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Six-figure Ad Buy Calls Out GOP for Obstructing Immigration Reform

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Today, SEIU, Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign, and America’s Voice launched Spanish-language radio ads in nine media markets around the country.  Here’s a quick summary from NBC’s First Read:

The immigration wars: In a $300,000 national advertising campaign, SEIU, Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign, and America’s Voice are launching Spanish-language radio ads in nine media markets across the country. “The ads,” a source tells First Read, “take on the Republican Party’s obstructionism on immigration reform, cite the GOP’s successful effort to block a vote on the DREAM Act last week, and encourage voters to support the candidates who ‘support our families, and make our dreams come true.’” The nine markets: Phoenix and Tucson, AZ; Denver, CO; Miami and Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Las Vegas, NV; and Houston and McAllen, TX.

Check out the advertisment (en español) below, or read the script translated into English here:

 

The six-figure ad buy is the largest national ad campaign from pro-immigration reform organizations, and it marks the beginning of a voter mobilization drive across the nation. The move is intended to hold politicians accountable for demonizing immigrants and for blocking progress on common sense immigration reform. Additionally, the ads are new to a voter mobilization strategy encouraging Latino and immigrant voters to make their voices heard at the polls. According to Ben Monterroso, Executive Director of Mi Familia Vota Civic Participation Campaign:

“Latino voters must take stock of who is with us and who is against us. This is the moment to vote for leaders who will offer real solutions to our broken immigration system and who will commit to building an economy that works for all working families.”

The ad comes after the GOP chose to unanimously thwart the only piece of immigration reform legislation that has come up for a vote during this administration  — the DREAM Act – which would have provided a path to earned citizenship for undocumented students of strong moral character, who completed at least two years of college or military service. Eric Lach of Talking Points Memo extracts these powerful, pertinent lines from the radio advertisement:

“Who wants to quash our dreams?” a young person says in Spanish in the ad. “Republicans.”

“President Obama, the Armed Forces, Chambers of Commerce, universities and a majority of the public are on our side,” another speaker says. “And they need our help.”

This ad is sure to generate plenty of reactions… stay tuned.