Anti-immigration-reform group targets McCain in new ad

By Daniel Strauss
March 19, 2013
The Hill

An group opposing immigration reform is airing ads in Arizona targeting Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for his efforts to help pass a bipartisan immigration deal.

The ad, from Californians for Population Stabilization, comes as McCain works with seven other Democratic and Republican senators to finalize a plan to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws.

"This is an S.O.S. from the people of California to our neighbors in Arizona: Save our state. Your senator John McCain wants to bring in millions of workers to take our jobs," the voiceover in the ad says. "He wants more green cards. And amnesty for millions illegal aliens, giving access to Social Security benefits paid for by all of us."

The ads are airing in Arizona on television, radio and online, according to the Arizona Republic. The newspaper reports that the group is spending six figures on the campaign.

The group is also planning to air ads against Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is also part of the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform talks.

"The ads targeting Sen. Flake are produced, but we haven’t gone public with them," Californians for Population Stabilization executive director Jo Wideman told the Republic. "We are trying to get in touch with Flake to share the spots, before the broadcast dates."

President Obama and congressional lawmakers have both indicated strong support for passing immigration reform in the early half of 2013. The Senate group unveiled its framework for reforms including a path to citizenship, increased border security and more high-skilled immigration in January. But negotiations are continuing to finalize the details of the package.

"We’re still planning to finish this by the end of March," a source told The Hill.

But any immigration reform plan will face an uphill struggle to win the support of conservative lawmakers who oppose measures to grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.