Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security led
a closed-door meeting this week in Seattle, Washington with
representatives from a number of industries and advocacy groups
affected by immigration legislation. On Monday, Napolitano met with
members of immigration advocacy groups, labor unions, local officials,
police officers, representatives of farmworkers’ associations and other
interested parties. In the meeting, Napolitano and the attendees
discussed current and proposed changes to immigration legislation and
enforcement.
Earlier this year, the Obama Administration called for the auditing of
the workforces of more than 650 businesses throughout the country,
leading to major concerns voiced by businesses and relevant
organizations that want to understand the impact of these changes in
the implementation of policy at the national level.
“Secretary Napolitano believes it’s important to speak directly to the
many individuals and groups that are impacted by our work,” said Matt
Chandler, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security.
In the meeting, attendees voiced their concerns about recent ICE
practices, including programs looking to utilize local law enforcement
officials in the tasks of tracking illegal immigrants and due process
rights for immigrants that have been incarcerated by federal officials.
While there had been earlier talk about comprehensive immigration
reform entering the national agenda as a major news item this year,
currently the issue has been substantially shadowed by current interest
in healthcare reform. It is expected, however, that the Obama
Administration, with Napolitano as its primary decision-maker, will
push forward with shifts to changes in policy and implementation in the
coming months.
