Thursday, December 4, 2014
presidential proclamation creating a White House Task Force on New Americans
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 26, 2014)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 70765-70767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28191]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 228 / Wednesday, November 26, 2014 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 70765]]
Memorandum of November 21, 2014
Creating Welcoming Communities and Fully
Integrating Immigrants and Refugees
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and
Agencies
Our country has long been a beacon of hope and
opportunity for people from around the world. Nearly 40
million foreign-born residents nationwide contribute to
their communities every day, including 3 million
refugees who have resettled here since 1975. These new
Americans significantly improve our economy. They make
up 13 percent of the population, but are over 16
percent of the labor force and start 28 percent of all
new businesses. Moreover, immigrants or their children
have founded more than 40 percent of Fortune 500
companies, which collectively employ over 10 million
people worldwide and generate annual revenues of $4.2
trillion.
By focusing on the civic, economic, and linguistic
integration of new Americans, we can help immigrants
and refugees in the United States contribute fully to
our economy and their communities. Civic integration
provides new Americans with security in their rights
and liberties. Economic integration empowers immigrants
to be self-sufficient and allows them to give back to
their communities and contribute to economic growth.
English language acquisition allows new Americans to
attain employment or career advancement and be more
active civic participants.
Our success as a Nation of immigrants is rooted in our
ongoing commitment to welcoming and integrating
newcomers into the fabric of our country. It is
important that we develop a Federal immigrant
integration strategy that is innovative and competitive
with those of other industrialized nations and supports
mechanisms to ensure that our Nation's diverse people
are contributing to society to their fullest potential.
Therefore, I am establishing a White House Task Force
on New Americans, an interagency effort to identify and
support State and local efforts at integration that are
working and to consider how to expand and replicate
successful models. The Task Force, which will engage
with community, business, and faith leaders, as well as
State and local elected officials, will help determine
additional steps the Federal Government can take to
ensure its programs and policies are serving diverse
communities that include new Americans.
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, I hereby order as follows:
Section 1. White House Task Force on New Americans. (a)
There is established a White House Task Force on New
Americans (Task Force) to develop a coordinated Federal
strategy to better integrate new Americans into
communities and support State and local efforts to do
the same. It shall be co-chaired by the Director of the
Domestic Policy Council and Secretary of Homeland
Security, or their designees. In addition to the Co-
Chairs, the Task Force shall consist of the following
members:
(i) the Secretary of State;
(ii) the Attorney General;
(iii) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(iv) the Secretary of Commerce;
[[Page 70766]]
(v) the Secretary of Labor;
(vi) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(vii) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(viii) the Secretary of Transportation;
(ix) the Secretary of Education;
(x) the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and
Community Service;
(xi) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(xii) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
(xiii) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement;
(xiv) the Director of the National Economic Council;
(xv) the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and
Counterterrorism; and
(xvi) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(b) A member of the Task Force may designate a
senior-level official who is from the member's
department, agency, or office, and is a full-time
officer or employee of the Federal Government, to
perform day-to-day Task Force functions of the member.
At the direction of the Co-Chairs, the Task Force may
establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Task
Force members or their designees under this subsection,
as appropriate.
(c) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
appoint an Executive Director who will determine the
Task Force's agenda, convene regular meetings of the
Task Force, and supervise work under the direction of
the Co-Chairs. The Department of Homeland Security
shall provide funding and administrative support for
the Task Force to the extent permitted by law and
subject to the availability of appropriations. Each
executive department or agency shall bear its own
expenses for participating in the Task Force.
Sec. 2. Mission and Function of the Task Force. (a) The
Task Force shall, consistent with applicable law, work
across executive departments and agencies to:
(i) review the policies and programs of all relevant executive departments
and agencies to ensure they are responsive to the needs of new Americans
and the receiving communities in which they reside, and identify ways in
which such programs can be used to increase meaningful engagement between
new Americans and the receiving community;
(ii) identify and disseminate best practices at the State and local level;
(iii) provide technical assistance, training, or other support to existing
Federal grantees to increase their coordination and capacity to improve
long-term integration and foster welcoming community climates;
(iv) collect and disseminate immigrant integration data, policies, and
programs that affect numerous executive departments and agencies, as well
as State and local governments and nongovernmental actors;
(v) conduct outreach to representatives of nonprofit organizations, State
and local government agencies, elected officials, and other interested
persons that can assist with the Task Force's development of
recommendations;
(vi) work with Federal, State, and local entities to measure and strengthen
equitable access to services and programs for new Americans, consistent
with applicable law; and
(vii) share information with and communicate to the American public
regarding the benefits that result from integrating new Americans into
communities.
[[Page 70767]]
(b) Within 120 days of the date of this memorandum,
the Task Force shall develop and submit to the
President an Integration Plan with recommendations for
agency actions to further the integration of new
Americans. The Integration Plan shall include:
(i) an assessment by each Task Force member of the status and scope of the
efforts by the member's department, agency, or office to further the civic,
economic, and linguistic integration of new Americans, including a report
on the status of any offices or programs that have been created to develop,
implement, or monitor targeted initiatives concerning immigrant
integration; and
(ii) recommendations for issues, programs, or initiatives that should be
further evaluated, studied, and implemented, as appropriate.
(c) The Task Force shall provide, within 1 year of
the date of this memorandum, a status report to the
President regarding the implementation of this
memorandum. The Task Force shall review and update the
Integration Plan periodically, as appropriate, and
shall present to the President any updated
recommendations or findings.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the
head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.
(d) The Secretary of Homeland Security is hereby
authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in
the Federal Register.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, November 21, 2014
[FR Doc. 2014-28191
Filed 11-25-14; 11:15 am]
Billing code 4410-10
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