.
Illegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back
to where they came from.
Certain types of businesses need inexpensive labor
and should be allowed to hire illegal aliens.
The majority of Americans agree strongly that there should be a law against
hiring illegal aliens (62%) and say they disagree strongly with allowing certain
businesses to hire illegal aliens (56%). These attitudes are particularly pro-
nounced among upper socio-economic groups, skilled laborers, and members of union
households.
The majority of Americans (58%) agree that illegal aliens should have a
chance to become U.S. citizens. Paradoxically, a majority also agree (57%) that
illegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back where they came from. Persons
of Latin American and East European descent are most likely to feel that illegal
aliens should have the chance to be citizens, and least likely to agree that
they should be sent back where they came from. Those who have heard or read
about the problem are less likely to favor citizenship and more likely to favor
deportation.
The Gallup Organization. Ino
19
Continued
Annual Family Income
Union Household
$15,000
$10,000-
$5,000-
Under
National
& Over
$14,999
$9,999
$5,000
Yes
No
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Should Be Law Against
Hiring Illegal Aliens
Agree strongly
62
68
62
58
51
66
60
Agree
18
18
19
19
16
19
18
Disagree
9
8
10
10
14
8
10
Disagree strongly
6
5
7
6
7
5
6
Don't know
5
1
2
7
12
2
6
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Certain Businesses
Should Be Allowed to
Hire Illegal Aliens
Agree strongly
6
5
4
6
9
6
6
Agree
13
11
14
15
13
11
14
Disagree
19
18
22
20
19
18
19
Disagree strongly
56
64
58
51
42
62
54
Don't know
6
2
2
8
17
3
7
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Number of Interviews
(1549)
(605)
(352)
(285)
(268)
(349)
(1200)
The Gallup Organization. Inc
20.
Continued
Read/Heard
Ethnic Origin
About Problem
Latin
Eastern
Other
Non-
National
American
European
White
White
Yes
No
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Should Have a Chance
To Become Citizens
Agree strongly
20
28
25
19
20
18
22
Agree
38
52
43
36
40
37
39
Disagree
15
9
12
16
12
15
15
Disagree strongly
22
7
18
25
16
27
17
Don't know
5
4
2
4
12
3
7
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Illegal Aliens Should
Be Sent Back
Agree strongly
33
20
26
36
20
38
28
Agree
24
22
25
25
23
26
23
Disagree
24
38
31
22
28
22
25
Disagree strongly
13
16
17
12
16
11
16
Don't know
6
4
1
5
13
3
8
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
Number of Interviews
(1549)
(58)
(138)
(1179)
(174)
(832)
(709)
DOJ-1976-07
The Gallup Crganization Inc.
Sllegge
CO 703.615
SIGNED AND MAILED
SEP 7 1976
Dear Mayor Heft:
Reference is made to your recent letter addressed to the President
concerning social and economic problems created by illegal Mexican aliens,
which has been forwarded to this Service for reply.
The concern expressed by you is well founded and is shared by those
of use in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. More and more are
becoming aware of the magnitude of the present influx of illegal aliens
and of the adverse effects the presence of such aliens has on this coun-
try. We have received numerous letters from the public expressing support
for stringent immigration law enforcement and urzing the expansion of our
officer forces to regain control over the illegal entrants.
Our best estimate is that there are approximately 6,500,000 illegal
aliens residing in the United States. Of that 6,500,000, we believe that
at least 1,000,000 illegal aliens are holding good jobs. During calendar
year 1975, we located in the major cities nearly 56,000 illegal aliens
who were employed. Of that number, more than half were earning in excess
of $2.50 an hour.
A popular misconception is that illegal aliens work only in very
menial jobs. At the upper end of the earnings ladder, we find illegal
aliens regularly employed on construction projects running from $3.75 to
nearly $10.00 an hour. We also find engineers and technicians earning
$15,000 and even $20,000 a year or higher. Even at the lower end of the
wage scale, we are confident that American youth, students and especially
young people from the ghettos, where unemployment reaches as high as 60%,
can be found to take these jobs.
A study recently completed by a consulting firm states that for
every one million adult illegal aliens there is a net tax burden of two
billion dollars. This study also states that the illegal alien popula-
tion is increasing by 250,000 persons or more each year, adding at least
five hundred million dollars yearly to the tax burden. These cost figures
do not include the unknown amount of taxes that are evaded each year by
illegal aliens. One Congressional committee estimated the tax loss at
115 million dollars per year. The figures also do not include the American
dollars sent out of this country to the detriment of our balance of pay-
ments. At least three billion dollars leave this country each year in the
form of earnings of illegal aliens, which are then lost from our economy.
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
-2-
By displacing American workers and legal permanent residents the
illegal alien causes increases in our unemployment rates, which, in turn,,
places more persons on the welfare rolls. Other adverse factors involve
losses in income tax revenue and an unfavorable outflow of United States
dollars to foreign countries. Experience has shown that some of the 11-
legal aliens are afflicted with communicable diseases which constitute a
health hazard, and that hospital costs for the indigent illegal alien must
be borne by the American taxpayer.
This Service is very much aware that the illegal alien presence in
the United States does constitute a very serious problem which we are en-
deavoring to solve with every means at our command. You may be interested
to learn that during Fiscal Year 1975, officers of our Service located
756,819 deportable aliens and removed a large number of them from the
United States. We believe that this is only a small fraction of the total
number of deportable aliens now in this country. This Service currently
has a priority program in force designed to locate illegal aliens employed
in jobs that can be made available to United States citizens or lawfully
admitted aliens who are authorized to accept employment. We are exerting
every effort within our manpower and fiscal limitations to provide a more
effective control of the illegal alien population.
You should also be made aware of the fact that several bills have
been introduced in the 94th Congress which impose penalties against em-
ployers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. If such legislation is enacted
into law, this Service will be in possession of an extremely valuable tool
to be used in our search for a means to provide a more effective enforce-
ment program, given the necessary manpower and budgetary increases.
Thank you, Mayor Heft, for this opportunity to outline the problems
in this area of increasing difficulty. You may be assured that every ef-
fort is being made to solve this problem. Our Service office at Cleveland
has been advised of the problem you are experiencing with illegal aliens
in Napoleon.
Sincerely,
James F. Greene
Deputy Commissioner
The Honorable Robert G. Heft
Mayor of Napoleon
Post Office Box 151
BENALD FORD LIBRARY
Napoleon, Ohio 43545
CC: DISTRICT DIRECTOR, CLEVELAND - For your information.
CC: RICHARD D. PARSONS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & COUNSEL DOMESTIC COUNCIL
For your information.
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
INFORMATION/DECISION
WASHINGTON
September 27, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR:
Jim Cannon
Jim Cavanaugh
Jim Lynn
FROM:
Dick Parsons
SUBJECT:
Preliminary Report of the Domestic
Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
The Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens has completed
and is prepared to submit to the President a preliminary report.
Though preliminary, the report is nevertheless quite substantive
and shows that we have been doing a lot of thinking about this
problem.
The question arises as to whether the report should be made
public after submission to the President. I believe it
should, but would like your guidance.
As I see it, if we make the report public we can (a) further
stimulate thought and discussion about this important issue;
(b) get useful feedback on our preliminary thinking; and
(c) demonstrate to the public that the Administration is not
only aware of the problem but that, pursuant to the President's
direction, is moving on it.
On the other hand, some of the substantive positions takes in
the report might be offensive to the Latin American community
(e.g., the report comes down fairly hard on the law enforcement
side). Moreover, the report raises more questions than it
answers, which could lead to criticism.
I am seeking your guidance now (rather than after formal sub-
mission of the report), SO that we can release the report shortly
after its submission to the President.
To enable you to get a feel for the report, I have attached
copies of the Executive Summary (Tab A) and of the final
chapter, Summary of Conclusions (Tab B).
CC: Art Quern (w/attachments)
Preliminary Report
Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens
Executive Summary
Introduction
Apprehensions of illegal aliens each year are
almost double the number of people who enter legally.
Illegal aliens, traditionally from Mexico and concentrated
in the Southwest, are from many nations and are found in
many areas of the country. The Domestic Council committee
was established to undertake a comprehensive review of
the issue and its implications. This preliminary report
provides an overview of the policy questions, assesses
current programs and knowledge and presents recommendations
for further action.
Chapter I - U.S. Immigration Law and Policy
For the first 150 years of our history immigration was
unrestricted. In the late 1800's certain classes, such as
convicts, or national groups, such as Chinese, were excluded.
In 1921 numerical limits were introduced based on the concept
of national origin quotas. A major recodification in 1952
established three basic premises for immigration: family
reunification, protection of jobs for the domestic labor force,
and control of alien visitors. However the national origin
V
quota was maintained until 1965 when amendments replaced
it with numerical hemispheric ceilings and introduced a
fourth premise, that of asylum for refugees.
Immigration from the Eastern Hemisphere is held at
120,000 per year with a 20,000 per country limit. Admission
is granted through a preference system which grants 74%
of the places to relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent
aliens. The Western Hemisphere ceiling of 170,000 was
added at the last moment by Congress and operates on a
first-come, first-serve basis with no preference system
or per country limits. Labor certification by the Department
of Labor is required for all non-relative classes from both
hemispheres. The 1965 law is the statute which governs
immigration today and has, since 1965, had two major
effects: (1) Immigration has increased by more than 100%
over the 1924-1965 period; and (2) there has been a shift
away from European groups toward Asian and Latin American
groups.
The worker importation provisions of the law apply to
both immigrants and temporary workers but they play a
minimal role in the present policy scheme. Canada and
Australia, the two nations most similar to the U.S. in
immigration matters, weigh employment impact considerations
heavily in their criteria for granting immigrant status.
vi
Chapter II - Illegal Immigration: The Global Picture
The principal source of immigration to the United
States currently is Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican
Republic, Haiti, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and
China. Demand for immigration is intense in these
countries and several have waiting lists of 2 years or
more. These countries are also among the major illegal
alien source countries. The source countries have
similar characteristics in three respects: rapid economic
expansion, high population growth rates, and links with
the U.S. This pattern will apply to increasing numbers
of countries in the future and creates stong push forces
on individuals to migrate. These push forces combine
with the pull of available jobs and low risk of detection
in the United States to produce illegal migration.
The phenomenon of migration occurs in streams
according to certain principles among which the difficulty
of intervening obstacles and development of counterstreams
are prominent. The porcess is not responsive to legal
limits but rather its own self-sustaining momentum. Policy
will have to address the fundamental principles of push-pull
and migration to be successful.
Illegal immigration is from many countries but Mexico
is a major source for reasons of both history and geography.
vii
The governments of the U.S. and Mexico have established
bilateral discussions on the issue. However, the illegal
migration issue has not been of concern to policymakers
in the governance of our relations with other source
nations. Actions discouraging illegal entry may compete
with other foreign policy goals, e.g. tourism. However,
illegal immigration merits a far higher and more generalized
level of attention in our conduct of foreign affairs.
Chapter III - Law Enforcement
There is a long history of U.S.-Mexico border enforcement
in immigration matters. Thus the majority of our enforcement
effort is directed at this aspect of illegal immigration.
Illegal entrants from other nations are a relatively
recent development that requires significantly different
techniques.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has
primary responsibility for immigration enforcement. It is
aided by the Department of State which issues visas overseas.
Prevention of illegal entry is the agency priority and is
done through inspection of individuals at ports of entry
and policing our land and borders between ports. INS also
carries on investigative activities within our borders
viii
against illegals who escape detection at entry. Recent
court decisions have limited INS' latitude in the interior
making prevention more important.
Several agencies have enforcement roles which are
related to illegal immigration. They are the Social
Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S.
Customs Service, and the Wage and Hour division of the
Department of Labor. The Committee has evaluated current
and proposed additional means of interagency cooperation
among them and INS and the Department of State. Experience
has shown that cooperation on enforcement matters is
difficult when the agency is service oriented such as the
Social Security Administration. However, much can be done
to increase the effectiveness of enforcement with the
tools presently available both among and within the
agencies concerned.
In addition to improved interagency efforts, certain
disincentives to illegal migration are needed which require
legislation. The disincentives are designed to lessen the
economic pull which draws illegals to the U.S., discourage
the use of the law to gain time and establish equity for
immigration benefits, increase enforcement authorities
to aid in capturing smugglers and the like, and streamline
the law of anachronistic provisions which detract from
more important tasks.
ix
Chapter IV - The Illegal Alien: A Soft Portrait
Judging the impact of illegal aliens on our society
requires information which is extremely sketchy at best.
Data deficiencies center on the difficulty of counting
and describing a clandestine population, the unrepresenta-
tiveness of using only apprehended and Mexican illegals.
Several studies were reviewed and a composite description
of the illegal includes personal characteristics by
nationality, origin within native country, age, sex,
education, marital status, language ability, and
motivation; characteristics of entry by entry without
inspection, visa abuse and others; characteristics of
residence by location, mobility, and wage remissions;
and characteristics of work place. The major points of
agreement are that the principal impact of illegals is in
the labor market rather than on social services, that language
ability is an important determinant in the type of employ-
ment, and significant percentages of earnings are returned
to the illegals' native country.
Chapter V - Domestic Impact of Illegal Aliens: The Issues
of Employment and Earnings
Because research on illegal aliens is in an embryonic
state, an exposition of domestic impact remains tentative.
X
There are several hypotheses concerning the economic
impact of illegals: (a) low skilled illegal alien workers
compete with low skilled natives depressing their wages
and tending to increase earnings of skilled workers and
owners of capital; (b) illegal aliens create unemployment
by taking vacant jobs; and (c) illegal aliens take more
from the system in services than they contribute in taxes.
The data currently available cannot provide answers. At
best it indicates certain directions.
Useful information may be obtained from analyses
on the foreign born and their impact in combination with
what is known about illegals. Earnings of the foreign
born rise with tenure in the U.S. and after 13 or more
years are substantially the same as natives. This implies
that if undetected, illegals would have the same profile as
natives and therefore would not remain a cheap labor source.
The analysis does not hold for Hispanics, an important
illegal alien characteristic, nor does it incorporate the
illegality factor as a barrier to upward mobility.
The termination of the bracero program showed that
sudden removal of alien labor opened jobs which natives
took at improved wages without driving employers out of
business.
xi
European countries have made extensive use of temporary
foreign workers who have made positive contributions to
economic growth but who have not returned as planned and
create problems during times of economic slowdown.
Chapter VI - Illegal Immigration: Social Issues
Migrants moving into new areas resettle according to
four stages. First, young, unmarried males predominate
followed by married men. In the third stage, they marry
or send for their families and settle permanently attracting
supporting populations of employers, businesses, etc. in
the final stage. Restrictions to keep migration temporary
rarely work and the last stage is frequently marked by
tension with the native population. Different parts of the
U.S. may be experiencing different stages of settlement
at this time.
Within the context of settlement, the welfare issue
or use of income transfer programs by illegals has received
much attention. These programs are examined and with the
possible exception of food stamps, which restrict eligibility
on the basis of citizenship, illegals are unlikely to qualify
based on age, sex and other personal characteristics.
Definitive judgment must await better information on the
characteristics of illegals and the settlement stage (s) of
various groups and areas.
xii
Several other social issues raised by illegal
immigration are population growth, INS enforcement,
anti-alien sentiment and federal-state-local relations.
Immigration is one of the major aspects of our population
growth as a nation. If the net number of illegals is
at least equal to our net immigration, the numerical
impact is a central factor in growth.
INS enforcement causes community resentment and
hostility in many areas, particularly in ethnic communities.
The greatest degree of support is to be found with
employer targeted enforcement; serious difficulties
accompany residence based efforts. This potential
for strife is also apparent in anti-illegal alien
organizing in some large urban areas.
The federal government has not worked closely with
other units of government on illegal alien issues although
these are the levels at which immediate impacts are keenly
felt. The existence of underground communities which
actively avoid government presents significant problems
which require cooperation and coordination to prevent.
Chapter VII - Dilemmas for the Future
Beyond the issues and topics discussed in the report,
immigration matters lead to large philoscphical and policy
questions for the society which will only be answered over
xiii
time. Some of the general areas within which immigration
is or should be an important component are government control
over individuals in law enforcement matters, research
methodologies and the limitations of information, long-
range foreign policy priorities and imperatives, and
the limits of and potential for growth.
The conclusions of the report and recommendations
make up Chapter VIII.
xiv
- 213 -
CHAPTER VIII
CONCLUSIONS AND MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS
In drawing conclusions and formulating recommendations,
it is important to reemphasize the preliminary nature of
this report. The illegal immigration phenomenon is
complex and an interagency examination of this issue is
a very recent development. The charge to the Domestic
Council Committee was to develop a comprehensive approach
to the issue. In furtherance of that goal, this report
attempts to provide a clear statement of the issue in its
broad terms, assess current information, and chart the
process and tasks through which the executive branch of
government should proceed as a result.
One clear theme of this report is that a dramatic
lack of reliable information makes thorough analysis of
illegal immigration impossible at this time. Thus the
conclusions which the Committee has drawn are tentative
and subject to revision. Nevertheless the Committee
believes that certain judgments can and should be made
at this time in an effort to channel further inquiry
in a productive fashion.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Illegal immigration is rooted in powerful
social and economic forces endemic to both
host and sending countries.
Historically Mexico has been and remains a
major source of illegal entrants to the United States.
- 214 -
However illegal immigration today involves many
nations and new migration streams. Sending countries
are typically rapidly developing nations where
rising expectations combined with population
pressure have far surpassed the ability of economic
growth, albeit substantial, to narrow significantly
the income gap with the U.S. Thus pressure to emigrate
is intense, and large numbers of people have already
emigrated to the United States legally from source
countries as a result of 1965 amendments to the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The act
markedly changed legal immigration to permit large
numbers of Latin and Asian origin groups and to
diminish numbers of Europeans who migrate. Illegal
immigration must be studied in the context of
migration incentives and the law governing legal
entry. United States employers seek foreign workers
for many kinds of work. Thus economic opportunity
and kinship and culture ties in the U.S. combine
with migration pressures to create potent push-pull
forces which the INA was not designed to check.
2. Illegal immigration is significant and growing.
Current estimates of the stock and flow of illegal
aliens are educated guesses at best. Establishing these
numbers in a credible fashion is important. Although
- 215 -
sound numbers are not available, the relevant point
for current policy purposes is that the illegal immi-
gration phenomenon is significant and growing. Our
immigration policy, as promulgated under the INA, is
ineffective. Our official commitment is to an
exclusionary policy founded in history and domestic
political considerations which allows approximately
400,000 foreign-born to take up permanent legal
residence in this country per annum. The de facto
situation is quite the opposite in that a combination
of legal loopholes and incentives, enforcement
inadequacies, and international push-pull forces have
created virtually open immigration to the U.S.
Analysis of this combination of factors leads
inevitably to the conclusion that a trend has been
established which is likely to grow if present cir-
cumstances persist.
3. The major impact of illegal aliens at this time
seems to be in the labor market. This impact is
likely to extend over time to other areas as the
process of settlement proceeds.
Illegal aliens compete effectively with native
workers, particularly with the minimally skilled and
under-employed, although the degree to which they
actually displace native workers is unclear. These
immigrants raise the income of owners of capital and
- 216 -
land and of highly skilled workers and lower prices
to consumers of goods and services they help produce.
Thus certain legal residents gain and others, parti-
cularly those with few skills, lose from the presence
of illegal aliens. However the unskilled labor which
the illegal generally contributes in the early stages
of migration later tends to be offset by the costs
incurred in the latter stages of migration when new
communities of families must be absorbed. This
result occurs during settlement, the end-product of
migration. Initially the migrant generally intends
to emigrate only temporarily. However his aspirations,
objectives and opportunities become attached to the
host country so that he eventually remains, establish-
ing or sending for family rather than returning.
4. The government should no longer ignore the
community-related implications of large numbers
of illegal aliens.
The ineffectiveness of the INA has helped to
create communities concentrated in our largest urban
centers whose existence depends on avoidance of law
and authority. Breeding these conditions signals
long-run negative social implications for ethnic
Americans and for the ability of state and local
units of government to function effectively. Aside
from the question of economic impact, the ramifica-
tions of harboring large numbers of people in illegal
- 217 -
status are undesirable and contribute to a breakdown
in the institutions and systems upon which we depend
for fair government.
5. Effective enforcement of the Immigration and
Nationality Act must stress prevention above all
other considerations.
It is vastly more desirable from both a policy
and a resources standpoint to prevent entry of the
illegal or screen out potential illegals before
arrival than to locate and apprehend the illegal
once he is in the U.S. This strategy is currently
accepted but it will require more adequate resources
for both the State Department and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service, improved management and
tactics, legislation, and greater cooperation among
federal agencies with related enforcement responsi-
bilities to be effective.
6. Effective enforcement is not enough. The illegal
alien issue is ultimately an issue of immigration
policy and will not be satisfactorily met until
a thorough rethinking of our immigration policy
is undertaken.
Who may enter this country for what periods of
time under which circumstances are the questions we
must, as a nation, answer. These questions in turn
raise questions about employment, population, and
- 218 -
other broad policy areas. The law must be revised
to incorporate current and future realities not
envisaged in the 1965 deliberations in which our
present system was formulated. The executive branch
must provide leadership and take an active role in
the development of a better immigration policy.
Serious study, widespread discussion, public educa-
tion, interagency coordination, adequate resource
allocation, policy analysis, planning, and coopera-
tion with state and local levels of government are
all needed.
The recommendations set forth below do not pre-
clude the more specific recommendations contained at
the end of individual chapters. Specific chapter
recommendations will presumably be implemented as
part of the overall follow-up to this preliminary
report by the Committee in accordance with the major
recommendations below. The Committee does not
believe any single element among its recommendations
can solve the illegal alien problem. It does believe
that the cumulative effect of implementing the
recommendations which follow will be to slow the
flow of illegal aliens significantly and to take
major strides toward the development of a more
effective immigration policy.
- 218 -
other broad policy areas. The law must be revised
to incorporate current and future realities not
envisaged in the 1965 deliberations in which our
present system was formulated. The executive branch
must provide leadership and take an active role in
the development of a better immigration policy.
Serious study, widespread discussion, public educa-
tion, interagency coordination, adequate resource
allocation, policy analysis, planning, and coopera-
tion with state and local levels of government are
all needed.
The recommendations set forth below do not pre-
clude the more specific recommendations contained at
the end of individual chapters. Specific chapter
recommendations will presumably be implemented as
part of the overall follow-up to this preliminary
report by the Committee in accordance with the major
recommendations below. The Committee does not
believe any single element among its recommendations
can solve the illegal alien problem. It does believe
that the cumulative effect of implementing the
recommendations which follow will be to slow the
flow of illegal aliens significantly and to take
major strides toward the development of a more
effective immigration policy.
- 219 -
MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The issue of illegal immigration merits priority
attention and requires Cabinet leadership. Actions
to be taken cross many bureaucratic and agency lines
and will require continued coordination and direction
at the highest level.
2. The executive branch should aggressively pursue
the enactment of legislation which relates directly
to the illegal alien question and which the executive
branch has supported in the past. Such legislative
actions include:
(a) penalties for employers who knowingly hire
aliens not authorized to work;
(b) application of the preference system and
foreign state limitations to Western Hemis-
phere immigration in a manner similar to
that regulating Eastern Hemisphere immigra-
tion;
(c) thorough revision of the labor certification
provisions of the current law so that immi-
grants admitted for employment fall within
prescribed quotas and individual certifications
are eliminated;
(d) establishing a minimum age of 21 years for
Western Hemisphere aliens to confer
immigration benefits upon a parent as pertains
to Eastern Hemisphere aliens;
- 220 -
(e) advancement of the eligibility date for
establishing a record of admission for lawful
permanent residence from June 30, 1948 to
July 1, 1968; and
(f) increased penalties for persons who smuggle
or facilitate illegal immigration.
3. The Committee should evaluate the current H-2 or
temporary worker program authorized by the INA to
determine if it is adequate, both from an administra-
tive and statutory standpoint, to meet the legitimate
needs of employers for temporary foreign workers. It
should further assess the United States experience
with the bracero program and the experiences of other
nations with guest worker programs. An expanded,
government to government foreign worker program should
not be sought at this time. However, means of
improving the government's responsiveness to employers
under current law should be developed if necessary.
4. The agencies administering the INA -- INS and the
Department of State -- should receive high priority
in the allocation of resources directed at prevention
of and screening for illegal entries, management and
operational upgrading, and inter-Departmental coor-
dination.
5. The Committee should carefully study and make
recommendations on all aspects of the question of
- 221 -
adjustment of status for illegal aliens already in
the country. The Committee recognizes that massive
deportation is both inhumane and impractical and
advocates reasonable but relaxed standards for illegals
already here. However support for some form of
adjustment of status relief is contingent upon
passage of legislation described in recommendation #2
of this section.
6. The Department of State should undertake serious,
high-priority exchanges with governments of the major
illegal alien sending countries on the illegal migra-
tion issue, visa controls, and U.S. domestic pressures
and activity surrounding the illegal alien. U.S.
foreign aid and other efforts toward less developed
nations should be encouraged, but with greater
emphasis on factors that would reduce the pressures
that encourage migration, e.g., population planning,
rural economic development and labor intensive programs.
7. The Committee and the cognizant federal agencies should
initiate and support a broad based research program to
determine the nature and scope of the various immigration
related problems. This must include research within
government agencies as well as through contracting with
outside individuals and institutions, involvement of
other levels of government and consultation with a wide
variety of experts in many disciplines. Relevant economic,
1 1 222
sociological, demographic and labor market data are
needed to adequately examine existing policies and
update them.
8. The Committee should initiate a thorough re-
examination of the basic precepts and operations of
current immigration policy with the goal of developing
proposals and systems which are based on information
developed through careful study and research and
widespread discussion among affected interest groups
and the general public.
PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS: GERALD R. FORD, 1976
1513
by this issue and last week's issue but which are not carried
After the meeting, the President met with Republican
elsewhere in the issues.
Vice-Presidential candidate Senator Robert Dole. Senator
October 6
Dole had also been a participant in the steering committee
The White House announced that on October 5, the
meeting.
President had directed the National Security Council to
October 12
prepare for him as soon as possible a report on the radio-
The President left the White House Tuesday morning
active fallout on the Eastern United States, and that the
for a trip to New York and New Jersey.
President expected the report today.
Following his motorcade tour of Brooklyn, the Presi-
The White House announced that Charles Miller, the
dent traveled to the Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhat-
captain of the Mayaguez, telephoned the President this
tan to visit Senator Hubert Humphrey, who is recovering
morning to express his displeasure and disagreement with
from a recent operation.
the report of the General Accounting Office on the Maya-
While in New York City, the President met with a
guez incident and, that the President invited Captain
group of editors, publishers, and media executives in the
Miller to meet with him in San Francisco and attend the
Beekman Room at the New York Hilton Hotel.
second Presidential debate as his guest.
October 13
October 7
On Wednesday morning, the President was interviewed
During his visit to Los Angeles, the President met with
by Barbara Walters of ABC News at the New York Hilton
Adam Malik, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, at the Bev-
Hotel in New York City. After arriving in New City,
erly Hilton Hotel.
N.Y., the President was interviewed by Walter Cronkite
October 8
of CBS News at the Rockland County Courthouse.
Following his remarks at the President Ford Committee
The President returned from his trip to New York and
reception at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, the President
New Jersey early Wednesday evening.
went by car to the Casa Adobe Historical Site in Glendale,
October 14
Calif. After briefly touring the site, the President met in
The President received a swine flu vaccination from
the courtyard with Mexican-American leaders from South-
Dr. William M. Lukash, Physician to the President, in
ern California.
Dr. Lukash's office at the White House.
While at the Montego Bay Motor Hotel in Lawton,
The President today declared a major disaster for the
Okla., the President met in the Game Room with a group
State of Maryland as a result of severe storms and flood-
of wheat farmers during a forum hosted by Senators
ing beginning about October 8, 1976, which caused ex-
Dewey Bartlett and Henry Bellmon, of Oklahoma. Follow-
tensive public, private, and agricultural property dam-
ing the forum, the President attended a meeting of cattle-
age. The President's action will permit the use of Federal
men in the Caribbean Room.
funds in relief and recovery efforts in designated areas
October 9
of the State.
During his visit to Dallas, Tex., the President attended
The President participated in an interview with editors
the football game between the University of Texas and
of various ethnic news publications.
the University of Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl.
Representatives of the American Jewish Press Associa-
October 10
tion and other Jewish newspapers interviewed the
President.
In the afternoon, the President left Dallas, Tex., and
returned to the White House.
The President and Mrs. Ford gave a dinner in honor
October 11
of Miss Martha Graham, dancer, teacher, choreographer,
and the founder of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
The President met with Yigal Allon, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, to
Following the dinner, the President presented Miss
Graham with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
review the situation in the Middle East and the state of
bilateral relations between the United States and Israel,
October 15
and to reaffirm the traditional friendship uniting the two
The President today declared an emergency for the
nations. The meeting was held in the Oval Office at the
State of Virginia because of the impact of a drought. The
White House.
President's action will permit the use of Federal funds
The President met with the President Ford Committee
in relief and recovery efforts in designated areas of the
Steering Committee to discuss the Presidential campaign.
State.
10-19-76 3:06 Press office
Remarks not recorded.
Volume 12-Number 42
FORD is LIBRARY
pen: Mary Burke
W.S. JourNAl
H.R 14535
10-11-76 P.2.
Carter will blunder again, as he did several
times last month. However, the President
isn't reduced to merely waiting for Demo-
cratic errors to occur. He is already taking
advantage of his incumbency to woo various
interest groups with promises and actions.
In recent days, Mr. Ford has:
-Imposed a quota on meat imports for
calendar 1976, when such shipments exceed
1.28 billion pounds. Cattle raisers had urged
such action and Mr. Carter had challenged
Mr. Ford to do it. The Agriculture Depart-
ment has estimated meat imports this year
will exceed the quota figure by 17 million
pounds.
- Disclosed to wheat farmers that he is
"contemplating action" to raise the price of
wheat by raising the government loan rate
from the current $1.50-a-bushel level.
Diremised Mexican-Americans be will
veto & MM that among other things, would
tighten restrictions against aliens entering
the U.S.
And disclosed that the Ford adminis-
tration is considering helping airlines by
paring the federal tax on commercial airline
tickets to 0% from 8% and allowing air car-
riers to use the extra revenue to buy planes
that will meet noise-control standards going
into effect in the next few years.
But such benefits of incumbency mightn't
be enough to offset the Carter momentum as
election day approaches.
CC: Dick Parsons
Office of the Atturney General
Washington, D. C. 20530
JUSTITIA
November 23, 1976
9 47
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
ILLEGAL ALIENS
The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates
that there are six to eight million illegal aliens in the
United States and that the net annual increase in their
number is likely to exceed one million. As you may recall,
by letter of September 13, 1976, I requested that you
authorize an increase in the, Department of Justice budget
of a total of $67 million for fiscal years 1977 and 1978 to
permit full funding of the Immigration and Naturalization
Service program to prevent illegal entry into the United
States.
I would like to urge that as a strong new initiative
you authorize this increase. The Commissioner of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service believes that with
these added resources his agency could prohibit the entry
of 95 percent of the estimated 500,000 annual fraudulent
entrants at international airports and Mexican border ports;
apprehend within 100 miles of the Mexican border 85 percent
of the estimated one million aliens entering without inspec-
tion; and reduce by 50 percent in two years the approximately
9,000 illegal alien smuggling rings which now exist. I
believe this approach is the best hope for effective enforce-
ment of the immigration laws.
As Chairman of the Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens, I will soon be transmitting to you an ex-
tensive report which strongly supports this approach. The
Committee has found that illegal immigration is significant
and growing; actual immigration now bears little relation-
ship to the program prescribed by law. The Committee be-
lieves that a policy of pursuing large-scale deportations
would be neither humane nor practical. The Committee
recommends that our national policy stress prevention of
illegal entry. This is consistent with the strategy now
being pursued. The Committee has concluded, however, that
more resources are required for the Immigration and Naturali-
zation Service and the Department of State if this effort
is to be effective.
We are aware of the importance of restraining federal
spending. The costs to the nation of illegal immigration,
- 2 -
however, are substantial and increasing; while shared by
all, they are borne most heavily by the low-skilled
workers, largely minorities and youth, with whom illegal
aliens most effectively compete.
As I have indicated, I think this can be an impor-
tant new initiative which you might wish to discuss.
Edward H. Levi
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
FRO
SEQUITUR
Washington, n. C. 20530
JUSTITU
November 23, 1976
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
ILLEGAL ALIENS
The Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates
that there are six to eight million illegal aliens in the
United States and that the net annual increase in their
number is likely to exceed one million. As you may recall,
by letter of September 13, 1976, I requested that you
authorize an increase in the Department of Justice budget
of a total of $67 million for fiscal years 1977 and 1978 to
permit full funding of the Immigration and Naturalization
Service program to prevent illegal entry into the United
States.
I would like to urge that as a strong new initiative
you authorize this increase. The Commissioner of the
Immigration and Naturalization Service believes that with
these added resources his agency could prohibit the entry
of 95 percent of the estimated 500,000 annual fraudulent
entrants at international airports and Mexican border ports;
apprehend within 100 miles of the Mexican border 85 percent
of the estimated one million aliens entering without inspec-
tion; and reduce by 50 percent in two years the approximately
9,000 illegal alien smuggling rings which now exist. I
believe this approach is the best hope for effective enforce-
ment of the immigration laws.
As Chairman of the Domestic Council Committee on
Illegal Aliens, I will soon be transmitting to you an ex-
tensive report which strongly supports this approach. The
Committee has found that illegal immigration is significant
and growing; actual immigration now bears little relation-
ship to the program prescribed by law. The Committee be-
lieves that a policy of pursuing large-scale deportations
would be neither humane nor practical. The Committee
recommends that our national policy stress prevention of
illegal entry. This is consistent with the strategy now
being pursued. The Committee has concluded, however, that
more resources are required for the Immigration and Naturali-
zation Service and the Department of State if this effort
is to be effective.
We are aware of the importance of restraining federal
spending. The costs to the nation of illegal immigration,
- 2 -
however, are substantial and increasing; while shared by
all, they are borne most heavily by the low-skilled
workers, largely minorities and youth, with whom illegal
aliens most effectively compete.
As I have indicated, I think this can be an impor-
tant new initiative which you might wish to discuss.
it.
Edward H. Levi
Attorney General

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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 9, folder \"Illegal Aliens - Domestic\nCouncil Committee, (3)\" of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford\nPresidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald R. Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 9 of the Richard D. Parsons Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nILLEGAL ALIENS\nQ. How would you solve the problem of illegal\naliens, entering and working in the United States?\nA. We have anywhere from 6,000,000 to 8,000,000 illegal\naliens in this country, which is, roughly, the total\nnumber of unemployed in this country. This is a very\nserious matter, but let me tell you what we are trying\nto do abou it.\nNumber one, we are working very closely in a new\nprogram with the Mexican Government. There has been\na tremendous increase in the flow of illegal aliens\nfrom Mexico. The cooperation that we are developing\nwith the Mexican Government will, I think, produce\nsome results in stopping that flow.\nWhen I was in Mexico about twenty months ago, I\npersonally talked to President Excheverria about this.\nNumber two, in my budget I have recommended additional\nemployees for the Immigration and Naturalization Service\nso it can do a better job of finding illegal aliens\nand seeking to deport them.\nThere is one other thing we are trying to do. I have\nfavored legislation that passed the House, last year\nas I recall, that makes it mandatory for an employer\nto ask whether a prospective employee is an illegal\nalien. That would be helpful.\n4-7-76\nApril 9, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nJim Cannon\nFROM:\nDick Parsons\nSUBJECT:\nProgress of the Domestic Council\nCommittee on Illegal Aliens\nYou requested a summary of what the Committee has done so far.\nOn January 21, 1976, the Committee established five\ntask forces and a steering committee to better and\nmore efficiently handle the subject matter. The\ntask force areas are: economic and labor market\nimpact; immigration law and policy; enforcement;\nsocial and community impact; and foreign relations.\nOn March 4, 1976, the Steering Committee met and\nworked out outlines for each task force to follow\nin approaching and executing its respective area.\nOn April 18-20, the Committee's Foreign Relations\nTask Force (Interagency Committee on Illegal Mexican\nMigration) will host a delegation of Mexicans here in\nWashington in order to discuss the illegal alien prob-\nlem and how to approach it.\nPresently, there are no other definitive progressions.\nDOMESTIC COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL ALIENS\nSTEERING COMMITTEE MEETING\nAPRIL 12, 1976\nAgenda\nChairman:\nEdward H. Levi, Attorney General\nSubject:\nU.S.-Mexico meeting on illegal\nMexican immigration, April 19-21,\n1976, Washington, D. C.\nPresentation:\nWilliam H. Luers, Deputy Assistant\nSecretary of State for Latin\nAmerican Affairs and chairman,\nInteragency Committee on Illegal\nMexican Migration\n(Interagency Committee serves as\nForeign Relations task force of\nDomestic Council Committee)\nDiscussion\nAG to open meeting - No good; either Sec. of State,\nJim Cannon or me.\nThe April 19-21 Meeting of the Mexican and American\nCommittees on Mexican Worker Migration into the\nUnited States\nSCOPE PAPER\n1.\nThe Perception of the Problem: The perception of\nmany segments of the United States population, in-\ncluding organized labor, and officials on our south-\nwestern border, is that the influx of illegal aliens\nfrom Mexico deprives US citizens and legal alien\nresidents of jobs, depresses wage scales, puts a burden\non our social services (schools, hospitals, welfare\nrolls, etc.), and adversely affects our balance of\npayments through remittances abroad. Other US groups,\nincluding some farm owners and the owners and operators\nof service industries, believe the \"illegals\" are\nnecessary to fill jobs that Americans and legally\nresident aliens will not perform and that any attempt\nto stem the flow of illegals or to deport those here\nwill have serious adverse effects on our economy.\n(The Mexican Government takes this second position.)\nSome segments of the Mexican-American population in the\nUS believe that action should be taken to stop the\ninflux of illegal migrants from Mexico which other\nsegments of this group feel that no major restrictive\naction should be taken.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958 Sec. 3.6\nCONFIDENTIAL\nGDS\n95-42,#31) #31; NSC letter 9/23/96\nBy let NARA, Date 1/9/97\nCONFIDENTIAL\n-2-\n2.\nThe \"Facts\": At present we do not have reliable\ninformation on the number of illegals in the US nor\nof their full impact on our economy. However, the\nproblem of illegals is receiving increasing attention\namong the US sectors concerned with them and their\ncontinued influx into the United States appears to\nbe a problem -- with both economic and political\novertones -- that will continue to grow at an increasing\nrate over the next decade.\nThe cause of the influx rests primarily on the\ndisparity between the Mexican and American economies.\nThe \"push\" factor is the lack of employment opportunity\nin Mexico (with an estimated 750,000 people coming into\nthe job market in Mexico annually and only about 300,000\njobs becoming available). The \"pull\" factors in the\nUnited States are the alleged availability of jobs, the\nhigh pay, compared to Mexican wage scales, the proximity,\nand the relative ease with which illegals can cross the\nborder and remain undetected as they work in the US.\n3. The Needs: In the face of the forthcoming meeting\nwith the Mexican Committee, we must examine what we\nwant to get out of the meeting and analyze what the\nMexicans might hope to achieve at the meeting.\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\n-3-\nThe Mexican Position\nFor some years after the termination of the\nbracero program in 1964, the principal Mexican foreign\npolicy goal vis-a-vis the United States appeared to be\nto induce us to enter into a new bracero agreement.\nAn ancillary part of the campaign to get a new agree-\nment was a continuous and highly vociferous stream of\ncomplaints that we were mistreating illegal aliens\ndetained in the US.\nThis changed in October, 1974, when Echeverria,\nin his border meeting with President Ford announced\nthat Mexico considered the illegal migrant problem a\nMexican problem that should be solved by the economic\ndevelopment of Mexico and the consequent provision of\nsufficient employment for its own people. Subsequent\nto the Echeverria statement, the claims of mistreatment\nof illegals in the US diminished greatly.\nWhat do the Mexicans Want?\nHaving said they do not want a new bracero program,\nwhat do the Mexicans now really want? Probably the\nstatus quo -- the continuation of the relatively un-\nchecked entry into the United States of large numbers\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\n-4-\nof Mexicans, the lack of sufficient resources by US\nimmigration forces to significantly stem the flow of\nillegals, and the lack of concerted efforts by the\nUnited States to find and deport Mexicans illegally\nworking in the United States.\nGiven this position, the Mexicans, at the forth-\ncoming meeting are likely to:\n1.\nMaintain that the United States really needs\nthe illegals to fill jobs that Americans will not take,\nand that thus, we should do nothing significant to\nstop the flow.\n2.\nUse attack as the best defense, accusing us of\nnot guaranteeing the \"human rights\" of the illegals in\nquestions of wages, working conditions, guarantee that\nsalaries earned are paid when they are caught and\ndeported, etc.\n3.\nAgree that all sorts of studies should be\nmade on the illegal question -- where they come from\nin Mexico -- why they come to the United States -- how\nmany illegals there are, etc. As long as they can\nconvince us to talk and study rather than taking any\naction, the status quo they desire will continue.\nCONF IDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\n-5-\n4.\nComplain that in the absence of firm informa-\ntion we are making \"unfair\" efforts to \"stir up\" our\npopulation, particularly in the southwest, by using\nestimates (8 million illegals of which 5 million are\nMexican) in public speeches, particularly by INS\nofficials.\n5.\nOffer palliatives (to show they are concerned\nabout \"doing something\" about the problem) such as\nsuggesting joint action against the smugglers of\nillegal aliens -- a suggestion we would want to accept,\nbut which would not really have any significant effect\non the flow of aliens across the border.\nThe US Position\nUS policy regarding illegal aliens has been limited\nto enforcement of current immigration law by INS. INS\nhas been hampered in its enforcement efforts by inade-\nquate resources. We have only very recently begun to\ndevelop the information and executive branch interest\nrequisite for a comprehensive policy approach and\npossible changes in the law as currently written. Our\nefforts should lead to a sharpened understanding of the\nimpact of illegals on our society and national interests\nupon which a policy position and specific actions could\nbe based. We perceive that there is a problem with\nCONPIDENTIAL\nCONF IDENTIAL\n-7-\n4.\nAn understanding on the part of the Mexicans\nthat there is increasing pressure within the US to\n\"do something\" about the problem -- pressure that, in\nthe absence of some evidence that the United States and\nMexico are taking actions, in the short range, to reduce\nthe flow may well lead the Congress and the Administration\nto adopt a tough unilateral policy that will be harmful\nto our bilateral relations.\n5.\nAgreement with the Mexicans to attack some of\nthe obvious problems like the question of the \"coyotes\"\nwho smuggle aliens, recognizing that cooperation in\nenforcement matters would be highly useful, but at the\nsame time understanding that such measures, while they\nmay result in good publicity, will not be sufficient\nto reduce the political and economic pressures to solve\nthe illegal alien problem.\n6.\nAgreement with the Mexicans to give continued\nattention to the illegal migrant problem, continue the\ndialogue regarding it, and mutually seek effective ways\nto reduce the problem.\nARA/MEX:J.T.Dreyfuss:mrg\n4/9/76 x-22415\nCONFIDENTIAL\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nAugust 20, 1976\nThanks, Dick\nDawn\nFORD LIBRARY\nUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE\nIMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE\nPLEASE ADDRESS REPLY TO\nWASHINGTON, D.C. 20536\nOFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER\nAND REFER TO THIS FILE NO.\nCO 1006-P\nDùch:\nDear Mr Parsons:\nThe Immigration and Naturalization Service recently commissioned\nThe Gallup Organization, Inc. to conduct a study of public attitudes to-\nward immigration and illegal aliens.\nThe study measured public attitudes on the following:\n1. level of immigration considered desirable;\n2. extent to which illegal aliens enter the U. S.;\n3. extent to which the problem of illegal aliens\nhas been read or heard about;\n4. seriousness of the problem of illegal aliens;\n5. types of problems resulting from presence of illegal\naliens and seriousness of certain of these problems;\n6. extent of agreement with possible actions to deal\nwith the illegal alien problem.\nThe findings are based upon the responses of 1,549 adults who were\npersonally interviewed and who are representative of the civilian popula-\ntion 18 years of age and over living in the United States.\nFollowing are some of the significant findings of the survey and the\npages in which more detailed data is available in the complete publication\nof the results.\n74 percent of the respondents termed the illegal alien\nproblem as \"very serious\" or \"somewhat serious\". Pages\n12 & 13.\n87 percent of the respondents said that the taking of jobs\nfrom legal residents by illegal aliens was a \"serious prob-\nlem\" or \"somewhat of a serious problem\". 88 percent of the\nrespondents of Latin American ethnic origin expressed the\nsame attitudes. Page 17.\nAMERICAN REVOLUTION\n1/16-1976\n- 2 -\n83 percent of those asked expressed the opinion that\nthe depressing of wages by illegal aliens is a \"seri-\nous problem\" or \"somewhat of a serious problem,\" with\n54 percent expressing the stronger opinion. 81 per-\ncent of persons asked who were of Latin American ethnic\norigin expressed these same opinions, with 61 percent\nstating the stronger opinion. Page 17.\nThe majority of Americans (80%) agree that there should\nbe a law against hiring illegal aliens with 62 percent\nstating that they \"agree strongly\" with such a statement.\nPages 18 & 19.\nThe survey certainly seems to substantiate that the majority of the\nAmerican public is concerned about the problem of illegal aliens taking\njobs and impacting in other ways upon our society and economy, and that\nmost people believe there should be a law against hiring illegals.\nI am enclosing for your interest a copy of the survey. Please call\nme if you would like additional copies or if I can answer any questions\nabout the survey.\nSincerely,\nEuapman L. F. Chapman Jr.\nCommissioner\nHonorable Richard D. Parsons\nAssistant Director and Counsel\nDomestic Council\nThe White House\nWashington, D. C. 20500\nEnclosure\nTHE GALLUP STUDY OF\nATTITUDES TOWARD\nILLEGAL ALIENS\nCONDUCTED FOR:\nTHE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE\nTHE GALLUP ORGANIZATION, INC.\n53 BANK STREET\nPRINCETON, NEW JERSEY\nJUNE, 1976\nTABLE OF CONTENTS\nPage\nNumber\nINTRODUCTION\n1\nTHE QUESTIONS ASKED\n2\nSUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS\n4\nExtent to Which Public has Heard or Read About the\nProblem of Illegal Aliens\n5\nPerceived Number of Illegal Aliens Entering the Country\n6\nShould Immigration Policy be Changed\n10\nSeriousness of the Problem of Illegal Aliens\n12\nProblems Resulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens\n14\nSeriousness of Selected Problems Caused by Presence\nof Illegal Aliens\n16\nWhat Should be Done\n18\nThe Gallup Crganization: Inc\n1.\nINTRODUCTION\nThis is a report on a study of public attitudes toward immigration\nand illegal aliens. Specific objectives included the determination of\nthe following:\n1. Level of immigration considered desirable.\n2. Perceived extent to which illegal aliens enter the U.S.\n3. Extent to which the problem of illegal aliens has been\nread or heard about.\n4.\nPerceived seriousness of the problem of illegal aliens.\n5. Types of problems resulting from presence of illegal aliens\nand perceived seriousness of certain of these problems.\n6. Extent of agreement with selected possible actions to be\ntaken to deal with the problem of illegal aliens.\nDesign of the Research\nThe findings are based on the responses of 1,549 adults. Personal\ninterviews were conducted between April 23 and 27, 1976, as part of the\nGallup Omnibus. Information about the design and composition of the\nsample can be found in the Technical Appendix. Also in the technical\nappendix are tables of sampling tolerances recommended for consideration\nof percentage differences within the report. The questions asked are\ngiven on the following pages.\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc\n2.\nTHE QUESTIONS ASKED\nEVERYONE WAS ASKED:\n1. Currently 400,000 immigrants are allowed to enter the U.S. each year. Do\nyou feel we should allow more than 400,000, allow fewer than 400,000, or\nmaintain our policy?\nALL THOSE WHO ANSWERED \"MORE\" IN QUESTION 1 WERE ASKED:\n2. Would you favor or oppose allowing as many immigrants to come as wish to\ncome?\nALL THOSE WHO ANSWERED \"FEWER\" IN QUESTION 1 WERE ASKED:\n3. Would you favor or oppose stopping immigration altogether?\nEVERYONE WAS ASKED:\n4. How many aliens would you say enter this country illegally every year?\nWould you say a large number, a fair number, or only a small number?\n5. How much of a problem do you think illegal aliens are in this country --\nwould you say they are a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem,\nor not too serious a problem?\n6. Have you read or heard anything recently about the problem of illegal\naliens?\n7. In the past few years would you say that fewer or more aliens are entering\nthis country illegally, or has there been no change?\n8. What problems, if any, result from the presence of illegal aliens in this\ncountry?\n9. I am going to read a number of problems that some feel are created by the\npresence of illegal aliens in this country. For each that I read, tell\nme if you feel this is a serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a\nproblem.\nIllegal aliens take away jobs from legal residents.\nIllegal aliens are often involved in criminal activities.\nIllegal aliens bring down wages by working for less pay.\nIllegal aliens often collect unemployment or welfare and are\na drain on the taxpayer.\n-\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc.\n3.\n10. I am going to read you some statements that have been made concerning the\nmatter of illegal aliens. As I read each statement, tell ne the extent to\nwhich you agree or disagree with each statement. (RESPONDENT WAS SHOWN A\nCARD LISTING THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS).\nCongress should pass a law to make it illegal for an employer\nto hire an illegal alien.\nIllegal aliens should be given a chance to become U.S. Citizens.\nIllegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back to where they\ncame from.\nCertain types of businesses need inexpensive labor and should be\nallowed to hire illegal aliens.\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc\nSUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc.\n5.\nExtent to Which Public Has Heard or Read About the Problem of Illegal Aliens\nThe question: Have you read or heard anything recently about the problem\nof illegal aliens?\nAbout half (52%) of those questioned indicated that they had read or heard\nsomething recently about the problem of illegal aliens. Respondents living in\nthe West, particularly those in states bordering on Mexico, were especially\nlikely to have heard or read about the problem, over two thirds responding yes\nto the question. In addition, upper socio-economic groups were more likely than\nlower, and men more likely than women, to say they had heard or read recently\nabout the problem of illegal aliens.\nDon't\nNumber of\nYes\nNo\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n52\n48\n*\n100\n(1549)\nSex\nMen\n58\n42\n*\n100\n(770)\nWomen\n46\n54\n*\n100\n(779)\nEducation\nCollege\n65\n35\n*\n100\n(508)\nHigh School\n51\n49\n*\n100\n(818)\nGrade School\n31\n68\n1\n100\n(215)\nAnnual Family Income\n$15,000 and over\n61\n39\n*\n100\n(605)\n$10,000 - $14,999\n54\n46\n*\n100\n(352)\n$5,000 - $9,999\n46\n54\n*\n100\n(285)\nUnder $5,000\n35\n64\n1\n100\n(268)\nRegion\nEast\n54\n46\n0\n100\n(434)\nMidwest\n43\n57\n*\n100\n(421)\nSouth\n48\n52\n*\n100\n(434)\nWest\n67\n33\n*\n100\n(260)\nMexican Border\n69\n31\n#\n100\n(262)\n*\nLess than one-half of one percent.\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc.\n6.\nPerceived Number of Illegal Aliens Entering the Country\nThe questions: How many aliens would you say enter this country illegally\nevery year? Would you say a large number, a fair number,\nor only a small number?\nIn the past few years would you say that fewer or more aliens\nare entering this country illegally, or has there been no\nchange?\nNearly two-thirds (63%) of those asked said they thought a large number of\naliens entered the country illegally each year. Over half (58%) felt the number\nhas been increasing in the past few years. Respondents in upper socio-economic\ngroups were somewhat more likely to say a large number of illegal aliens enter\neach year. Of those living in the West and particularly in the Mexican border\nstates, however, the percentage was much higher (78% and 81% respectively). Re-\nspondents of Latin American descent were also particularly likely to say that\nlarge numbers of illegal aliens enter this country each year.\nAs might be expected, those who had heard or read something about the\nproblem were more likely to say that the number of illegal aliens entering is\nlarge, than those who hadn't heard or read anything (80% -vs- 44%). Even so,\namong those who hadn't heard or read about the problem, about half those who\nventured an opinion (44 out of 86%) thought that a large number of illegal\naliens were entering each year.\nThe Gallup Crganization Inc.\n7.\nNumber of Aliens Entering the Country\nLarge\nFair\nSmall\nDon't\nNumber of\nNumber\nNumber\nNumber\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n63\n22\n6\n9\n100\n(1549)\nSex\nMen\n68\n19\n7\n6\n100\n(770)\nWomen\n59\n25\n5\n11\n100\n(779)\nEducation\nCollege\n65\n24\n8\n3\n100\n(508)\nHigh School\n63\n23\n5\n9\n100\n(818)\nGrade School\n57\n19\n6\n18\n100\n(215)\nAnnual Family Income\n$15,000 and over\n67\n23\n5\n5\n100\n(605)\n$10,000 - $14,999\n63\n24\n6\n7\n100\n(352)\n$5,000 - $9,999\n60\n24\n7\n9\n100\n(285)\nUnder $5,000\n57\n18\n8\n17\n100\n(268)\nRegion\nEast\n61\n25\n5\n9\n100\n(434)\nMidwest\n54\n30\n7\n9\n100\n(421)\nSouth\n64\n18\n8\n10\n100\n(434)\nWest\n78\n14\n4\n4\n100\n(260)\nMexican border\n81\n12\n3\n4\n100\n(262)\nEthnic Origin\nLatin American\n81\n10\n7\n2\n100\n(58)\nOther Whites\n64\n23\n6\n7\n100\n(1317)\nRead/Heard About Problem\nYes\n80\n15\n2\n3\n100\n(832)\nNo\n44\n31\n11\n14\n100\n(709)\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc.\n8.\nAsked whether they thought the number of aliens entering illegally each year\nwas increasing or decreasing, much the same groups that thought that large numbers\nof aliens were entering illegally also thought that the number was increasing.\nInterestingly, respondents of Latin American descent deviated from this\npattern. Although 81% of them said that large numbers of illegal aliens entered\nthis country each year, only half of them (compared to 58% nationally) thought\nthis number had been increasing in recent years. Thirty-six percent, compared\nto 19% nationally, replied that there has been no change in recent years.\nThis contrasts with, for example, respondents in Mexican border states, of\nwhom 81% also thought that the number of aliens entering this country illegally\neach year is large, and 67% (significantly higher than the national average of\n58%) responded that the number has been increasing in recent years.\nDon't\nNumber of\nMore\nNo Change\nFewer\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n58\n19\n7\n16\n100\n(1549)\nSex\nMen\n62\n18\n7\n13\n100\n(770)\nWomen\n54\n19\n7\n20\n100\n(779)\nEducation\nCollege\n66\n15\n8\n11\n100\n(508)\nHigh School\n57\n19\n7\n17\n100\n(818)\nGrade School\n47\n25\n3\n25\n100\n(215)\nAnnual Family Income\n$15,000 and over\n66\n16\n8\n10\n100\n(605)\n$10,000 - $14,999\n58\n18\n7\n17\n100\n(352)\n$5,000 - $9,999\n54\n20\n6\n20\n100\n(285)\nUnder $5,000\n48\n23\n4\n25\n100\n(268)\nContinued\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc.\n9.\nContinued\nDon't\nNumber of\nMore\nNo Change\nFewer\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nRegion\nEast\n60\n16\n8\n16\n100\n(434)\nMidwest\n50\n26\n6\n18\n100\n(421)\nSouth\n57\n17\n7\n19\n100\n(434)\nWest\n68\n15\n5\n12\n100\n(260)\nMexican border\n67\n16\n5\n12\n100\n(262)\nEthnic Origin\nLatin American\n50\n36\n5\n9\n100\n(58)\nOther Whites\n60\n18\n7\n15\n100\n(1317)\nRead/Heard about Problem\nYes\n75\n13\n5\n7\n100\n(832)\nNo\n40\n25\n9\n26\n100\n(709)\nHow Many Aliens Enter\nLarge number\n71\n16\n5\n8\n100\n(967)\nFair number\n46\n22\n13\n19\n100\n(348)\nSmall number\n22\n49\n14\n15\n100\n(101)\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc.\n10.\nShould Immigration Policy be Changed\nThe questions:\nCurrently 400,000 immigrants are allowed to enter the\nU.S. each year. Do you feel we should allow more than\n400,000, allow fewer than 400,000, or maintain our policy.\n(IF \"MORE\") Would you favor or oppose allowing as many\nimmigrants to come as wish to come?\n(IF \"FEWER\") Would you favor or oppose stopping immigra-\ntion altogether?\nThe majority of Americans (52%) favor allowing fewer immigrants to enter\nthe U.S. each year than are currently admitted. Over one in six (18%) favor\nstopping immigration altogether. Only 5% favor allowing more to enter, while\n37% think the current level of immigration should be maintained.\nHaving heard or read about the problem of illegal aliens has virtually\nno effect on the attitudes of people toward United States immigration policy.\nMost inclined to favor stopping immigration altogether are those respondents\nwith grade school education (29%), manual laborers and farmers (23%), those in\nthe South (26%), and those who think large numbers of illegal aliens are entering\nthe country each year (22%).\nThose whose ethnic origin is Eastern European or Latin American are most\nlikely to favor increasing the number of immigrants admitted each year.\nImmigrants Allowed to Enter U.S.\nMaintain\nFewer but\nDon't\nNumber of\nMore\nSame\nNot Stopped\nStop\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n5\n37\n34\n18\n6\n100\n(1549)\nEducation\nCollege\n10\n44\n30\n10\n6\n100\n(508)\nHigh School\n3\n37\n35\n19\n6\n100\n(818)\nGrade School\n6\n24\n36\n29\n5\n100\n(215)\nContinued\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc\n11.\nContinued\nImmigrants Allowed to Enter U.S.\nMaintain\nFewer but\nDon't\nNumber of\nMore\nSame\nNot Stopped\nStop\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nOccupation\nWhite collar\n9\n44\n30\n12\n5\n100\n(511)\nBlue collar &\nfarmer\n3\n32\n37\n23\n5\n100\n(642)\nNon-labor force\n5\n35\n36\n18\n6\n100\n(321)\nRegion\nEast\n7\n38\n34\n16\n5\n100\n(434)\nMidwest\n4\n45\n31\n14\n6\n100\n(421)\nSouth\n6\n26\n35\n26\n7\n100\n(434)\nWest\n4\n39\n38\n15\n4\n100\n(260)\nMexican border\n7\n41\n34\n14\n4\n100\n(262)\nEthnic Origin\nEast European\n11\n47\n26\n10\n6\n100\n(138)\nLatin American\n13\n35\n42\n7\n3\n100\n(58)\nOther Whites\n4\n36\n35\n19\n6\n100\n(1179)\nRead/Heard About\nProblem\nYes\n7\n36\n36\n17\n4\n100\n(832)\nNo\n4\n38\n33\n18\n7\n100\n(709)\nNumber of Aliens\nEntering\nLarge number\n6\n33\n35\n22\n4\n100\n(967)\nFair number\n4\n45\n33\n10\n8\n100\n(348)\nSmall number\n11\n42\n38\n7\n2\n100\n(101)\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc\n12.\nSeriousness of the Problem of Illegal Aliens\nThe question: How much of a problem do you think illegal aliens are in\nthis country -- would you say they are a very serious prob-\nlem, a somewhat serious problem, or not too serious a prob-\nlem?\nAsked how serious a problem illegal aliens are in this country, 37% said\nvery serious, 37% said fairly serious, and 19% said not too serious.\nThere was little variation in these figures among socio-economic groups.\nYoung people were less likely than older people to view illegal aliens as\na serious problem. By region, those living in the West and the Mexican\nborder states were most concerned (51% in each said illegal aliens were\na serious problem), while those in the Midwest were least concerned (only 25%\nsaid \"serious problem\").\nHaving heard or read about the problem of illegal aliens made people much\nmore likely to regard them as a serious problem (50% -vs- 23%). This level of\nconcern was also directly related to the perceived number of illegal aliens\nentering the country.\nThe Gallup Crganization Inc.\n13.\nProblem of Illegal Aliens\nVery\nSomewhat\nNot Too\nDon't\nNumber of\nSerious\nSerious\nSerious\nKnow\nTotal\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n37\n37\n19\n7\n100\n(1549)\nAge\n18 - 34 years\n29\n44\n22\n5\n100\n(560)\n35 - 49 years\n44\n32\n17\n7\n100\n(383)\n50 years and over\n40\n33\n19\n8\n100\n(560)\nRegion\nEast\n40\n37\n18\n5\n100\n(434)\nMidwest\n25\n44\n24\n7\n100\n(421)\nSouth\n37\n34\n18\n11\n100\n(434)\nWest\n51\n31\n16\n2\n100\n(260)\nMexican border\n51\n32\n15\n2\n100\n(262)\nRead/Heard about Problem\nYes\n50\n35\n13\n2\n100\n(832)\nNo\n23\n40\n26\n11\n100\n(709)\nNumber of Aliens Entering\nLarge number\n51\n37\n10\n2\n100\n(967)\nFair number\n13\n49\n36\n2\n100\n(348)\nSmall number\n8\n23\n66\n3\n100\n(101)\nThe Gallup Crganization Inc\n14.\nProblems Resulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens\nThe question: What problems, if any, result from the presence of illegal\naliens in this country?\nEighty-two percent of those asked named at least one problem caused by the\npresence of illegal aliens.\nOver half (51%) mentioned that illegal aliens take jobs away from residents\nand another 20% said they were used for cheap labor. People in labor union\nhouseholds were more likely than others to give these reasons than members of\nnon-union households. Residents of the West and of the Mexican border states were\nalso particularly likely to mention these problems, as were those who had heard\nor read something about illegal aliens.\nOther frequently mentioned problems were \"increasing welfare rolls\" (13%)\nand, relatedly, \"we have to provide for them\" (12%). These categories are also\nmore frequently mentioned by those who have heard or read about the presence of\nillegal aliens and by those who consider them a serious problem. Interestingly,\nrespondents of Latin American heritage were less likely than others to mention\nthese problems (although they were equally likely to mention the previously\nreferred to labor related problems), while residents of the Mexican border\nstates in general were actually more likely to name these problems.\nCrime was mentioned as a problem by 12% of all respondents. This level\ndid not differ greatly by population groups with one exception - only 1% of\nthe respondents of Latin American heritage mentioned it.\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc.\n15.\nIncidence of Naming Selected Problems\nResulting from Presence of Illegal Aliens\nTake Jobs\nCheap\nIncrease\nProvide\nNumber of\nAway\nLabor\nWelfare\nFor Them\nCrime\nInterviews\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nNational\n51\n20\n13\n12\n12\n(1549)\nUnion Household\nYes\n55\n26\n12\n11\n13\n(349)\nNo\n50\n19\n13\n12\n11\n(1200)\nRegion\nEast\n57\n18\n15\n8\n13\n(434)\nMidwest\n46\n16\n9\n11\n10\n(421)\nSouth\n45\n17\n11\n14\n10\n(434)\nWest\n60\n37\n17\n16\n13\n(260)\nMexican border\n61\n34\n17\n21\n8\n(262)\nEthnic Origin\nLatin American\n58\n21\n8\n6\n1\n(58)\nOther Whites\n52\n21\n14\n13\n13\n(1317)\nRead/Heard about Problem\nYes\n62\n28\n17\n16\n13\n(832)\nNo\n39\n13\n8\n7\n10\n(709)\nSeriousness of Problem\nof Illegal Aliens\nVery serious\n62\n24\n20\n18\n13\n(568)\nSomewhat serious\n54\n20\n12\n11\n14\n(587)\nNot too serious\n35\n18\n4\n6\n7\n(295)\nThe Gallup Crganization. Inc.\n16.\nSeriousness of Selected Problems Caused by Presence of Illegal Aliens\nThe question: I am going to read a number of problems that some feel\nare created by the presence of illegal aliens in this\ncountry. For each that I read, tell me if you feel this\nis a serious problem, somewhat of a problem, or not a\nproblem.\nIllegal aliens take away jobs from legal residents.\nIllegal aliens are often involved in criminal\nactivities.\nIllegal aliens bring down wages by working for\nless pay.\nIllegal aliens often collect unemployment or welfare\nand are a drain on the taxpayer.\nResponses to this question echoed to a great degree responses to the\nunprompted question of what problems are created by the presence of illegal\naliens. Over half those asked felt that taking jobs away from legal residents,\nbringing down wages by working for less, and being a drain on the taxpayer were\nserious problems caused by illegal aliens. One in three (34%) responded that\ninv vement of illegal aliens with criminal activities was a serious problem.\nThose living in Mexican border states were less likely to feel that in-\nvolvement of illegal aliens in crime was a serious problem, but more likely to\nfeel that the other problems were serious. Respondents of Latin American\ndescent were more likely to say that a serious problem was caused by illegal\naliens taking away jobs from legal residents and bringing down wages, but\nconsiderably less likely than others to say that their involvement in criminal\nactivities and being a drain on taxpayers were serious problems.\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc.\n17.\nEthnic Origin\nRegion\nLatin\nOther\nMid-\nMexican\nNational\nAmerican\nWhite\nEast\nwest\nSouth\nWest\nBorder\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nTake Away Jobs From\nLegal Residents\nSerious problem\n57\n63\n58\n58\n50\n59\n66\n69\nSomewhat serious\nproblem\n30\n25\n31\n31\n39\n27\n22\n22\nNot a problem\n9\n10\n8\n8\n9\n8\n11\n8\nCan't say\n4\n2\n3\n3\n2\n6\n1\n1\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nOften Involved in\nCriminal Activity\nSerious problem\n34\n19\n36\n37\n31\n37\n30\n29\nSomewhat serious\nproblem\n37\n35\n39\n38\n38\n36\n38\n35\nNot a problem\n16\n35\n14\n16\n15\n11\n22\n25\nCan't say\n13\n11\n11\n9\n16\n16\n10\n11\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nBring Down Wages\nSerious problem\n54\n61\n53\n56\n47\n56\n60\n64\nSomewhat serious\nproblem\n29\n20\n31\n30\n35\n25\n24\n21\nNot a problem\n11\n13\n12\n10\n13\n10\n12\n12\nCan't say\n6\n6\n4\n4\n5\n9\n4\n3\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nCollect Unemployment\nSerious problem\n57\n47\n58\n60\n51\n59\n58\n63\nSomewhat serious\nproblem\n20\n17\n20\n19\n26\n19\n18\n18\nNot a problem\n12\n20\n12\n12\n12\n9\n14\n9\nCan't say\n11\n16\n10\n9\n11\n13\n10\n10\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nNumber of Interviews\n(1549)\n(58)\n(1317)\n(434)\n(421)\n(434)\n(260)\n(262)\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc.\n18.\nWhat Should be Done\nThe question: I am going to read you some statements that have been made\nconcerning the matter of illegal aliens. As I read each\nstatement, tell me the extent to which you agree or dis-\nagree with each statement.\nCongress should pass a Law to make it illegal for\nan employer to hire an illegal alien.\nIllegal aliens should be given a chance to become\nU.S. citizens.\nIllegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back\nto where they came from.\nCertain types of businesses need inexpensive labor\nand should be allowed to hire illegal aliens.\nThe majority of Americans agree strongly that there should be a law against\nhiring illegal aliens (62%) and say they disagree strongly with allowing certain\nbusinesses to hire illegal aliens (56%). These attitudes are particularly pro-\nnounced among upper socio-economic groups, skilled laborers, and members of union\nhouseholds.\nThe majority of Americans (58%) agree that illegal aliens should have a\nchance to become U.S. citizens. Paradoxically, a majority also agree (57%) that\nillegal aliens should be rounded up and sent back where they came from. Persons\nof Latin American and East European descent are most likely to feel that illegal\naliens should have the chance to be citizens, and least likely to agree that\nthey should be sent back where they came from. Those who have heard or read\nabout the problem are less likely to favor citizenship and more likely to favor\ndeportation.\nThe Gallup Organization. Ino\n19\nContinued\nAnnual Family Income\nUnion Household\n$15,000\n$10,000-\n$5,000-\nUnder\nNational\n& Over\n$14,999\n$9,999\n$5,000\nYes\nNo\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nShould Be Law Against\nHiring Illegal Aliens\nAgree strongly\n62\n68\n62\n58\n51\n66\n60\nAgree\n18\n18\n19\n19\n16\n19\n18\nDisagree\n9\n8\n10\n10\n14\n8\n10\nDisagree strongly\n6\n5\n7\n6\n7\n5\n6\nDon't know\n5\n1\n2\n7\n12\n2\n6\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nCertain Businesses\nShould Be Allowed to\nHire Illegal Aliens\nAgree strongly\n6\n5\n4\n6\n9\n6\n6\nAgree\n13\n11\n14\n15\n13\n11\n14\nDisagree\n19\n18\n22\n20\n19\n18\n19\nDisagree strongly\n56\n64\n58\n51\n42\n62\n54\nDon't know\n6\n2\n2\n8\n17\n3\n7\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nNumber of Interviews\n(1549)\n(605)\n(352)\n(285)\n(268)\n(349)\n(1200)\nThe Gallup Organization. Inc\n20.\nContinued\nRead/Heard\nEthnic Origin\nAbout Problem\nLatin\nEastern\nOther\nNon-\nNational\nAmerican\nEuropean\nWhite\nWhite\nYes\nNo\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\n%\nShould Have a Chance\nTo Become Citizens\nAgree strongly\n20\n28\n25\n19\n20\n18\n22\nAgree\n38\n52\n43\n36\n40\n37\n39\nDisagree\n15\n9\n12\n16\n12\n15\n15\nDisagree strongly\n22\n7\n18\n25\n16\n27\n17\nDon't know\n5\n4\n2\n4\n12\n3\n7\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nIllegal Aliens Should\nBe Sent Back\nAgree strongly\n33\n20\n26\n36\n20\n38\n28\nAgree\n24\n22\n25\n25\n23\n26\n23\nDisagree\n24\n38\n31\n22\n28\n22\n25\nDisagree strongly\n13\n16\n17\n12\n16\n11\n16\nDon't know\n6\n4\n1\n5\n13\n3\n8\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\n100\nNumber of Interviews\n(1549)\n(58)\n(138)\n(1179)\n(174)\n(832)\n(709)\nDOJ-1976-07\nThe Gallup Crganization Inc.\nSllegge\nCO 703.615\nSIGNED AND MAILED\nSEP 7 1976\nDear Mayor Heft:\nReference is made to your recent letter addressed to the President\nconcerning social and economic problems created by illegal Mexican aliens,\nwhich has been forwarded to this Service for reply.\nThe concern expressed by you is well founded and is shared by those\nof use in the Immigration and Naturalization Service. More and more are\nbecoming aware of the magnitude of the present influx of illegal aliens\nand of the adverse effects the presence of such aliens has on this coun-\ntry. We have received numerous letters from the public expressing support\nfor stringent immigration law enforcement and urzing the expansion of our\nofficer forces to regain control over the illegal entrants.\nOur best estimate is that there are approximately 6,500,000 illegal\naliens residing in the United States. Of that 6,500,000, we believe that\nat least 1,000,000 illegal aliens are holding good jobs. During calendar\nyear 1975, we located in the major cities nearly 56,000 illegal aliens\nwho were employed. Of that number, more than half were earning in excess\nof $2.50 an hour.\nA popular misconception is that illegal aliens work only in very\nmenial jobs. At the upper end of the earnings ladder, we find illegal\naliens regularly employed on construction projects running from $3.75 to\nnearly $10.00 an hour. We also find engineers and technicians earning\n$15,000 and even $20,000 a year or higher. Even at the lower end of the\nwage scale, we are confident that American youth, students and especially\nyoung people from the ghettos, where unemployment reaches as high as 60%,\ncan be found to take these jobs.\nA study recently completed by a consulting firm states that for\nevery one million adult illegal aliens there is a net tax burden of two\nbillion dollars. This study also states that the illegal alien popula-\ntion is increasing by 250,000 persons or more each year, adding at least\nfive hundred million dollars yearly to the tax burden. These cost figures\ndo not include the unknown amount of taxes that are evaded each year by\nillegal aliens. One Congressional committee estimated the tax loss at\n115 million dollars per year. The figures also do not include the American\ndollars sent out of this country to the detriment of our balance of pay-\nments. At least three billion dollars leave this country each year in the\nform of earnings of illegal aliens, which are then lost from our economy.\nGERALD FORD LIBRARY\n-2-\nBy displacing American workers and legal permanent residents the\nillegal alien causes increases in our unemployment rates, which, in turn,,\nplaces more persons on the welfare rolls. Other adverse factors involve\nlosses in income tax revenue and an unfavorable outflow of United States\ndollars to foreign countries. Experience has shown that some of the 11-\nlegal aliens are afflicted with communicable diseases which constitute a\nhealth hazard, and that hospital costs for the indigent illegal alien must\nbe borne by the American taxpayer.\nThis Service is very much aware that the illegal alien presence in\nthe United States does constitute a very serious problem which we are en-\ndeavoring to solve with every means at our command. You may be interested\nto learn that during Fiscal Year 1975, officers of our Service located\n756,819 deportable aliens and removed a large number of them from the\nUnited States. We believe that this is only a small fraction of the total\nnumber of deportable aliens now in this country. This Service currently\nhas a priority program in force designed to locate illegal aliens employed\nin jobs that can be made available to United States citizens or lawfully\nadmitted aliens who are authorized to accept employment. We are exerting\nevery effort within our manpower and fiscal limitations to provide a more\neffective control of the illegal alien population.\nYou should also be made aware of the fact that several bills have\nbeen introduced in the 94th Congress which impose penalties against em-\nployers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. If such legislation is enacted\ninto law, this Service will be in possession of an extremely valuable tool\nto be used in our search for a means to provide a more effective enforce-\nment program, given the necessary manpower and budgetary increases.\nThank you, Mayor Heft, for this opportunity to outline the problems\nin this area of increasing difficulty. You may be assured that every ef-\nfort is being made to solve this problem. Our Service office at Cleveland\nhas been advised of the problem you are experiencing with illegal aliens\nin Napoleon.\nSincerely,\nJames F. Greene\nDeputy Commissioner\nThe Honorable Robert G. Heft\nMayor of Napoleon\nPost Office Box 151\nBENALD FORD LIBRARY\nNapoleon, Ohio 43545\nCC: DISTRICT DIRECTOR, CLEVELAND - For your information.\nCC: RICHARD D. PARSONS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & COUNSEL DOMESTIC COUNCIL\nFor your information.\nMEMORANDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nINFORMATION/DECISION\nWASHINGTON\nSeptember 27, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR:\nJim Cannon\nJim Cavanaugh\nJim Lynn\nFROM:\nDick Parsons\nSUBJECT:\nPreliminary Report of the Domestic\nCouncil Committee on Illegal Aliens\nThe Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens has completed\nand is prepared to submit to the President a preliminary report.\nThough preliminary, the report is nevertheless quite substantive\nand shows that we have been doing a lot of thinking about this\nproblem.\nThe question arises as to whether the report should be made\npublic after submission to the President. I believe it\nshould, but would like your guidance.\nAs I see it, if we make the report public we can (a) further\nstimulate thought and discussion about this important issue;\n(b) get useful feedback on our preliminary thinking; and\n(c) demonstrate to the public that the Administration is not\nonly aware of the problem but that, pursuant to the President's\ndirection, is moving on it.\nOn the other hand, some of the substantive positions takes in\nthe report might be offensive to the Latin American community\n(e.g., the report comes down fairly hard on the law enforcement\nside). Moreover, the report raises more questions than it\nanswers, which could lead to criticism.\nI am seeking your guidance now (rather than after formal sub-\nmission of the report), SO that we can release the report shortly\nafter its submission to the President.\nTo enable you to get a feel for the report, I have attached\ncopies of the Executive Summary (Tab A) and of the final\nchapter, Summary of Conclusions (Tab B).\nCC: Art Quern (w/attachments)\nPreliminary Report\nDomestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens\nExecutive Summary\nIntroduction\nApprehensions of illegal aliens each year are\nalmost double the number of people who enter legally.\nIllegal aliens, traditionally from Mexico and concentrated\nin the Southwest, are from many nations and are found in\nmany areas of the country. The Domestic Council committee\nwas established to undertake a comprehensive review of\nthe issue and its implications. This preliminary report\nprovides an overview of the policy questions, assesses\ncurrent programs and knowledge and presents recommendations\nfor further action.\nChapter I - U.S. Immigration Law and Policy\nFor the first 150 years of our history immigration was\nunrestricted. In the late 1800's certain classes, such as\nconvicts, or national groups, such as Chinese, were excluded.\nIn 1921 numerical limits were introduced based on the concept\nof national origin quotas. A major recodification in 1952\nestablished three basic premises for immigration: family\nreunification, protection of jobs for the domestic labor force,\nand control of alien visitors. However the national origin\nV\nquota was maintained until 1965 when amendments replaced\nit with numerical hemispheric ceilings and introduced a\nfourth premise, that of asylum for refugees.\nImmigration from the Eastern Hemisphere is held at\n120,000 per year with a 20,000 per country limit. Admission\nis granted through a preference system which grants 74%\nof the places to relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent\naliens. The Western Hemisphere ceiling of 170,000 was\nadded at the last moment by Congress and operates on a\nfirst-come, first-serve basis with no preference system\nor per country limits. Labor certification by the Department\nof Labor is required for all non-relative classes from both\nhemispheres. The 1965 law is the statute which governs\nimmigration today and has, since 1965, had two major\neffects: (1) Immigration has increased by more than 100%\nover the 1924-1965 period; and (2) there has been a shift\naway from European groups toward Asian and Latin American\ngroups.\nThe worker importation provisions of the law apply to\nboth immigrants and temporary workers but they play a\nminimal role in the present policy scheme. Canada and\nAustralia, the two nations most similar to the U.S. in\nimmigration matters, weigh employment impact considerations\nheavily in their criteria for granting immigrant status.\nvi\nChapter II - Illegal Immigration: The Global Picture\nThe principal source of immigration to the United\nStates currently is Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican\nRepublic, Haiti, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, and\nChina. Demand for immigration is intense in these\ncountries and several have waiting lists of 2 years or\nmore. These countries are also among the major illegal\nalien source countries. The source countries have\nsimilar characteristics in three respects: rapid economic\nexpansion, high population growth rates, and links with\nthe U.S. This pattern will apply to increasing numbers\nof countries in the future and creates stong push forces\non individuals to migrate. These push forces combine\nwith the pull of available jobs and low risk of detection\nin the United States to produce illegal migration.\nThe phenomenon of migration occurs in streams\naccording to certain principles among which the difficulty\nof intervening obstacles and development of counterstreams\nare prominent. The porcess is not responsive to legal\nlimits but rather its own self-sustaining momentum. Policy\nwill have to address the fundamental principles of push-pull\nand migration to be successful.\nIllegal immigration is from many countries but Mexico\nis a major source for reasons of both history and geography.\nvii\nThe governments of the U.S. and Mexico have established\nbilateral discussions on the issue. However, the illegal\nmigration issue has not been of concern to policymakers\nin the governance of our relations with other source\nnations. Actions discouraging illegal entry may compete\nwith other foreign policy goals, e.g. tourism. However,\nillegal immigration merits a far higher and more generalized\nlevel of attention in our conduct of foreign affairs.\nChapter III - Law Enforcement\nThere is a long history of U.S.-Mexico border enforcement\nin immigration matters. Thus the majority of our enforcement\neffort is directed at this aspect of illegal immigration.\nIllegal entrants from other nations are a relatively\nrecent development that requires significantly different\ntechniques.\nThe Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has\nprimary responsibility for immigration enforcement. It is\naided by the Department of State which issues visas overseas.\nPrevention of illegal entry is the agency priority and is\ndone through inspection of individuals at ports of entry\nand policing our land and borders between ports. INS also\ncarries on investigative activities within our borders\nviii\nagainst illegals who escape detection at entry. Recent\ncourt decisions have limited INS' latitude in the interior\nmaking prevention more important.\nSeveral agencies have enforcement roles which are\nrelated to illegal immigration. They are the Social\nSecurity Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S.\nCustoms Service, and the Wage and Hour division of the\nDepartment of Labor. The Committee has evaluated current\nand proposed additional means of interagency cooperation\namong them and INS and the Department of State. Experience\nhas shown that cooperation on enforcement matters is\ndifficult when the agency is service oriented such as the\nSocial Security Administration. However, much can be done\nto increase the effectiveness of enforcement with the\ntools presently available both among and within the\nagencies concerned.\nIn addition to improved interagency efforts, certain\ndisincentives to illegal migration are needed which require\nlegislation. The disincentives are designed to lessen the\neconomic pull which draws illegals to the U.S., discourage\nthe use of the law to gain time and establish equity for\nimmigration benefits, increase enforcement authorities\nto aid in capturing smugglers and the like, and streamline\nthe law of anachronistic provisions which detract from\nmore important tasks.\nix\nChapter IV - The Illegal Alien: A Soft Portrait\nJudging the impact of illegal aliens on our society\nrequires information which is extremely sketchy at best.\nData deficiencies center on the difficulty of counting\nand describing a clandestine population, the unrepresenta-\ntiveness of using only apprehended and Mexican illegals.\nSeveral studies were reviewed and a composite description\nof the illegal includes personal characteristics by\nnationality, origin within native country, age, sex,\neducation, marital status, language ability, and\nmotivation; characteristics of entry by entry without\ninspection, visa abuse and others; characteristics of\nresidence by location, mobility, and wage remissions;\nand characteristics of work place. The major points of\nagreement are that the principal impact of illegals is in\nthe labor market rather than on social services, that language\nability is an important determinant in the type of employ-\nment, and significant percentages of earnings are returned\nto the illegals' native country.\nChapter V - Domestic Impact of Illegal Aliens: The Issues\nof Employment and Earnings\nBecause research on illegal aliens is in an embryonic\nstate, an exposition of domestic impact remains tentative.\nX\nThere are several hypotheses concerning the economic\nimpact of illegals: (a) low skilled illegal alien workers\ncompete with low skilled natives depressing their wages\nand tending to increase earnings of skilled workers and\nowners of capital; (b) illegal aliens create unemployment\nby taking vacant jobs; and (c) illegal aliens take more\nfrom the system in services than they contribute in taxes.\nThe data currently available cannot provide answers. At\nbest it indicates certain directions.\nUseful information may be obtained from analyses\non the foreign born and their impact in combination with\nwhat is known about illegals. Earnings of the foreign\nborn rise with tenure in the U.S. and after 13 or more\nyears are substantially the same as natives. This implies\nthat if undetected, illegals would have the same profile as\nnatives and therefore would not remain a cheap labor source.\nThe analysis does not hold for Hispanics, an important\nillegal alien characteristic, nor does it incorporate the\nillegality factor as a barrier to upward mobility.\nThe termination of the bracero program showed that\nsudden removal of alien labor opened jobs which natives\ntook at improved wages without driving employers out of\nbusiness.\nxi\nEuropean countries have made extensive use of temporary\nforeign workers who have made positive contributions to\neconomic growth but who have not returned as planned and\ncreate problems during times of economic slowdown.\nChapter VI - Illegal Immigration: Social Issues\nMigrants moving into new areas resettle according to\nfour stages. First, young, unmarried males predominate\nfollowed by married men. In the third stage, they marry\nor send for their families and settle permanently attracting\nsupporting populations of employers, businesses, etc. in\nthe final stage. Restrictions to keep migration temporary\nrarely work and the last stage is frequently marked by\ntension with the native population. Different parts of the\nU.S. may be experiencing different stages of settlement\nat this time.\nWithin the context of settlement, the welfare issue\nor use of income transfer programs by illegals has received\nmuch attention. These programs are examined and with the\npossible exception of food stamps, which restrict eligibility\non the basis of citizenship, illegals are unlikely to qualify\nbased on age, sex and other personal characteristics.\nDefinitive judgment must await better information on the\ncharacteristics of illegals and the settlement stage (s) of\nvarious groups and areas.\nxii\nSeveral other social issues raised by illegal\nimmigration are population growth, INS enforcement,\nanti-alien sentiment and federal-state-local relations.\nImmigration is one of the major aspects of our population\ngrowth as a nation. If the net number of illegals is\nat least equal to our net immigration, the numerical\nimpact is a central factor in growth.\nINS enforcement causes community resentment and\nhostility in many areas, particularly in ethnic communities.\nThe greatest degree of support is to be found with\nemployer targeted enforcement; serious difficulties\naccompany residence based efforts. This potential\nfor strife is also apparent in anti-illegal alien\norganizing in some large urban areas.\nThe federal government has not worked closely with\nother units of government on illegal alien issues although\nthese are the levels at which immediate impacts are keenly\nfelt. The existence of underground communities which\nactively avoid government presents significant problems\nwhich require cooperation and coordination to prevent.\nChapter VII - Dilemmas for the Future\nBeyond the issues and topics discussed in the report,\nimmigration matters lead to large philoscphical and policy\nquestions for the society which will only be answered over\nxiii\ntime. Some of the general areas within which immigration\nis or should be an important component are government control\nover individuals in law enforcement matters, research\nmethodologies and the limitations of information, long-\nrange foreign policy priorities and imperatives, and\nthe limits of and potential for growth.\nThe conclusions of the report and recommendations\nmake up Chapter VIII.\nxiv\n- 213 -\nCHAPTER VIII\nCONCLUSIONS AND MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS\nIn drawing conclusions and formulating recommendations,\nit is important to reemphasize the preliminary nature of\nthis report. The illegal immigration phenomenon is\ncomplex and an interagency examination of this issue is\na very recent development. The charge to the Domestic\nCouncil Committee was to develop a comprehensive approach\nto the issue. In furtherance of that goal, this report\nattempts to provide a clear statement of the issue in its\nbroad terms, assess current information, and chart the\nprocess and tasks through which the executive branch of\ngovernment should proceed as a result.\nOne clear theme of this report is that a dramatic\nlack of reliable information makes thorough analysis of\nillegal immigration impossible at this time. Thus the\nconclusions which the Committee has drawn are tentative\nand subject to revision. Nevertheless the Committee\nbelieves that certain judgments can and should be made\nat this time in an effort to channel further inquiry\nin a productive fashion.\nCONCLUSIONS\n1. Illegal immigration is rooted in powerful\nsocial and economic forces endemic to both\nhost and sending countries.\nHistorically Mexico has been and remains a\nmajor source of illegal entrants to the United States.\n- 214 -\nHowever illegal immigration today involves many\nnations and new migration streams. Sending countries\nare typically rapidly developing nations where\nrising expectations combined with population\npressure have far surpassed the ability of economic\ngrowth, albeit substantial, to narrow significantly\nthe income gap with the U.S. Thus pressure to emigrate\nis intense, and large numbers of people have already\nemigrated to the United States legally from source\ncountries as a result of 1965 amendments to the\nImmigration and Nationality Act (INA). The act\nmarkedly changed legal immigration to permit large\nnumbers of Latin and Asian origin groups and to\ndiminish numbers of Europeans who migrate. Illegal\nimmigration must be studied in the context of\nmigration incentives and the law governing legal\nentry. United States employers seek foreign workers\nfor many kinds of work. Thus economic opportunity\nand kinship and culture ties in the U.S. combine\nwith migration pressures to create potent push-pull\nforces which the INA was not designed to check.\n2. Illegal immigration is significant and growing.\nCurrent estimates of the stock and flow of illegal\naliens are educated guesses at best. Establishing these\nnumbers in a credible fashion is important. Although\n- 215 -\nsound numbers are not available, the relevant point\nfor current policy purposes is that the illegal immi-\ngration phenomenon is significant and growing. Our\nimmigration policy, as promulgated under the INA, is\nineffective. Our official commitment is to an\nexclusionary policy founded in history and domestic\npolitical considerations which allows approximately\n400,000 foreign-born to take up permanent legal\nresidence in this country per annum. The de facto\nsituation is quite the opposite in that a combination\nof legal loopholes and incentives, enforcement\ninadequacies, and international push-pull forces have\ncreated virtually open immigration to the U.S.\nAnalysis of this combination of factors leads\ninevitably to the conclusion that a trend has been\nestablished which is likely to grow if present cir-\ncumstances persist.\n3. The major impact of illegal aliens at this time\nseems to be in the labor market. This impact is\nlikely to extend over time to other areas as the\nprocess of settlement proceeds.\nIllegal aliens compete effectively with native\nworkers, particularly with the minimally skilled and\nunder-employed, although the degree to which they\nactually displace native workers is unclear. These\nimmigrants raise the income of owners of capital and\n- 216 -\nland and of highly skilled workers and lower prices\nto consumers of goods and services they help produce.\nThus certain legal residents gain and others, parti-\ncularly those with few skills, lose from the presence\nof illegal aliens. However the unskilled labor which\nthe illegal generally contributes in the early stages\nof migration later tends to be offset by the costs\nincurred in the latter stages of migration when new\ncommunities of families must be absorbed. This\nresult occurs during settlement, the end-product of\nmigration. Initially the migrant generally intends\nto emigrate only temporarily. However his aspirations,\nobjectives and opportunities become attached to the\nhost country so that he eventually remains, establish-\ning or sending for family rather than returning.\n4. The government should no longer ignore the\ncommunity-related implications of large numbers\nof illegal aliens.\nThe ineffectiveness of the INA has helped to\ncreate communities concentrated in our largest urban\ncenters whose existence depends on avoidance of law\nand authority. Breeding these conditions signals\nlong-run negative social implications for ethnic\nAmericans and for the ability of state and local\nunits of government to function effectively. Aside\nfrom the question of economic impact, the ramifica-\ntions of harboring large numbers of people in illegal\n- 217 -\nstatus are undesirable and contribute to a breakdown\nin the institutions and systems upon which we depend\nfor fair government.\n5. Effective enforcement of the Immigration and\nNationality Act must stress prevention above all\nother considerations.\nIt is vastly more desirable from both a policy\nand a resources standpoint to prevent entry of the\nillegal or screen out potential illegals before\narrival than to locate and apprehend the illegal\nonce he is in the U.S. This strategy is currently\naccepted but it will require more adequate resources\nfor both the State Department and the Immigration and\nNaturalization Service, improved management and\ntactics, legislation, and greater cooperation among\nfederal agencies with related enforcement responsi-\nbilities to be effective.\n6. Effective enforcement is not enough. The illegal\nalien issue is ultimately an issue of immigration\npolicy and will not be satisfactorily met until\na thorough rethinking of our immigration policy\nis undertaken.\nWho may enter this country for what periods of\ntime under which circumstances are the questions we\nmust, as a nation, answer. These questions in turn\nraise questions about employment, population, and\n- 218 -\nother broad policy areas. The law must be revised\nto incorporate current and future realities not\nenvisaged in the 1965 deliberations in which our\npresent system was formulated. The executive branch\nmust provide leadership and take an active role in\nthe development of a better immigration policy.\nSerious study, widespread discussion, public educa-\ntion, interagency coordination, adequate resource\nallocation, policy analysis, planning, and coopera-\ntion with state and local levels of government are\nall needed.\nThe recommendations set forth below do not pre-\nclude the more specific recommendations contained at\nthe end of individual chapters. Specific chapter\nrecommendations will presumably be implemented as\npart of the overall follow-up to this preliminary\nreport by the Committee in accordance with the major\nrecommendations below. The Committee does not\nbelieve any single element among its recommendations\ncan solve the illegal alien problem. It does believe\nthat the cumulative effect of implementing the\nrecommendations which follow will be to slow the\nflow of illegal aliens significantly and to take\nmajor strides toward the development of a more\neffective immigration policy.\n- 218 -\nother broad policy areas. The law must be revised\nto incorporate current and future realities not\nenvisaged in the 1965 deliberations in which our\npresent system was formulated. The executive branch\nmust provide leadership and take an active role in\nthe development of a better immigration policy.\nSerious study, widespread discussion, public educa-\ntion, interagency coordination, adequate resource\nallocation, policy analysis, planning, and coopera-\ntion with state and local levels of government are\nall needed.\nThe recommendations set forth below do not pre-\nclude the more specific recommendations contained at\nthe end of individual chapters. Specific chapter\nrecommendations will presumably be implemented as\npart of the overall follow-up to this preliminary\nreport by the Committee in accordance with the major\nrecommendations below. The Committee does not\nbelieve any single element among its recommendations\ncan solve the illegal alien problem. It does believe\nthat the cumulative effect of implementing the\nrecommendations which follow will be to slow the\nflow of illegal aliens significantly and to take\nmajor strides toward the development of a more\neffective immigration policy.\n- 219 -\nMAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS\n1. The issue of illegal immigration merits priority\nattention and requires Cabinet leadership. Actions\nto be taken cross many bureaucratic and agency lines\nand will require continued coordination and direction\nat the highest level.\n2. The executive branch should aggressively pursue\nthe enactment of legislation which relates directly\nto the illegal alien question and which the executive\nbranch has supported in the past. Such legislative\nactions include:\n(a) penalties for employers who knowingly hire\naliens not authorized to work;\n(b) application of the preference system and\nforeign state limitations to Western Hemis-\nphere immigration in a manner similar to\nthat regulating Eastern Hemisphere immigra-\ntion;\n(c) thorough revision of the labor certification\nprovisions of the current law so that immi-\ngrants admitted for employment fall within\nprescribed quotas and individual certifications\nare eliminated;\n(d) establishing a minimum age of 21 years for\nWestern Hemisphere aliens to confer\nimmigration benefits upon a parent as pertains\nto Eastern Hemisphere aliens;\n- 220 -\n(e) advancement of the eligibility date for\nestablishing a record of admission for lawful\npermanent residence from June 30, 1948 to\nJuly 1, 1968; and\n(f) increased penalties for persons who smuggle\nor facilitate illegal immigration.\n3. The Committee should evaluate the current H-2 or\ntemporary worker program authorized by the INA to\ndetermine if it is adequate, both from an administra-\ntive and statutory standpoint, to meet the legitimate\nneeds of employers for temporary foreign workers. It\nshould further assess the United States experience\nwith the bracero program and the experiences of other\nnations with guest worker programs. An expanded,\ngovernment to government foreign worker program should\nnot be sought at this time. However, means of\nimproving the government's responsiveness to employers\nunder current law should be developed if necessary.\n4. The agencies administering the INA -- INS and the\nDepartment of State -- should receive high priority\nin the allocation of resources directed at prevention\nof and screening for illegal entries, management and\noperational upgrading, and inter-Departmental coor-\ndination.\n5. The Committee should carefully study and make\nrecommendations on all aspects of the question of\n- 221 -\nadjustment of status for illegal aliens already in\nthe country. The Committee recognizes that massive\ndeportation is both inhumane and impractical and\nadvocates reasonable but relaxed standards for illegals\nalready here. However support for some form of\nadjustment of status relief is contingent upon\npassage of legislation described in recommendation #2\nof this section.\n6. The Department of State should undertake serious,\nhigh-priority exchanges with governments of the major\nillegal alien sending countries on the illegal migra-\ntion issue, visa controls, and U.S. domestic pressures\nand activity surrounding the illegal alien. U.S.\nforeign aid and other efforts toward less developed\nnations should be encouraged, but with greater\nemphasis on factors that would reduce the pressures\nthat encourage migration, e.g., population planning,\nrural economic development and labor intensive programs.\n7. The Committee and the cognizant federal agencies should\ninitiate and support a broad based research program to\ndetermine the nature and scope of the various immigration\nrelated problems. This must include research within\ngovernment agencies as well as through contracting with\noutside individuals and institutions, involvement of\nother levels of government and consultation with a wide\nvariety of experts in many disciplines. Relevant economic,\n1 1 222\nsociological, demographic and labor market data are\nneeded to adequately examine existing policies and\nupdate them.\n8. The Committee should initiate a thorough re-\nexamination of the basic precepts and operations of\ncurrent immigration policy with the goal of developing\nproposals and systems which are based on information\ndeveloped through careful study and research and\nwidespread discussion among affected interest groups\nand the general public.\nPRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS: GERALD R. FORD, 1976\n1513\nby this issue and last week's issue but which are not carried\nAfter the meeting, the President met with Republican\nelsewhere in the issues.\nVice-Presidential candidate Senator Robert Dole. Senator\nOctober 6\nDole had also been a participant in the steering committee\nThe White House announced that on October 5, the\nmeeting.\nPresident had directed the National Security Council to\nOctober 12\nprepare for him as soon as possible a report on the radio-\nThe President left the White House Tuesday morning\nactive fallout on the Eastern United States, and that the\nfor a trip to New York and New Jersey.\nPresident expected the report today.\nFollowing his motorcade tour of Brooklyn, the Presi-\nThe White House announced that Charles Miller, the\ndent traveled to the Sloan-Kettering Hospital in Manhat-\ncaptain of the Mayaguez, telephoned the President this\ntan to visit Senator Hubert Humphrey, who is recovering\nmorning to express his displeasure and disagreement with\nfrom a recent operation.\nthe report of the General Accounting Office on the Maya-\nWhile in New York City, the President met with a\nguez incident and, that the President invited Captain\ngroup of editors, publishers, and media executives in the\nMiller to meet with him in San Francisco and attend the\nBeekman Room at the New York Hilton Hotel.\nsecond Presidential debate as his guest.\nOctober 13\nOctober 7\nOn Wednesday morning, the President was interviewed\nDuring his visit to Los Angeles, the President met with\nby Barbara Walters of ABC News at the New York Hilton\nAdam Malik, Foreign Minister of Indonesia, at the Bev-\nHotel in New York City. After arriving in New City,\nerly Hilton Hotel.\nN.Y., the President was interviewed by Walter Cronkite\nOctober 8\nof CBS News at the Rockland County Courthouse.\nFollowing his remarks at the President Ford Committee\nThe President returned from his trip to New York and\nreception at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, the President\nNew Jersey early Wednesday evening.\nwent by car to the Casa Adobe Historical Site in Glendale,\nOctober 14\nCalif. After briefly touring the site, the President met in\nThe President received a swine flu vaccination from\nthe courtyard with Mexican-American leaders from South-\nDr. William M. Lukash, Physician to the President, in\nern California.\nDr. Lukash's office at the White House.\nWhile at the Montego Bay Motor Hotel in Lawton,\nThe President today declared a major disaster for the\nOkla., the President met in the Game Room with a group\nState of Maryland as a result of severe storms and flood-\nof wheat farmers during a forum hosted by Senators\ning beginning about October 8, 1976, which caused ex-\nDewey Bartlett and Henry Bellmon, of Oklahoma. Follow-\ntensive public, private, and agricultural property dam-\ning the forum, the President attended a meeting of cattle-\nage. The President's action will permit the use of Federal\nmen in the Caribbean Room.\nfunds in relief and recovery efforts in designated areas\nOctober 9\nof the State.\nDuring his visit to Dallas, Tex., the President attended\nThe President participated in an interview with editors\nthe football game between the University of Texas and\nof various ethnic news publications.\nthe University of Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl.\nRepresentatives of the American Jewish Press Associa-\nOctober 10\ntion and other Jewish newspapers interviewed the\nPresident.\nIn the afternoon, the President left Dallas, Tex., and\nreturned to the White House.\nThe President and Mrs. Ford gave a dinner in honor\nOctober 11\nof Miss Martha Graham, dancer, teacher, choreographer,\nand the founder of the Martha Graham Dance Company.\nThe President met with Yigal Allon, Deputy Prime\nMinister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Israel, to\nFollowing the dinner, the President presented Miss\nGraham with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.\nreview the situation in the Middle East and the state of\nbilateral relations between the United States and Israel,\nOctober 15\nand to reaffirm the traditional friendship uniting the two\nThe President today declared an emergency for the\nnations. The meeting was held in the Oval Office at the\nState of Virginia because of the impact of a drought. The\nWhite House.\nPresident's action will permit the use of Federal funds\nThe President met with the President Ford Committee\nin relief and recovery efforts in designated areas of the\nSteering Committee to discuss the Presidential campaign.\nState.\n10-19-76 3:06 Press office\nRemarks not recorded.\nVolume 12-Number 42\nFORD is LIBRARY\npen: Mary Burke\nW.S. JourNAl\nH.R 14535\n10-11-76 P.2.\nCarter will blunder again, as he did several\ntimes last month. However, the President\nisn't reduced to merely waiting for Demo-\ncratic errors to occur. He is already taking\nadvantage of his incumbency to woo various\ninterest groups with promises and actions.\nIn recent days, Mr. Ford has:\n-Imposed a quota on meat imports for\ncalendar 1976, when such shipments exceed\n1.28 billion pounds. Cattle raisers had urged\nsuch action and Mr. Carter had challenged\nMr. Ford to do it. The Agriculture Depart-\nment has estimated meat imports this year\nwill exceed the quota figure by 17 million\npounds.\n- Disclosed to wheat farmers that he is\n\"contemplating action\" to raise the price of\nwheat by raising the government loan rate\nfrom the current $1.50-a-bushel level.\nDiremised Mexican-Americans be will\nveto & MM that among other things, would\ntighten restrictions against aliens entering\nthe U.S.\nAnd disclosed that the Ford adminis-\ntration is considering helping airlines by\nparing the federal tax on commercial airline\ntickets to 0% from 8% and allowing air car-\nriers to use the extra revenue to buy planes\nthat will meet noise-control standards going\ninto effect in the next few years.\nBut such benefits of incumbency mightn't\nbe enough to offset the Carter momentum as\nelection day approaches.\nCC: Dick Parsons\nOffice of the Atturney General\nWashington, D. C. 20530\nJUSTITIA\nNovember 23, 1976\n9 47\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT\nILLEGAL ALIENS\nThe Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates\nthat there are six to eight million illegal aliens in the\nUnited States and that the net annual increase in their\nnumber is likely to exceed one million. As you may recall,\nby letter of September 13, 1976, I requested that you\nauthorize an increase in the, Department of Justice budget\nof a total of $67 million for fiscal years 1977 and 1978 to\npermit full funding of the Immigration and Naturalization\nService program to prevent illegal entry into the United\nStates.\nI would like to urge that as a strong new initiative\nyou authorize this increase. The Commissioner of the\nImmigration and Naturalization Service believes that with\nthese added resources his agency could prohibit the entry\nof 95 percent of the estimated 500,000 annual fraudulent\nentrants at international airports and Mexican border ports;\napprehend within 100 miles of the Mexican border 85 percent\nof the estimated one million aliens entering without inspec-\ntion; and reduce by 50 percent in two years the approximately\n9,000 illegal alien smuggling rings which now exist. I\nbelieve this approach is the best hope for effective enforce-\nment of the immigration laws.\nAs Chairman of the Domestic Council Committee on\nIllegal Aliens, I will soon be transmitting to you an ex-\ntensive report which strongly supports this approach. The\nCommittee has found that illegal immigration is significant\nand growing; actual immigration now bears little relation-\nship to the program prescribed by law. The Committee be-\nlieves that a policy of pursuing large-scale deportations\nwould be neither humane nor practical. The Committee\nrecommends that our national policy stress prevention of\nillegal entry. This is consistent with the strategy now\nbeing pursued. The Committee has concluded, however, that\nmore resources are required for the Immigration and Naturali-\nzation Service and the Department of State if this effort\nis to be effective.\nWe are aware of the importance of restraining federal\nspending. The costs to the nation of illegal immigration,\n- 2 -\nhowever, are substantial and increasing; while shared by\nall, they are borne most heavily by the low-skilled\nworkers, largely minorities and youth, with whom illegal\naliens most effectively compete.\nAs I have indicated, I think this can be an impor-\ntant new initiative which you might wish to discuss.\nEdward H. Levi\nAttorney General\nOffice of the Attorney General\nFRO\nSEQUITUR\nWashington, n. C. 20530\nJUSTITU\nNovember 23, 1976\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT\nILLEGAL ALIENS\nThe Immigration and Naturalization Service estimates\nthat there are six to eight million illegal aliens in the\nUnited States and that the net annual increase in their\nnumber is likely to exceed one million. As you may recall,\nby letter of September 13, 1976, I requested that you\nauthorize an increase in the Department of Justice budget\nof a total of $67 million for fiscal years 1977 and 1978 to\npermit full funding of the Immigration and Naturalization\nService program to prevent illegal entry into the United\nStates.\nI would like to urge that as a strong new initiative\nyou authorize this increase. The Commissioner of the\nImmigration and Naturalization Service believes that with\nthese added resources his agency could prohibit the entry\nof 95 percent of the estimated 500,000 annual fraudulent\nentrants at international airports and Mexican border ports;\napprehend within 100 miles of the Mexican border 85 percent\nof the estimated one million aliens entering without inspec-\ntion; and reduce by 50 percent in two years the approximately\n9,000 illegal alien smuggling rings which now exist. I\nbelieve this approach is the best hope for effective enforce-\nment of the immigration laws.\nAs Chairman of the Domestic Council Committee on\nIllegal Aliens, I will soon be transmitting to you an ex-\ntensive report which strongly supports this approach. The\nCommittee has found that illegal immigration is significant\nand growing; actual immigration now bears little relation-\nship to the program prescribed by law. The Committee be-\nlieves that a policy of pursuing large-scale deportations\nwould be neither humane nor practical. The Committee\nrecommends that our national policy stress prevention of\nillegal entry. This is consistent with the strategy now\nbeing pursued. The Committee has concluded, however, that\nmore resources are required for the Immigration and Naturali-\nzation Service and the Department of State if this effort\nis to be effective.\nWe are aware of the importance of restraining federal\nspending. The costs to the nation of illegal immigration,\n- 2 -\nhowever, are substantial and increasing; while shared by\nall, they are borne most heavily by the low-skilled\nworkers, largely minorities and youth, with whom illegal\naliens most effectively compete.\nAs I have indicated, I think this can be an impor-\ntant new initiative which you might wish to discuss.\nit.\nEdward H. Levi\nAttorney General"
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