Allen West, Jan Ting, Thomas Broadwater, middle, shaking hands with Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) at The National Press Club on November 22, 2013 for the Americans4Work symposium.
As he so often does, Senator Jeff Sessions spoke in opposition to immigration reform last week at the Wall Street Journal’s annual CEO Council meeting. As noted on his official Facebook page, the Alabama Rebpulican was quoted saying, “[w]e need to be helping Americans get off of welfare, off of unemployment and into good-paying jobs.” Sessions continued this theme later in the week at The National Press Club where he appeared at a November 21 symposium on unemployment organized by Americans4Work (A4W) – a relatively new organization that has allied itself with other members of the anti-immigrant movement like NumbersUSA and the Black American Leadership Alliance (BALA). On the surface this appears like anti-immigrant leaders echoing familiar – yet thoroughly misleading – talking points. However, when examined further, it is peculiar for Sessions and other anti-immigrant groups to associate with A4W – given that the group’s president earns his living leading an organization specializing in outsourcing and offshoring.
A4W’s President is Thomas D Broadwater Jr. During a NumbersUSA webinar in June, Broadwater claimed, “We need our jobs. Our American citizens need jobs. Legal immigrants, illegal immigrants, they’re all bad as far as we’re concerned, for America.” Broadwater is also a member of BALA and expressed the same sentiments at the group’s “March for Jobs” this summer. In addition to heading A4W, Broadwater is the managing partner of Broadserv LLC, a Maryland-based company that, according to its website, “provides professional & technical services to North American software and technology companies, leveraging high quality, low cost, international resources from India, South America, Europe and the Middle East.”
The same type of North American companies that Sen. Sessions and the organized anti-immigrant movement have persistently decried throughout the year for supporting reforms to our immigration system.
A4W collects donations on its website via a PayPal account attributed to Broadserv. Broadwater’s LinkedIn profile also affirms his affiliations with both Broadserv and A4W. The headline of said profile indicates Broadwater’s field as “Outsourcing/Offshoring.” With the ideological disparity between Broadwater’s professional life and his role with A4W, it is understandable why he would intend to keep his involvement with Broadserv in the shadows. Broadwater began a May 31 radio interview with WPTF in North Carolina by quickly distancing himself from Broadserv, saying he was “serving in a social role” and representing A4W.
Broadwater’s double life bears similarities to BALA founder Leah Durant, who serves as the executive director of the anti-immigrant Progressives for Immigration Reform, while simultaneously campaigning for ultra-conservative politicians and associating with right wing organizations and activists. Such misleading presentations and actions are common throughout the organized anti-immigrant movement. The question is why are elected officials like Jeff Sessions and former Rep. Allen West affiliating themselves with organizations like A4W and BALA? Additionally, why are other anti-immigrant groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform, Center for Immigration Studies, whose board member Jan Ting also spoke at the A4W event, and NumbersUSA – who posted a glowing roundup of the symposium on their website the following day – working with such people and organizations?
Have they been duped? Possibly, but it is more likely they simply ignore these inconsistencies in hopes of further advancing the nativist agenda they’ve espoused for so many years.
Being the week of Thanksgiving, we at Imagine2050 are grateful for all the immigrants that come to our country, fuel the growth of our economy, and enhance our vibrant communities. What we aren’t grateful for are members of the anti-immigrant movement like Thomas Broadwater that insincerely speak on behalf of the unemployed as a means to demagogue immigrants. It’s especially offensive when such individuals like Mr. Broadwater also profit off outsourcing practices that decrease job opportunities for those in this country. Such deceit has no place in our political discourse and our elected officials should never endorse or associate themselves with it.