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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release

Background on the President's Event Today at American University

REMARKS ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

The President will deliver remarks on the need to fix our broken immigration system through comprehensive immigration reform at the American University School of International Service. 

The audience of approximately 250 people will be composed of evangelical, business, labor, and community leaders, as well as law enforcement and elected officials (representative list below).

STAGE PARTICIPANTS

Dr. Cornelius Kerwin will welcome attendees.
Dr. Cornelius  Kerwin became American University’s 14th president in September 2007.

Bishop John Schol will deliver the Invocation.
John Schol is Bishop of the Baltimore – Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Nate Bronstein will lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Nate Bronstein, junior and Ardmore, Pennsylvania native, is president of American University's (undergraduate) Student Government.

Vishal Vaidya will sing the National Anthem.
Vishal Vaidya, a Burtonsville, Maryland native, received a BA from American University in May 2009, where he majored in Music Theater and International Studies.

Pastor Bill Hybels will introduce the President.
Bill Hybels is the senior pastor of the 12,000-plus member Willow Creek Community Church located in Northwest-suburban Chicago, Illinois.

EXPECTED ATTENDEES

Secretary Hilda Solis
Representative Jeff Flake, R-AZ
Representative Luis Gutierrez, D-IL
Representative Pedro Pierluisi, D-PR
Representative Loretta Sanchez, D-CA
Representative Nydia Velazquez, D-NY
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York, NY
Mayor Michael Nutter, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City Chief of Police
María Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
Carlos Gutierrez, former Secretary of Commerce
Chief Jack Harris, Phoenix Police Chief of Police
Juan Hernandez, Co-Founder, Conservatives for CIR
Assistant Chief Wayne Jerman, Montgomery County Assistant Chief of Police
Dr. Richard Land, President, Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow, Migration Policy Institute
Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Council
Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder, National Action Network
Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO
Mort Zuckerman, CEO, U.S. News & World Report