Johnson was meddling even then. When recession raised calls for Mexican braceros working under the wartime program to be sent home (after a seven-year delay, agribusinesses loved the hand-to-mouth wages the braceros would work for), Lyndon Johnson (Senate Democratic leader) interposed and shoved his Size 14 shoe in the door.
Lyndon knew Mexicans, if he could get them into the polling place, would vote straight-ticket Democrat. That's how he got elected to the Senate in the first place in 1948, in his eponymous "landslide".
Pres. Eisenhower beat LBJ's play by issuing an Executive Order, the program being under his authority as an admin program. (DoL, I should think, or Dept. of Agriculture.)
I am more than familiar with LBJ and old George Parr for all of that back then happened at Box 13 here in Alice when I was a youth. As a matter of fact, my dad was an assistant DA here back then and was very active on the case.
We lived in the better part of town and one day we were all amazed to see the Texas Rangers come and arrest our neighbor across the street one day. He was the county registrar for Jim Wells County. Mr. Martins....I will never forget the day.
Old LBJ changed the welfare program from rice and beans to top of the line Angus Rib-eye steaks.