ACRA, White House staff meet to discuss immigration reform


Local business folks got the ear of the White House last week, discussing immigration policy reform privately with President Barack Obama’s top advisor on domestic policy.

About 20 Aspen-area business leaders and board members from the chamber of commerce met with White House domestic policy advisor Melody Barnes on Monday, June 27. Barnes was in town for the Aspen Ideas Festival.

The Aspen Chamber Resort Association (ACRA) has discussed and lobbied for immigration reform in recent months, calling on Colorado’s congressional leaders to support legislation paving a way for the undocumented workforce to gain some level of citizenship.

Such illegal workers are a driving force of much of the resort economy, particularly in the hotel, hospitality and restaurant sectors.

The meeting at the Aspen Square Condominium Hotel lasted for about an hour and a half, according to ACRA chairman and Aspen Square owner Warren Klug.

“The conventional wisdom is that nothing is going to happen for two years until after the [2012] election,â€