Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
30806003
label
Memorandum from Paul O'Neill, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to President Gerald R. Ford regarding a Letter to Governors on Indochina Refugee Resettlement
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
30806003
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Memorandum from Paul O'Neill, Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, to President Gerald R. Ford regarding a Letter to Governors on Indochina Refugee Resettlement
citationUrl
collections
White House Central Files Subject Files (Ford Administration)
White House Central Files Subject Files on National Security and Defense
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
30806003
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
3
logicalDate
1975-07-03
month
7
year
1975
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
1cbe3ea1b928a873
ocrText
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
STATE STATEMENT OFFICE STATES W UNITED
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF management AND budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503
JUL 3 - 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR: THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Ohine
SUBJECT:
Letter to Governors on Indochina
Refugee Resettlement
Attached is a letter to all Governors prepared for your
signature by the Interagency Task Force for Indochina
Refugees.
The letter gives information about the refugee resettle-
ment program and asks the States to develop their own
resettlement programs with Federal assistance. The
model for such a program is the one launched by Governor
Dan Evans in Washington State. The Federal Regional
Councils will help the Task Force to follow up with the
Governors and will aid the States in the establishment
of their own resettlement programs.
The States offer a potential source for a large number
of new sponsors which are badly needed to supplement those
being generated by the voluntary agencies.
A Presidential letter to all the Governors will be a big
help in encouraging States to participate in the program.
I recommend that you sign it.
Attachment
LIBRARY GERALD R. FORD
RECEIVED
JUL 24 1975
CENTRAL FILES
THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington
Dear Governor
As you know, on May 24, 1975, I signed into law the
Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975
to assist in the resettlement of Vietnamese and Cambodian
refugees who are seeking new homes in the United States.
Since then, I have established an Interagency Task Force
on Refugees to coordinate the resettlement program and
to assure that it is accomplished as humanely and expedi-
tiously as possible. In addition, I have appointed a
Presidential Advisory Committee to assist in this effort.
I am pleased to report that as of June 30th, more than
41,000 of the 130,258 evacuees have joined their families
or sponsors in the United States and are beginning to
contribute to their new communities. These refugees have
been accorded parole status, making them eligible to remain
in the United States indefinitely and to accept employment.
All refugees, except those few deemed "self-sufficient",
will be assigned sponsors to assist in the resettlement
process. Sponsors may be individuals, families, service
organizations, churches or other groups. Commitment as a
LIBRARY GERALD R. FORD
2
sponsor, while not a legal one, involves a clear moral
obligation to help the refugee to the best of the sponsor's
ability.
Many individuals and voluntary agencies are participating
in the resettlement program by locating sponsors and
facilitating the movement of refugees from the four recep-
tion centers to their new homes. These voluntary efforts
have been exemplary, but we should not expect that they
alone will accomplish this great humanitarian task as
quickly as we would all wish.
I am encouraged that a number of States and local govern-
ments are developing programs to assist in expediting the
resettlement of the refugees into their new communities.
You have received information from the Advisory Committee
about one of these programs which Governor Dan Evans
launched in Washington State. This successful effort has
led to placement of more than 500 refugees with sponsors
throughout the State.
The Interagency Task Force is now prepared to contract with
other States which choose to develop their own resettlement
LIBRARY GERALD P. FORD
3
programs. Funds are available to support State efforts
through reimbursement of $500 for each refugee placed.
In addition, 100 percent federal reimbursement is avail-
able to all States for Medicaid, financial assistance,
and social services provided to refugees. Administrative
costs related to the provision of such services will also
be reimbursed. Financial support to help defray emergency
costs incurred by school districts, should they enroll large
numbers of refugee children, will also be available. These
programs are further described in materials being transmitted
to your State agencies through existing channels.
I have asked the Federal Regional Councils to assist the
Task Force by aiding State and local governments in the
development of programs which they wish to undertake. You
may expect to hear from a representative of the Federal
Regional Council in the near future.
Whether or not you choose to lead a resettlement effort in
your State, your leadership in assuring State agency and
private organization support of sponsoring families and
individuals will provide invaluable assistance to this
effort.
FORD & 03RALD LIBRARY
4
The responses of thousands of individuals and the untiring
efforts of voluntary agencies have demonstrated again the
generosity of Americans toward others seeking to find homes
in our country. I hope you will consider ways in which
your State may participate in this effort.
Sincerely,
LIGRARY GERALD R. FORD