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Chicago Loses Olympic Bid Due to Poor Immigration Policy

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On Friday, October 2, 2009, it was announced that the 2016 Olympics would be held in Rio de Janeiro, much to Chicago’s dismay.  The Windy City, which was also in the running for hosting the event, ended up as the least popular choice of the four cities that were contending.

Why?

The Immigration Policy Center claims it could have been due to America’s current immigration policy – one that was implemented during the Bush Administration and makes it extraordinarily difficult for visitors to obtain a visa. 

According to Discourse.net, there was one question that was vital in sinking Chicago’s Olympic bid:

In the official question-and-answer session following the Chicago presentation, Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. [International Olympic Committee] member from Pakistan, asked the toughest question. He wondered how smooth it would be for foreigners to enter the United States for the Games because doing so can sometimes, he said, be “a rather harrowing experience.”