Key observers are lifting up the details and implications of the new America’s Voice Spanish language radio ad in Florida, narrated by Florida DREAMer and America’s Voice staffer Juan Escalante, encouraging members of the Latino community to get out and vote to protect DACA. The ad calls out Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio for backing Donald Trump and Trump’s pledge to end DACA on day one of his presidency, and contrasts Rubio’s opposition to DACA with Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Patrick Murphy’s support for DREAMers.
The new Florida ad, to be joined later this week by a similar ad running in Nevada, is the latest example in DREAMers’ ongoing engagement this election cycle. DREAMers are encouraging members of the Latino and immigrant communities to participate and vote on behalf of the 741,000 DREAMers across the country whose DACA status – and futures and opportunities – are at stake on November 8th. Last Saturday, for example, DREAMers and immigrant activists in Wisconsin canvassed in Paul Ryan’s congressional district to protest Ryan’s votes to end DACA and Ryan’s refusal to un-endorse Donald Trump.
Among the coverage of the new America’s Voice Florida ad:
In a Politico Florida story titled, “Spanish-language radio ad hits Trump, Rubio over opposition to Obama’s immigration program for DREAMers,” Sergio Bustos writes:
“In the ad, Escalante, who cannot vote, urges others to vote on his behalf.
…Escalante says Rubio, the son of Cuban-American immigrants, was being hypocritical during his failed presidential run in talking about his family’s immigration story and not giving other immigrants a chance to make it in America.
‘Rubio will try to sell you the immigrant story about his parents, how they worked hard, and eventually were able to achieve the American Dream — and while that sounds great on the campaign trail, the truth is that he is trying to ensure that no such opportunity is presented to young immigrants like myself,’ Escalante told POLITICO Florida.
‘Marco Rubio supports Donald Trump, one of the most anti-immigrant and racist political candidates in recent history,’ he said. ‘That alone should tell you that he is no friend of Latinos or immigrants, in Florida or across the country.’”
In the Tampa Bay Times, Jeremy Wallace notes:
“[T]he new 30 second ad from America’s Voice takes issue with Trump’s promise to reverse President Barack Obama’s executive actions that delay potential deportation of children brought to the United States at a young age by undocumented immigrant parents. Those children are often called Dreamers, because of a 2010 proposed law called the Dream Act that would have permanently ceased deportation of those children.
…When he ran for president earlier this year, Rubio joined with other Republicans like Trump in calling for repealing Obama’s actions. But doing so would leave more than 750,000 people who have been protected from deportation under Obama’s order in jeopardy again, according to America’s Voice.
The ad features Dreamer Juan Escalante who says Obama’s action allows him to live and work without fear of deportation.”
And in Daily Kos, Kerry Eleveld highlights:
“A Venezuelan-born DREAMer is featured in a new radio ad by the immigration group America’s Voice challenging Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio, both of whom have pledged to end a program providing deportation relief to people like him. Trump has promised to immediately suspend President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has allowed hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought here as minors to avoid deportation if they attended college or enlisted in the military.
… It’s a strong appeal for Latino voters to not only reject the divisive politics of Trump but also those of Trump supporter Rubio, who many Latinos believe has turned his back on providing the same opportunity to others that his family was afforded as Cuban immigrants.”
