Letter from Robert W. Straus, Governor of the State of Oregon to President Gerald R. Ford concerning the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1975.

[typed] The President Page 3 July 21, 1975 I fail to see how that makes any sense. Mr. President, Oregonians are generous and hospitable people. We are anxious to help Indochinese refugees in any way we can. Your assistance in resolving the two problems described above will go a long way in helping us provide meaningful employment not only for those displaced persons but for our own citizens as well. [at right] Very respectfully yours, [signature] Bob Straub [typed] Governor [at left] RWS:s [circular seal at lower right] GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY [typed] The President Page 2 July 21, 1975 April of this year. Just nine days after my inauguration, I signed an Executive Order revitalizing the Governor's Manpower Services Council, to implement manpower planning and services in Oregon, in accordance with the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973. This so improved our CETA program that other states seek our counsel in developing their CETA programs. I find it odd, Mr. President, that DOL encouraged our deep commitments to this worthy program and now seems determined to leave us high and dry. I urge you, as I have urged the Secretary of Labor, to re-examine this decision. [vertical line at left of above paragraph, near "to re-examine this decision"] My second point is this: There are an estimated 15,000 to 28,000 illegal aliens in Oregon. Many of them are drawing wages and salaries. The Oregon District Director of the Immigration and Naturalization Services knows where these aliens are. He has neither the personnel nor budget to control them. Here in Salem, one check at a mushroom factory resulted in the arrest and deportation of 100 illegal aliens; 17 were arrested and deported after a check at two restaurants in Portland; 80 illegal aliens were arrested at and deported from orchards near Hood River and 70 more were arrested at and deported from farm labor jobs in the Medford area. The Oregon District Director has informed my staff that with a very modest increase in his budget -- enough to hire and provide support services for 10 additional personnel -- he could reduce the number of illegal aliens in Oregon's work force by at least 15,000 persons. [vertical line at left of above paragraph] I'd like to put 15,000 unemployed Oregonians in those jobs, Mr. President. That would reduce our unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points -- or to about the national average. But the Oregon District Director's budget has been cut by 60 percent during the next three months. Instead of reducing the number of illegal aliens holding jobs in Oregon, their number will increase during a period of low enforcement and high demand for farm labor. [circular seal at bottom right] GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY [handwritten at top left corner; uncertain] .4 [circular seal at left] STATE OF OREGON [graphic with eagle at top] 1859 [printed below seal] ROBERT W. STRAUB GOVERNOR [at top right] [printed] OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR STATE CAPITOL SALEM 97310 [typed] July 21, 1975 [handwritten in left-hand margin] James Falk [typed] The President The White House Washington, D. C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: In response to your letter of July 11, 1975, concerning the Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistant Act of 1975: Please be assured that I will direct and encourage state agency and private organization support of sponsoring families and individuals in the State of Oregon. [vertical line at left of middle two lines of above paragraph, near "Act of 1975"] I have serious concerns, however, that these displaced persons will not find gainful employment in Oregon. Oregon's rate of unemployment is substantially higher than the national rate. Additionally, Mr. President, two recent actions by federal agencies have seriously compounded this problem in Oregon. The inexplicable decision by the Secretary of Labor to reduce Oregon's allocation of Comprehensive Employment and Training Act funds for fiscal 1976 threatens to cripple Oregon's vigorous CETA efforts. [vertical line at left of above paragraph] To illustrate the impact of the misallocation, Mr. President, I must inform you that Oregon will have to lay off two-thirds of our CETA work force. This will be accomplished by laying off 8 to 10 percent of the remaining workers each month through the balance of this fiscal year. That will aggravate a critical unemployment situation. And we will be forced to spend at least $1.6 million of CETA funds on unemployment insurance costs -- money that would be far better spent on jobs. I would remind you, as I have reminded the Secretary of Labor, that it was at his urging that Oregon redoubled its efforts to provide CETA jobs in February, March, and [circular seal at lower right] GERALD R. FORD LIBRARY