White House 'won't be commenting' on petition to deport Justin Bieber

A petition on the White Houses’ website to deport Justin Bieber back to Canada, following his series of run-ins with police, gained more than 250,000 signatures. This required a response from President Obama’s administration, who finally issued its “decision” on Saturday.

Ultimately, they declined to comment on Bieber's legal status in order "to avoid the appearance of improper influence," and instead used the opportunity to push for immigration reform in general.

Read their pun-filled response here:

Thanks for your petition and your participation in We the People.

Sorry to disappoint, but we won't be commenting on this one.

The We the People terms of participation state that, "to avoid the appearance of improper influence, the White House may decline to address certain procurement, law enforcement, adjudicatory, or similar matters properly within the jurisdiction of federal departments or agencies, federal courts, or state and local government in its response to a petition."

So we'll leave it to others to comment on Mr. Bieber's case, but we're glad you care about immigration issues. Because our current system is broken. Too many employers game the system by hiring undocumented workers, and 11 million people are living in the shadows.

That status quo isn't good for our economy or our country. We need common-sense immigration reform to make sure everyone plays by the same set of rules.

Not only is it the right thing to do morally, it's the right thing for our country: Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next 20 years. For those of you counting at home, that's 12.5 billion concert tickets -- or 100 billion copies of Mr. Bieber's debut album.

You better believe it.

We need a smart, effective immigration system -- one that can keep up with the demands of a 21st century economy.

Now, the only complete and long-lasting solution is for Congress to fix our broken immigration system by passing this kind of common-sense reform. Last year, the Senate took an important first step, passing an immigration reform bill with strong bipartisan support. Now is the time for the House of Representatives to act. House Republicans recently put out their standards for immigration reform, and the next step is simple: They just need to schedule a vote for reform. Never say never -- House Republicans could do this tomorrow.

All around the world, people look at America as a place of opportunity. And with comprehensive, common-sense immigration reform, we can make sure it stays that way.

Thanks for your petition. While we weren't able to address your direct concerns about Mr. Bieber, we hope you believe your We the People experience was a positive one.

Do you agree with their decision to stay out of this issue? Sound off in the comments section below!

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