National Immigration Forum Answers Questions About Soros, Chamber of Commerce Funding for Evangelical Immigration Table

By Napp Nazworth, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, June 25, 2013

The National Immigration Forum told The Christian Post Monday that no money from a George Soros foundation was used for the Evangelical Immigration Table, and, despite reports to the contrary, funding from the Chamber of Commerce was used to pay for EIT radio ads.

Some conservative media and bloggers have recently claimed the EIT was funded by Soros, "birthed" by Soros, or is a Soros "front group." The implication behind some of these claims is that the evangelical leaders involved in the EIT are being used, or bamboozled, by Soros, whose billions are often used to back liberal causes.

Last week, The Christian Post spoke with Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, senior editorial advisor for The Christian Post, and a member of the EIT, about the issue. Rodriguez contacted the NIF to find out if George Soros was, indeed, the secret benefactor for the EIT. Rodriguez was informed that no Soros money was used for the EIT. Rather, the funding came from "Paul Singer, a Republican hedge fund billionaire, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Walmart, and other leading Christian business owners."

In response to this news, Michael Patrick Leahy at Breitbart.com contacted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He was informed by Blair Latoff Holmes, senior director of communications, that the Chamber did not give money to the NIF for radio ads or for the EIT.

To find out more, The Christian Post spoke Monday with Ali Noorani, executive director of the NIF. Noorani said that the Chamber gave money to the NIF for a project called Bibles, Badges & Business for Immigration Reform (BBB).

The goal of the BBB is to build a network of religious, law enforcement and business leaders in support of immigration reform. The Chamber was presented with the strategy of the BBB when it agreed to support the effort. The faith leader or "Bible" portion of the BBB is the NIF's partnership with the EIT, Noorani explained.

Noorani also reiterated that none of the donations the NIF has received from a George Soros foundation was used for the EIT. The Soros money, which has "plummeted" in the last few years, is only about 10 percent of NIF's budget and is only used for internal operations, he said.

The NIF does handle the "logistics functions" of the EIT, Noorani added, but "each and every decision" made by the EIT is made by the EIT members.