MEETING WITH THE STAFF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE JUDICIARY SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION, CITIZENSHIP AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600330007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 16, 2004
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 30, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2004/12/Eg@~81 M00980R0006C8JP0ff-t
OLC 78-2031
30 May 1978
SUBJECT: Meeting With the Staff Members of the House Judiciary
Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and
International Law
1. Received a call this morning at 9:30 a.m. from
Arthur (S ip Endres, Counsel, House Judiciary Subcommittee
on Immigration, Citizenship and International Law, requesting
that after the meeting on the GAO report Nazi war criminals
residing in the U.S., scheduled for 10:00 a.m. in 25
office, a briefing be arranged on the refugee situation in Vietnam.
The briefing was for background to assist senior Members of the
full Committee who have been requested to concur in a proposal
by Associate Attorney General Michael Egan to approve the parole
into the United States of an additional 25,000 refugees from
Vietnam. The briefing was given by Chief of the 25
Branch, DDO, in office. 25
Also present were: Jim Cline, Staff Director, House Judiciary
Committee; Arthur (Skip) Endres, Subcommittee Counsel; Peter
Regis, Subcommittee investigator; and 25
I I AC/C&R/OLC.
2. was not present during the briefing,
however, e ma e c ear to the staff before the briefing that the
Agency was not in a position to comment on the merit of the
proposal but we could provide background intelligence. This was
understood by the staff. They apologized for the briefing
on such short notice, however, the Members had to make a
decision by 5:00 p.m. this afternoon.
copy
3. was aware of the request to parole an
additional 25,000 Vietnamese refugees. He said the ethnic
Chinese problem in Vietnam involving China, which was reported
in the press this past weekend, resulted from the recent
nationalization of all industries and businesses and the
relocation of people affected to rural areas to establish an
agrarian economy. He said there are about 250,000 ethnic
Chinese in North Vietnam residing along the Chinese border who
were the subject of the dispute with China. He considers the
major problem to be the more than one million ethnic Chinese
Approved For Release 2004/12/CLS g f} 81M049.0 QQ 6OQ33D007-3
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living in Cholon outside of Saigon. These people have been
merchants and entrepreneurs and are most affected by the
nationalization and resettlement orders. He said most will
choose to leave if they are allowed to go. Any that do escape
will have to go by boat which would place them in a refugee
preference category. At this time of the few escaping from
Vietnam by boat about 75 per cent are ethnic Chinese.
said that in his opinion none of the Southeast Asia countries
would be willing to accept large numbers of the ethnic Chinese.
4. 0 The staff questioned whether the U.S. had any
obligation to accept this group of refugees and indicated that
the Members may force an Administration position on this issue
before they concur in the proposal to admit 25,000 additional
refugees. After the briefing, I confirmed again with Cline
that the briefing was solely for background purposes and the
Agency was taking no position regarding the Attorney General's
proposal. Mr. Cline indicated that he would check back with the
State Department to determine whether they are aware of the
background of the refugee situation as related by
From his comments, it is doubtful that the senior Members -o4
the Committee are prepared at this time to support the Attorney
General's proposal.
Distribution:
1
1 - ULU u ject
1 - OLC Chron
OLC:PLC:jms (1 June 1978)
Acting Chief, or ination
and Revie taff
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25
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Approved For Release 2004/QTRDP81 M00980R000600330007-3