White House: No comment on Bieber deportation petition

Troubled pop star Justin Bieber has had high-profile run-ins withthe law recently but the White House doesn't appear set to add to his growingcatalogue of woes.Just under 275,000 people have added their names to a petition on the White Housewebsite calling for the Canadian's deportation from the US, easily surpassing the threshold of 100,000 signatures required for presidential consideration.But the White House said Friday it would not comment, citing terms in its "We thePeople" program that allows it to decline certain petitions.Instead, it sought to use the attention given to the petition to argue that anoverhaul of the immigration system would spur the US economy and shrinkWashington's ballooning deficit by nearly $1 trillion during the next 20 years."For those of you counting at home, that's 12.5 billion concert tickets -- or 100billion copies of Mr Bieber's debut album," the White House said."You better believe it," it added, an apparent reference to the "Belieber" term used todescribe Bieber's legions of adoring, mostly pre-teen female fans.The petition was created by a "J.A." in Detroit on January 23, the day Bieber wasbusted in Miami Beach for alleged impaired driving and illegal drag racing in aflashy Italian sports car. "We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented inthe world of pop culture," it says."We would like to see the dangerous, reckless, destructive and drug-abusing JustinBieber deported and his green card revoked."He is not only threatening the safety of our people but he is also a terribleinfluence on our nation's youth. We the people would like to remove Justin Bieberfrom our society."Bieber, 20, is understood to be living and working in the United States under arenewable O-1 visa for entertainers, rather than a green card for permanent residentstatus.It remains unclear whether Bieber's visa would be affected by his arrest.Bieber also faces an assault charge in Canada for allegedly striking a limousinedriver on the back of the head.