Open Society Foundations, Hungarian-born billionaire George Soros’ stated vehicle for progressive social change, orchestrated a well-funded attempt to secure a desired outcome in a U.S. Supreme Court case on illegal immigration enforcement, according to a newly discovered memo between the organization’s top U.S. officials and board members.
The February 2016 memo was among thousands of internal OSF documents released to the public by anonymous hackers whose stated goal is to “shed light on one of the most influential networks operating worldwide.” OSF U.S. Programs director Ken Zimmerman and deputy director Andrea Batista Schlesinger co-authored the memo, which is addressed to the 14 advisory board members of the organization’s U.S. operations.
Members of the advisory board include Soros family members, left-wing activists, Ivy League professors and columnists for The Washington Post and Foreign Policy magazine. The memo, entitled “State of U.S. Programs,” is part of a 75-page file containing internal documents from a Feb 11 and 12 board meeting.
“Consistent with our recent practice, this memo provides an overview of the state of USP and its operations with a focus on items that are not otherwise covered in the upcoming board discussions,” the memo reads.
One section of the memo is devoted to “reports from the field,” including a report titled “Immigration policy and Syrian refugees: Steps Forward and Back in a Volatile Time.”
That report noted some of the “new challenges” faced by the organization, including the Supreme Court case of U.S. v Texas, which addressed an executive order from President Barack Obama granting legal status and work permits to millions of illegal immigrants.
“Grantees are seeking to influence the Justices (primarily via a sophisticated amicus briefs and media strategy) in hopes of securing a favorable ruling in U.S. v Texas,” the memo notes. A “favorable ruling” from the Court would have upheld President Obama’s executive order, a scenario which the organization was preparing for, according to the memo.
“We are also seeking to shore up state and local infrastructure through Emma Lazarus II investments, positioning the field to move swiftly on a large-scale implementation effort in the event of a favorable ruling—efforts complicated by lagging implementation capacity at the federal level.”
The memo also states the organization’s interest in possible “collaborations with Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and South Asian partners.”
Soros, who once admitted he considers himself “some kind of god,” sits on the U.S. Programs advisory board, as do his sons Alexander and Jonathan. They’re joined by leading progressives in academia and in the media.
Harvard University scholar and Washington Post columnist Danielle Allen, Georgetown Law professor and Foreign Policy magazine contributor Rosa Brooks and dean of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism Steve Coll all serve on the board, in addition to their positions in the media.
New York University Law professor Bryan Stevenson and Columbia University senior fellow Andy Stern serve on the board as well.
Soros’ political activity has come under scrutiny after “hacktivist” organization DCLeaks published thousands of internal documents from Soros’ organizations.
According to the organization’s website, OSF’s mission is to “work to build vibrant and tolerant societies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people.”
As originally reported by The Daily Caller, Soros’ organization funded “opposition research” on a handful of critics of radical Islam.
As also originally reported by TheDC, a different leaked OSF memo argues that Europe’s refugee crisis should be accepted as a “new normal,” and that the refugee crisis means “new opportunities” for Soros’ organization to influence immigration on a global scale.
