An excerpt published by The Daily Wire from an upcoming book by author Peter Schweizer recounts remarks attributed to SEIU leader Eliseo Medina in July 2009 arguing that immigration reform could eventually expand the electorate through naturalization, a claim the excerpt ties to broader Democratic political strategy.
In an excerpt published by The Daily Wire, author Peter Schweizer describes a July 2009 speech in Washington, DC, in which labor leader Eliseo Medina is quoted framing immigration reform as a way to expand the future electorate.
The excerpt identifies Medina as the secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and an honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America. However, SEIU’s own announcements indicate Medina was elected SEIU international secretary-treasurer in September 2010, after serving previously as an international executive vice president.
In the excerpt, Medina is quoted saying that recently naturalized immigrants had voted “overwhelmingly for progressive candidates” and that then-President Barack Obama received “two out of every three” such votes in the prior November election. The excerpt also quotes Medina urging progressives to “be on the side of immigrants” and asserting that immigration reform could place “12 million people on the path to citizenship,” potentially producing “eight million new voters” and helping create a “governing coalition for the long term.”
Schweizer’s book, The Invisible Coup: How American Elites and Foreign Powers Use Immigration as a Weapon, is scheduled for release on January 20, 2026, according to the publisher information cited in the excerpt and independent retail listings. Schweizer is described in the excerpt as president of the Government Accountability Institute.
The excerpt links Medina’s views to Obama’s political rise and Democratic coalition-building. It attributes to Obama a statement that he spoke with Medina and SEIU members before immigration debates in Washington, and it describes Obama’s early work as a community organizer with the Chicago-based Gamaliel Foundation. It also says Obama’s 2008 campaign adopted “Sí se puede! Yes we can.” as a slogan drawn from the immigrant-rights movement.
The excerpt further cites a set of polling claims about immigrants’ views and partisanship—such as support for Obama’s health care plans, attitudes about the Constitution and civic education among naturalized citizens, and a claim that recent immigrants in 2012 favored Democrats over Republicans by nearly four-to-one. Those specific polling statistics are presented in the excerpt without naming the exact survey instruments or providing methodology details. Separate public research has documented strong Democratic lean among Latino voters and Democratic identification among some immigrant groups in the early 2010s, but those findings do not, on their own, confirm the excerpt’s exact figures.
The Daily Wire publication notes it is presenting an excerpt by permission of the book’s imprint and states that the views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the outlet.
