Walgreens Sponsorship of Sanctuary City Advocates
Under Scrutiny

Retail Drug Giant's Donations to Pro-Amnesty Racial Special Interests UnidosUS and LULAC Under Fire

At tomorrow's annual meeting of Walgreens shareholders, a representative of the National Center for Public Policy Research's Free Enterprise Project (FEP) plans to question the retail drug giant's executives about company funding of extremist groups that push for amnesty for illegal immigrants and lobby in favor of unconstitutional sanctuary city policies.

"As the nation's political leaders debate comprehensive immigration reform, it's fair to question why some of America's leading corporations such as Walgreens are funding extremist groups with little apparent respect for our nation's immigration laws and sovereignty," said National Center General Counsel and FEP Director Justin Danhof, Esq., who is set to represent the organization at the meeting. "If Walgreens wants to advocate for immigration reform or a change in current immigration law, that's its prerogative. However, supporting groups such as UnidosUS and the League of Latin American Citizens – which promote sanctuary city policies – means Walgreens condones wildly unpopular criminal behavior." 

According to the groups' websites, Walgreens has contributed to UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza) and partnered with the League of Latin American Citizens(LULAC). A 2017 Harvard-Harris poll reported 80 percent of American voters oppose the sanctuary city policies supported by these racial special interest groups. Localities acting as sanctuary cities are in violation of federal law and the United States Constitution. As Hans A. von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow with the Heritage Foundation, points out, "8 U.S.C. §1373 prohibits states and local jurisdictions from preventing their law enforcement officials from exchanging information with federal officials on the citizenship status of individuals they have arrested or detained."

"Walgreens claims it wants to be 'America's most-loved' retail pharmacy chain. Supporting illegal policies that a vast majority of Americans oppose is surely an odd way to go about that mission," said Danhof. "Walgreens has cast itself in stark opposition to many of its current and potential customers, and has violated its mission in doing so. Customers and investors have a right to know why and how Walgreens management came to support such a fringe element in the immigration debate. We intend to get those answers."

The 2018 annual meeting of Walgreens Boots Alliance shareholders is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 17 at 10:30am Eastern at the Andaz Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. A webcast of the event is planned. This is the FEP's first attendance at a corporate shareholder meeting in 2018. The FEP's question will be posted on the National Center's website during the meeting.

To book an interview with Danhof or another National Center representative, contact Judy Kent at (703) 477-7476 or (703) 759-7476.

Launched in 2007, the National Center's Free Enterprise Project focuses on shareholder activism and the confluence of big government and big business. Over the past four years alone, FEP representatives have participated in over 100 shareholder meetings – advancing free-market ideals about health care, energy, taxes, subsidies, regulations, religious freedom, food policies, media bias, gun rights, workers' rights and other important public policy issues. As the leading voice for conservative-minded investors, FEP annually files more than 90 percent of all right-of-center shareholder resolutions. Dozens of liberal organizations, however, annually file more than 95 percent of all policy-oriented shareholder resolutions and continue to exert undue influence over corporate America.

FEP activity has been covered by media outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Variety, the Associated Press, Bloomberg, Drudge Report, Business Insider, National Public Radio and SiriusXM. FEP's work was prominently featured in Wall Street Journal writer Kimberley Strassel's 2016 book The Intimidation Game: How the Left is Silencing Free Speech (Hachette Book Group).

The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank. Ninety-four percent of its support comes from individuals, less than four percent from foundations and less than two percent from corporations. It receives over 350,000 individual contributions a year from over 60,000 active recent contributors. Contributions are tax-deductible and may be earmarked for the Free Enterprise Project. Sign up for email updates here.

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@NationalCenter for general announcements. To be alerted to upcoming media appearances by National Center staff, follow our media appearances Twitter account at @NCPPRMedia

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