“Then on June 17, 1954, what was called “Operation Wetback” began.”
There were no GIs returning from WWII in 1954.
In 1954 you are right the GIs were back and many, like my old man needed jobs; Operation Wetback was put in place to fix a problem that had been 15+ years in the making from a loose socialist inspired immigration policy. Can you say Roosevelt and Truman?
There were still soldiers out of work and coming home from an occupied Europe and oh yeah Korea had just about wrapped up. Vietnam was coming on strong, Kibitz latter, solve problem now.