Speech #880110228

I think. despite the claims of a few people to the contrary. The figures on the numbers of braceros versus the number of wetbacks in recent years have a bearing on the wetback argument. The number of braceros in the past 5 years is as follows: 1956 -----------------------445. 197 1957 -----------------------436.049 1958 ------------------------------ 432. 853 1959 ------------------------------ 437.647 1960 ------------------------------ 315.846 1961 ---------- -------------291.420 1962 -----------------------194.978 If the wetback argument holds true. then there should be a sharp increase in the figures of the Immigration and Naturalization Service after 1959 with respect to the number of wetbacks apprehended and returned to Mexico. There should have been hundreds of thousands of wetbacksfor the wetback argument contends that for the number of braceros reduced. there is a corresponding rise in wetbacks. This is not true. as is obvious from these figures supplied by the Immigration and Naturalization Service: 1956 ............ 1959 ........... 1961 .... 1962 .... 225.000 60.000 40.000 30.000 25.000 23.000 23.000 23.000 (See page 72. annual report of Immigration and Naturalization Service for exact figures.) It is revealing to see that the peak of the socalled wetback problem occurred in 19554 years after the initiation of Public Law 78. And. after 1959. when the number of braceros dropped more than 50 percent. there was no increase in the number of wetbacks apprehended. The wetback problem and the bracero law are obviously not in any way related. It is significant that the wetback problem reached its peak in the early days of the bracero program. and did not abate until the Immigration and Naturalization Service was given adequate funds with which to finance the policing of our borders. It is ridiculous to say that this country. the mightiest In the world. cannot even police its frontiers. The ending of the bracero program will not cause any increase in the number of wetbacks. The determining factor in the wetback problem is whether or not we will provide the Immigration and Naturalization Service with enough men and money to police the bordernot whether the bracero law will be extended. Some people advance the claim that the bracero program provides a kind of doityourself foreign aid to Mexico. They point out the fact that the braceros carried $35 million to Mexico last year.