The immigration debate is heating up in Washington again as President Obama has asked Congress to put a bill on his desk before summer’s end. One of the largest proponents of immigration reform – Mark Zuckerberg’s FWD.us – is now doubling down with a new ad campaign.
Central to the campaign is a new TV ad called “Emma.” The title is a reference to Emma Lazarus, the poet who wrote The New Colossus. The sonnet, alongside the Statue of Liberty, have been symbols of hope for immigrants for over a century now. The new ad is obviously trying to reignite this association for a modern era.
In his post about the ad on Facebook, Zuckerberg said that immigration reform “is our chance to keep America a magnet for the world’s brightest and hardest working people.”
That immigration reform is taking longer than expected, however, as lawmakers on both sides are finding it hard to come to an agreement on a myriad of issues. The latest concern has some lawmakers worried that the bill would have a negative effect on the economy. Most of those fears were put to rest on Tuesday when the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the Senate bill would boost the economy while simultaneously lowering the deficit.
It’s good news for Facebook and other tech companies that have been pushing for comprehensive immigration reform since last year, but the tech industry isn’t the only sector that has a voice in the debate. Immigration affects pretty much every facet of American life so Zuckerberg and FWD.us will have to convince Congress that its needs are among the most important going forward.
Will this ad do that? Probably not, but it at least looks nice.
