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Briefing Room

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
March 14, 2014

Readout of the President's Meeting With Organizations Committed to Passing Bipartisan Immigration Reform

This afternoon the President, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and senior White House officials met with organizations committed to passing bipartisan commonsense immigration reform.  The leaders of these organizations shared their concerns for the families facing the separation that comes from our broken immigration system.  The President reiterated the deep concern he has for the pain these families face and that he has asked Secretary Johnson to do an inventory of the Department’s current practices to see how it can conduct enforcement more humanely within the confines of the law. Secretary Johnson reemphasized his shared commitment to ensure our immigration laws are enforced effectively, sensibly, and in line with our nation’s traditions as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. The President reiterated his commitment to maintaining consistent and sustained pressure on Congressional Republicans to take action on immigration reform as soon as possible. The President continues to believe that the only permanent solution to fixing the broken immigration system is through meaningful comprehensive legislation.

List of Participants:

  • Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security
  • John Podesta, Counselor to the President
  • Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President
  • Cecilia Munoz, Director of Domestic Policy Council
  • Katie Beirne Fallon, Director of Legislative Affairs
  • Deepak Bhargava, Center for Community Change
  • Eddie Carmona, PICO
  • Mary Kay Henry, SEIU
  • Marielena Hincapie, National Immigration Law Center
  • Angie Kelley, Center for American Progress
  • Eliseo Medina, Fast for Families
  • Mee Moua, Asian American Justice Center
  • Janet Murguia, National Council of la Raza
  • Karen Narasaki, CAMBIO
  • Ali Noorani, National Immigration Forum
  • Lorella Praeli, United We Dream
  • Arturo Rodriguez, United Farm Workers
  • Angelica Salas, CHIRLA
  • Gabriel Salguero, NALEC
  • Frank Sharry, America’s Voice
  • Gustavo Torres, Casa de Maryland
  • Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO