Re-election Realities Drive Presidential Immigration Speech

Paybacks, Promises and Pandering to Illegal Alien Special Interests Expected, Predicts FAIR

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On April 4, President Obama officially became Candidate Obama. Since that announcement, the White House has been scrambling furiously to re-energize Hispanic voters by holding a series of closed door amnesty planning meetings with "stakeholders"- business interests, political supporters, and amnesty advocacy groups. On Tuesday in El Paso, Texas, the President is expected to reiterate his call for an immigration reform package that includes a sweeping amnesty for millions of illegal aliens, coupled with empty promises that the government will do a better job of securing the borders and enforcing our immigration laws.

"In his effort to shore-up support from his political base, President Obama is choosing to reignite a divisive debate about amnesty for illegal aliens. At the same time, he is refusing to enforce immigration laws he does not like or finds politically inconvenient," charged Dan Stein, President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Sacrificed in the President's political pandering are the concerns, interests and security of the American people – the true stakeholders of our immigration policy."

In the past several weeks, the administration has made overt efforts to promote amnesty for illegal aliens and tacitly encouraged state and local defiance of federal immigration enforcement laws:

• Three weeks ago, the President invited business interests and pro-amnesty supporters to discuss how to move forward on amnesty legislation.
• Two week ago, the President met with celebrities and news media personalities from the Hispanic community to discuss immigration reforms.
• Last week, the President met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).  In that meeting, members of the CHC prevailed upon the President to engage in selective enforcement of U.S. immigration laws by granting deferred action and using other administrative remedies that would enable illegal aliens to stay in the U.S. 

"As the President gears up for his re-election bid, we are seeing a desperate effort on the part of the administration to use immigration as a wedge issue," observed Dan Stein. "Any pretense of honoring President-elect Obama's pledge that, 'I will listen to you, especially when we disagree,' or even carrying out the responsibilities of his office on immigration have completely disappeared."

FAIR will be available throughout the week to respond to President Obama's El Paso immigration speech.  FAIR can discuss the administration's use of immigration as a political wedge issue and the potential of amnesty legislation in the 112th Congress.

About FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group.  With over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests.  FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. Visit FAIR's website at www.fairus.org.

SOURCE FAIR