I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5161 
To establish a commission to study the removal of Mexican-Americans to 
Mexico during 1929–1941, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2006 
Ms. SOLIS (for herself, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. HONDA, Mr. 
EMANUEL, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Ms. LEE, and Ms. ZOE 
LOFGREN of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To establish a commission to study the removal of Mexican- 
Americans to Mexico during 1929–1941, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commission on Mexi-
can-American Removal during 1929–1941 Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) From 1929 through 1941, Federal, State, 
and local Government authorities and certain private 
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sector entities throughout the United States under-
took an aggressive program to forcibly remove indi-
viduals of Mexican ancestry from the United States. 
(2) As many as two million individuals of Mexi-
can ancestry were forcibly removed to Mexico, as 
many as 1.2 million of whom were United States 
citizens. 
(3) These men, women, and children were re-
moved outside the United States in response to pub-
lic pressure to curtail the employment of Mexican- 
Americans, most of whom were United States citi-
zens or residing legally in the United States, during 
the Depression. 
(4) Massive raids were conducted on Mexican- 
American communities, and many of the people who 
were removed were never able to return to the 
United States, their country of birth. 
(5) These raids targeted individuals of Mexican 
ancestry, with Federal, State, and local Government 
authorities and certain private sector entities charac-
terizing these individuals as ‘‘illegal aliens’’ even 
when such individuals were United States citizens or 
permanent legal residents. 
(6) These raids also separated such United 
States citizens and permanent legal residents from 
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their families and deprived them of their livelihoods 
and constitutional rights. 
(7) No official inquiry into this matter has been 
made. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to estab-
lish a fact finding commission to determine whether 
United States citizens and permanent legal residents were 
forcibly removed to Mexico from 1929 to 1941 in violation 
of law as a result of past directives of Federal, State and 
local governments and the impact of such removal on 
those individuals, their families, and the Mexican-Amer-
ican community in the United States, and to recommend 
appropriate remedies. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘Commission on Mexican-American Removal during 
1929–1941’’. 
SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 
The Commission shall— 
(1) review the facts and circumstances sur-
rounding the removal of certain United States citi-
zens and permanent legal residents to Mexico, and 
the impact of such actions on these individuals, their 
families, and the Mexican-American community in 
the United States; 
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(2) review past directives of Federal, State, and 
local governments that required the removal of these 
individuals to Mexico and any other information re-
lated to these directives; and 
(3) submit to Congress a written report of its 
findings and recommendations. 
SEC. 5. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Commission 
shall be composed of seven members, who shall be ap-
pointed within 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act as follows: 
(1) Three members appointed by the President. 
(2) Two members appointed by the Speaker of 
the House of Representatives, in consultation with 
the minority leader of the House of Representatives. 
(3) Two members appointed by the President 
pro tempore of the Senate, in consultation with the 
minority leader of the Senate. 
(b) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members appointed under 
subsection (a) shall possess knowledge or expertise related 
to human rights, civil rights, immigration, labor, business, 
or other pertinent qualifications. 
(c) TERM OF OFFICE.—Each member shall be ap-
pointed for the life of the Commission. 
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(d) QUORUM.—Four members of the Commission 
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 
hearings. 
(e) INITIAL MEETING.—The initial meeting of the 
Commission shall be called by the President within one 
hundred and twenty days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, or within thirty days after the date on which 
legislation is enacted making appropriations to carry out 
this Act, whichever is later. 
(f) CHAIRPERSON
AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.—The 
Commission shall elect a chairperson and vice chairperson 
from among its members. The term of office of each shall 
be for the life of the Commission. 
(g) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall 
not affect its powers and shall be filled in the same man-
ner in which the original appointment was made. 
(h) BASIC PAY.— 
(1) RATE OF PAY.—Each member of the Com-
mission who is not otherwise employed by the United 
States shall receive compensation at a rate equal to 
the daily rate prescribed for level IV of the Execu-
tive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United 
States Code, for each day, including travel time, 
such member is engaged in the actual performance 
of the duties of the Commission. 
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(2) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION OF FED-
ERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of the Commission 
who is a full-time officer or employee of the United 
States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or 
benefits by reason of their service on the Commis-
sion. 
(3) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the 
Commission shall receive travel expenses, including 
per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with 
sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
SEC. 6. POWERS. 
(a) HEARINGS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission or on the 
authorization of the Commission, any subcommittee 
or member thereof, may for the purpose of carrying 
out this Act, hold hearings, sit and act at times and 
places, take testimony, and receive evidence as the 
Commission or any subcommittee or member con-
siders appropriate. 
(2) LOCATION.—The Commission may hold 
public hearings in any city of the United States that 
it finds appropriate. 
(b) SUBPOENA POWER.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may issue 
subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of 
witnesses and the production of any evidence relat-
ing to any matter under investigation by the Com-
mission which the Commission is empowered to in-
vestigate by this Act. 
(2) FAILURE TO OBEY A SUBPOENA.—If a per-
son refuses to obey a subpoena issued under para-
graph (1), the Commission may apply to a United 
States district court for an order requiring that per-
son to appear before the Commission to give testi-
mony, produce evidence, or both, relating to the 
matter under investigation. The application may be 
made within the judicial district where the hearing 
is conducted or where such person is found, resides, 
or transacts business. Any failure to obey the order 
of the court may be punished by the court as civil 
contempt. 
(3) SERVICE
OF
SUBPOENA.—A subpoena of 
the Commission shall be served in the manner pro-
vided for subpoenas issued by a United States dis-
trict court under the Federal Rules of Civil Proce-
dure for the United States district courts. 
(4) SERVICE OF PROCESS.—All process of any 
court to which application is made under paragraph 
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(2) may be served in the judicial district in which 
the person required to be served resides or may be 
found. 
(c) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Commission 
may secure directly from any department or agency of the 
United States, or from any State or local government, in-
formation necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. 
Upon request of any member, the head of such department 
or agency shall furnish such information to the Commis-
sion. 
(d) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—To the extent or in the 
amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the 
Commission may contract with and compensate govern-
ment and private agencies or persons for any services, sup-
plies, or other activities necessary to enable the Commis-
sion to carry out its duties under this Act. 
SEC. 7. STAFF. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may appoint and 
fix the pay of such additional staff as it considers appro-
priate. 
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—Any staff of the Commission may be appointed 
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
and may be paid without regard to the provisions of chap-
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ter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relat-
ing to classification and General Schedule pay rates. 
(c) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 
may procure temporary and intermittent services under 
section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SERVICES.—Upon re-
quest of the Commission, the Administrator of General 
Services shall provide to the Commission, on a reimburs-
able basis, the administrative support services necessary 
for the Commission to carry out its duties under this Act. 
SEC. 8. REPORT. 
The Commission shall submit to Congress a written 
report not later than the date which is one year after the 
date of the initial meeting called pursuant to section 5(d) 
of this Act. The report shall contain a detailed statement 
of the findings and conclusions of the Commission, to-
gether with its recommendations for legislative actions 
that the Commission considers appropriate. 
SEC. 9. TERMINATION. 
The Commission shall terminate 30 days after sub-
mitting the report under section 8. 
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Commission on Mexican-American Re-
moval during 1929–1941. 
(2) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means a 
member of the Commission. 
(3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other 
commonwealth, possession, or territory of the United 
States. 
Æ 
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