Bryan Lowry:

Secretary of State Kris Kobach brushed off any controversy surrounding his appearance at an immigration policy conference last month.

Kobach attended the annual Writers Workshop held by the Social Contract Press in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 25. The group is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which criticized Kobach’s presence at the event in a post.

In a phone call Tuesday afternoon, Kobach described the Social Contract Press as “a think tank for pro-enforcement immigration policies.” He said he discussed President Obama’s recent executive order on immigration, which halted millions of deportations, and the lawsuit brought against the Obama administration by agents for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for which he is an attorney.

Kobach’s attendance was highlighted by national news websites, including Salon and Talking Points Memo, after the Southern Poverty Law Center and other groups raised concerns.