Justin Bieber Deportation Petition Gets a Response From the White House

273,968 signatures were collected to return singer to Canada

By Zach Johnson Apr 21, 2014 2:49 PMTags
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The White House has responded...sort of.

In January, Justin Bieber's DUI arrest inspired a petition to kick the Canadian singer out of the country. It received 273,968 signatures—nearly triple the 100,000 needed to guarantee an official response. The "Baby" singer, who was raised in Stratford, Ontario, has not publicly commented on the petition.

"Sorry to disappoint, but we won't be commenting on this one," the White House's statement read.

"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."

VIDEO: Watch Justin Bieber leaving jail

The White House didn't address the 20-year-old pop star's legal problems further, but it did discuss immigration reform: "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."

After presenting its argument for immigration reform, the White House added, "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."

PHOTOS: See Justin Bieber partying hours before his DUI arrest

On Sunday, Bieber promised his Twitter followers that he's a changed person. "This is my time off but my mind is alway running. Learned a lot this past year thru trial & error but that is life. Excited for what's next," he wrote. He later tweeted, "Always push yourself to be better than the day before."

How would Michelle Obama deal with Bieber's bad boy ways if he were her son? "I would pull him close. You know, I don't know if it would be [giving] advice as much as [taking] action," the First Lady, 50, said during a February interview with Univision radio host Enrique Santos. "I would be very present in his life right now. And I would be probably with him a good chunk of the time, just there to talk, to figure out what's going on in his head, to figure out who's in his life and who's not, you know?"

Bieber pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving without a valid driver's license. His trial is scheduled for May 5.