2010 FactCheck.org: on Immigration

Dwight Eisenhower: FactCheck: Operation Wetback deported 2.1M Mexicans, not 13M

"What did Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower have in common? Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens; Truman deported over two million Illegals after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans; then Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals!"

Is it true? This distortion of history but has picked up momentum as the immigration debate has heated up again. This e-mail's message is bogus for all three presidents. Details:

Eisenhower did not deport 13 million Mexicans. Only 1/10 that number was ever claimed by the federal officials in charge of "Operation Wetback," and even that figure is criticized as inflated by guesswork. Officially, just over 2.1 million were recorded as having been deported or having departed under threat of deportation. None of these presidents presided over any general deportation campaign.

Dwight Eisenhower: 1955: Mexican border "secured" after Operation Wetback

"Operation Wetback" lasted only a few months, deporting about 2.1 million Mexicans. It was announced June 9, 1954. It encompassed "mopping up" activities in northern cities as well, which removed 20,174 illegal Mexican aliens from industrial jobs.

The INS reported by 1955: "The so-called 'wetback' problem no longer exists. This is no longer, as in the past, a problem in border control. The border has been secured." More than half a century later, history has shown that official claim to be a fantasy.

Harry S Truman: FactCheck: 3.4M "voluntarily" deported but not to make jobs

"What did Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower have in common? Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens; Truman deported over two million Illegals after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans; then Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals!"

Is it true? This distortion of history but has picked up momentum as the immigration debate has heated up again. This e-mail's message is bogus for all three presidents. Details:

Truman did not try to "create jobs for returning veterans" by ordering deportations. In fact, he signed legislation protecting the rights of Mexican migrant laborers recruited legally to help harvest US crops, and was unable to win congressional approval of measures to crack down on employers of illegal immigrants. During his nearly eight years in office, about 3.4 million were deported or left "voluntarily" under threat of deportation.

Harry S Truman: Everyone suffers from the presence of illegal immigrants

But the legislation Truman signed had to do with keeping legal guest workers flowing across the border to harvest US crops. He said the bill he signed didn't go far enough. He wanted stricter sanctions against employers who harbor illegal aliens, but Congress refused.