Office of the Historian

77. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Ford1

Washington, March 4, 1975.

SUBJECT

  • Establishment of an Inter-Agency Committee to Study Problems Related to Illegal Mexican Migration into the United States

In your meeting with President Echeverria last October, it was agreed that each country would establish a committee to review the problems relating to illegal Mexican migration into the U.S. The Mexican Government has now informed us of the composition of their committee. It is made up of government officials from relevant Secretariats, with increased emphasis on areas relating to the creation of employment opportunities on the Mexican side of the border.

We should now establish our own study group to review the status of the problem, make a report to you and offer suggestions on steps which the U.S. Government might take, by itself or in cooperation with the Mexican Government, to ameliorate the situation.

Attached at Tab A is a suggested directive to the Agencies concerned, establishing such a committee and outlining its functions. The committee would be chaired by the Department of State and would be composed of senior officials from the Departments of State, Justice, Agriculture, Labor, Commerce, Treasury and Health, Education and Welfare, the Domestic Council and NSC. The committee will consider the problem in the specific context of U.S.-Mexican relations, while keeping in mind U.S. domestic concerns which are currently under review in the Domestic Council Committee on Illegal Aliens.

Recommendation:

That you authorize me to sign the directive (at Tab A) to the Agencies setting up an inter-agency committee to study problems related to illegal Mexican migration into the U.S.

  1. Summary: Kissinger recommended establishing an inter-agency committee to study the problem of illegal immigration from Mexico as agreed upon during October 21, 1974, meetings between Ford and Echeverría.

    Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser Papers, Presidential Country Files for Latin America, 1974–1977, Box 5, Mexico 2. Confidential. Sent for action. The President approved the recommendation. Attached (Tab A), but not published, is a March 5 memorandum from Kissinger to the Attorney General, the Deputy Secretary of State, the President’s Assistant for Domestic Affairs, and the Secretaries of the Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, and Health, Education, and Welfare, informing them of the President’s decision.

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