Obama Immigration Meeting with "Stakeholders" Stacked with Amnesty Supporters

One-Sided Session Deliberately Ignores American Interests

WASHINGTON, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Yesterday President Obama held an immigration meeting to discuss how to fix America's broken immigration system with a group of special interests responsible for breaking it in the first place. The White House claimed that the invitees represented a "broad group of business, law enforcement, faith and former and current elected leaders from across the political spectrum."  Truth in labeling would indicate otherwise.  Not a single invitation was extended to a border state governor, sheriff, member of Congress, or group representing the true stakeholders of our immigration policies – the American people. In reality, yesterday's meeting was yet another amnesty planning session by partisan special interests determined to find a way to get done what the American public has flatly rejected.

Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said, "The President's message to the American public is loud and clear.  We're going to ignore your immigration concerns, close the door, and shut you out of the debate.  A roomful of sanctuary city politicians, business leaders desperate to keep the tap flowing with cheap foreign labor, and powerful immigrant special interest groups is not a balanced discussion; it's an amnesty call-to action."

The profiles of several key participants of the meeting reveal the inappropriateness of having those who oppose enforcement, simultaneously serving as advisors to fix our immigration system.  

• Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former California Governor whose refusal to rein in sanctuary cities policies helped the state incur $21.5 billion in annual illegal immigration costs.
• John Podesta, CEO, Center for American Progress whose well-financed political machine relentlessly pushes a radical agenda for amnesty, open borders, and non-enforcement.
• Bill Bratton, Former Police Chief, City of Los Angeles and City of New York, who, while serving as LAPD Chief, staunchly supported a policy to not focus enforcement efforts on "individuals whose only violation is illegal entry."

Stein continued, "The President will only address immigration when it serves his political interests.  Just days after he announced his reelection bid, the President met behind closed doors promising amnesty to appease the special interests he needs to energize his campaign supporters. Rather than discussing the real cost and impact of illegal and legal immigration with people from a variety of perspectives, President Obama clearly remains committed to helping only one set of stakeholders in this debate – those who profit financially and politically from illegal immigration."

SOURCE FAIR