Mark Zuckerberg Supports Advocacy Group Launching $10M Campaign Promoting Immigration Reform, Spells Trouble for Trump's 2016 Presidential Campaign?
An advocacy group founded by Mark Zuckerberg is rekindling its efforts in immigration reform for the upcoming 2016 election.
According to Politico, Fwd.us is rolling out a campaign worth $10 million over the course of 2016, which includes digital and TV ads, research, and polling. The initiative is set to expand its ground operation into 12 states and will center on presidential battleground and targeted House seats occupied by Republican officials.
News of the campaign comes after Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced on Tuesday that they are devoting the majority of their wealth (about $45 billion) to philanthropic efforts, Fox News Latino wrote. The Facebook founder is vocal of his support for comprehensive immigration reform and has also forged an alliance with Dreamers, an immigrant youth-led network. Zuckerberg also wishes to bring more high-tech workers from overseas to the United States.
Fwd.us was formed in 2013 by huge figures in the technological industry, such as Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman, and Eric Schmidt, among others, Politico noted. The group was responsible for 75 percent of all paid media spent in 2013 and 2014 backing immigration reform. They also conducted field operations in2 29 states and 149 target House districts.
"FWD.us' mission is to mobilize the tech community to support policies that keep the American Dream achievable in the 21st century," the group said on their website. "We support comprehensive immigration reform, improving the quality of American education, and encouraging more investment in scientific innovation."
Fwd.us could have serious implications for Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Politico further reported. The GOP candidate has been making anti-immigrant rhetoric since he announced his candidacy and even disapproved of U.S. President Barack Obama's plan to accept Syrian refugees in the country. Trump's fellow Republican hopefuls, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson, also have anti-immigrant remarks.
"It's a good time to inform people of the stakes," said Rob Jesmer, a veteran Republican political operative and campaign manager at Fwd.us, as quoted by the news outlet. "There is a lot of focus on one candidate, frankly," he said of Trump, "(but) there are several who are out of the mainstream. ... From a policy situation if we nominate any of those people we are going to lose. No two ways about it."
Fwd.us was among the most active pro-immigration reform groups after the 2012 election. Other organizations working on the issues of the current election cycle are SEIU, AFL-CIO, Mi Familia Vota, and the National Council of La Raza. These groups are in the development process of registering and mobilizing voters in swing states such as Nevada, Colorado, Florida, Wisconsin, and Illinois, Politico listed.