Immigration and citizenship

Executive Order 13122: Interagency Task Force on the Economic Development of the Southwest Border

President: Bill Clinton

Directed a cabinet-level task force to coordinate existing federal economic-development work with Southwest Border communities.

Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13122 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13122 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13122 do?

EO 13122 created an interagency task force reporting to the Vice President and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Its remit covered areas within 150 miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. It directed the agencies to review existing programs, consult state, tribal and local governments and community leaders, develop sustainable-development options, and focus initial efforts on pilot communities. The order set interim and annual report dates through a final report due April 15, 2002, after which the task force was to terminate unless its members reached consensus to continue. EO 13284 added the Secretary of Homeland Security in 2003. The reviewed sources do not establish whether the task force continued under the consensus provision, so its current operating status is left unresolved.

Administration position: The task force coordinated existing programs and recommendations; it did not create an individual entitlement to funding or override state, tribal or local authority.
SignedMay 25, 1999
Geographic scopeUp to 150 miles north of the U.S.–Mexico border in four states
Final report date in original orderApril 15, 2002
Membership amendedEO 13284 added DHS in 2003

Before and after

Before the order

Federal border-development initiatives were dispersed across agencies and programs.

After the order

A cabinet-level process coordinated research, pilot communities and locally led development priorities.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Task force co-chairsCoordinate existing federal programs and local partnershipsReport on the order’s schedule
Member agenciesReview programs, recommend options and support initial pilot communitiesUnder existing authorities
State, tribal and local partnersConsult on locally led development needsPreserving their existing authority

What happened next

EO 13122 established the task force.

Interim report due.

Annual reports and final report scheduled.

EO 13284 added DHS to the membership list.