Memorandum from David Niles to President Harry S. Truman

WETBACKS B June 8, 1949 TRUMAN PRATIONAL ARCHIVES A SERVICE" U.S. GOVERN MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: The attached telegram from Mr. R. A. Cortez, National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens, has brought up an acute problem in connection with Mexican-Americans in the Southwestern states. The number of illegal immigrants coming across the border each year from Mexico is said to exceed our regular immigration quota for all countries. Of course, the size of this number is made possible by the difficulties of protecting such an extensive border. But in addition to that, employers in the Southwest bring a great deal of pressure to bear on all branches of the Federal government to meet their demand for cheap labor, and a custom has grown up by which these illegal migrants are not deported during a time when the demand for labor is high. The established citizens and residents of Mexican origin are objecting to this arrangement, and it appears that we are going to go ahead and do it again this summer - under an inter- national agreement, if possible, and one is now being negotiated - but I surmise it will be done without an agreement if the negotia- tions are not successful. I question the wisdom of these arrangements coming at a time when extensive publicity is being given to the rise in unemployment. There are two problems which ought to be considered together. 1. The question of illegal migration across the Mexican border. 2. The welfare of the three million Spanish- speaking Americans in the Southwest and Mountain states.