Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ union president Chris Crane said in a statement provided to Breitbart News that AFL-CIO leadership’s threat to politically demolish any lawmaker who opposes amnesty is troubling.
Earlier this week, AFL-CIO director of immigration Ana Avendañon said the massive labor union would eviscerate politicians who stand in the way of amnesty for America’s at least 11 million illegal immigrants. “Politicians know that if they stand in the way of citizenship we will steamroller them,” Avendaño said. “That’s a fun evolution.”
Crane is not thrilled about those remarks, saying he was “deeply alarmed” to read them.
“As an American, an AFL-CIO member, a law officer, and a veteran, I think it’s a dark day for our country when unions openly threaten the representatives of the people in order stop free and open discussion and stifle our representative form of government through coercion,” Crane said. “I certainly hope that the AFL-CIO reconsiders its position, and allows elected officials to represent the opinions of Americans within their districts without fear of union retribution.”
Crane adds that he thinks the AFL-CIO’s threats are even more troubling in this particular case because the massive labor union was one of the few special interest groups that had a hand in actually writing the legislation.
“Ms. Avendano’s remarks are even more disturbing given that, according to news reports, the AFL-CIO has been closely involved in the crafting of the Gang of 8’s comprehensive immigration bill,” Crane said. “In effect, AFL-CIO leadership is threatening to target lawmakers who oppose the very bill the AFL-CIO helped secretly write behind closed doors. While the AFL-CIO obviously had its chance to provide input on the proposed legislation, it seems clear that the AFL-CIO plans to deprive other Americans from having the same opportunity through their elected representatives.”
To top it all off and make matters even worse, Crane notes that the union leadership and Chamber of Commerce, among other special interests involved in drafting this legislation, will likely line their pockets with cash as a result of the bill if it passes. Crane said that these special interest groups have had their hands in this process, while law enforcement experts such as himself have been left out in the cold. Crane said that signals to him that the White House and the Gang of Eight pushing immigration reform in the Senate are not really interested in securing the border, or fixing the law enforcement problems plaguing the country’s immigration system.
“Instead, the President and the Gang of 8 shunned America’s immigration officers in favor of Big Unions, Big Business and attorneys and special interest groups – all of which stand to make billions from illegal aliens under the new legislation,” Crane said. “Judging from information leaked this week regarding the legislation, it appears that the Gang of 8 and its big money associates have simply created amnesty for 11 million illegal aliens in the US with no guaranteed commitment of ever providing for strengthened enforcement to prevent the problems of our current immigration situation from recurring.”