Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 228 / Wednesday, November 26, 2014 / Presidential Documents 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 cochaired 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; 

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70766 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 228 / Wednesday, November 26, 2014 / Presidential Documents 

(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 fulltime officer or employee of the Federal Government, to perform day-today 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. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 228 / Wednesday, November 26, 2014 / Presidential Documents 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. 

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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