Friday, June 26, 2020

Should foreign nationals engaged in lobbying elected officials disclose their relationships and sources of income?

If Americans engaged in lobbying on behalf of a foreign country must register and disclose their relationships with the foreign principal, shouldn't that same standard apply to the DACA recipients lobbying as well?

That is the question I asked myself as I watched this Fox and Friends segment featuring Hilario Yanez. 

Yanez, of Houston, Texas, billed as a DACA (Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals) recipient, engaged in a public policy discussion with the show hosts and was asked his political opinion on the recent Supreme Court decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and what it means to Yanez.

 

"It doesn't get us a step closer to a permanent solution... Trump's intention was to get rid of DACA so we could find a permanent solution and to force Congress to do their job ..I still don't know what my future looks like."

While its appreciated that Fox and Friends revealed Yanez' status (and he doesn't keep it a secret, either) as a foreign national with unlawful presence (allowed to work and obtain a driver license) in the United States lets consider the key question of foreign nationals lobbying elected U.S. officials without disclosure of their relationships and compensation.

Yanez was invited to and gave testimony in front of a March 6, 2019 United States Congressional committee. At the 2:20:00 minute mark he answers Rep. Debbie Lesko question " What do you think the Trump administration is doing well to help the immigration system ?' 

Isn't the broader question "Who invited a foreign national to engage in the political activity of lobbying members of the United States Congress



Who paid his travel expenses from Houston, Texas to Washington, DC? 

Who is this foreign national lobbying on behalf of? American citizens? Residents of a foreign country? 

Don't U.S. citizens have a right to know? 
















Listen to his response (start at 2:20:00) that Angel Families should be part of the discussion. Hear him say Trump is supporting pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients.



Has Yanez been to the White House as part of a discussion? He seems so certain of a  Presidential public policy position of supporting a pathway to citizenship. 

We do know the U.S. Chamber of Commerce invited him to speak at their forum titled The Immigration Landscape:





























And is billed as the National Press Secretary for the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. 



Yes, THAT Republican National Hispanic Assembly.

If Americans engaged in lobbying on behalf of a foreign country must register and disclose their relationships with the foreign principal, shouldn't that same standard apply to the DACA recipients lobbying as well?