The Service Employees International Union made a seven-figure ad buy on Tuesday in support of comprehensive immigration reform, touting it from the perspective of law enforcement, business owners, veterans, Republicans and immigrants themselves.
"Our immigration system is broken," a woman says in one of the ads, which will air on national cable TV, after identifying herself as a Republican. "It doesn’t matter if you are Republican or Democrat, it matters that you are an American," she adds later.
The SEIU has long been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. A bill in the Senate that fits that requirement will go for its first vote on Tuesday, with many senators still undecided as to whether they will support its final passage.
SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry will be present later in the morning when President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the White House in support of immigration reform. In a statement, she said the new ads are meant to highlight broad-based support for the issue.
"We're seeing a growing consensus across the country that we need to get immigration reform done and get it done now," she said. "These ads show the breadth of support for commonsense immigration reform and highlight the diverse voices that are integral to moving this debate forward."
Other organizations have also launched major ad buys in support of reform. Crossroads GPS, a conservative group backed by Karl Rove, announced Monday it will spend $100,000 on print and online advertising.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also released ads this week on immigration, going after Republican House members who voted last week to defund an Obama administration program that helps undocumented young people. The DCCC ads target Reps. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), Blake Farenthold (R-Texas), John Kline (R-Minn.), Joe Heck (R-Nev.), Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), Gary Miller (R-Calif.), Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.).
The ads will air in Spanish and urge constituents to call their representative to "demand that he stand with our young people and not with most extreme members of his party."
Watch all of the SEIU ads here, or the one titled "Now" below.
This story has been updated to include the DCCC ads released this week.
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