American Action Network Starts $100K Immigration Ad Campaign

The American Action Network is unveiling an ad this week that it hopes will spur the House to pass immigration reform, spending more than $100,000 to highlight provisions in the border-surge plan included in the Senate immigration bill.

The ad campaign is coming as the Republican-led House continues to work on crafting its version of immigration legislation. It will appear during prime time on the Fox News Channel nationally, reports Politico.

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The advertisement praises three prominent conservative leaders — Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — for backing the border surge, and calls the measure "the tough border security America needs."

The border-security measure was instrumental in attracting Republicans to back the Senate bill, which passed 68-to-32, with 14 Republicans joining all of the Democrats.

American Action Network said the newest ad is the first to specifically target the House.

The conservative advocacy group, along with an affiliate, the Hispanic Leadership Network, has been among the most active groups pushing lawmakers on immigration reform, and has spent more than $750,000 on four different ads.

"The conservative border-surge plan is tough, enforceable, takes away discretion from the Obama administration, and  ... would finally secure the border," said Dan Conston, American Action's communications director. "We hope Americans call their congressperson and tell them to support the conservative plan to secure the border."

House Republicans plan to meet on Wednesday to discuss alternatives on immigration, ABC News reports.

The advertisement encourages watchers to "call Congress ... tell them to pass conservative immigration reform," while it points out how key conservatives have supported protecting the border.

Even though some prominent Republicans back the border-security provision, the Senate bill faces a tough fight in the House.

The border-security amendment was added to the Senate legislation to encourage Republicans to vote for the bipartisan bill. However, reports ABC News, some GOP senators who voted against the immigration bill say the border-security provision is not tough enough.

The Senate bill still includes a controversial pathway to citizenship plan for undocumented immigrants, which President Barack Obama, Democrats, and immigrant-rights advocates insist must remain, but which is opposed by many conservatives in the House.

House Speaker John Boehner has said he will not allow the measure to go to a vote without a majority of the House Republicans in favor of it, saying he prefers true bipartisan legislation.