ICYMI: Press Highlight Historic Evangelical Immigration AD Campaign Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C., AUGUST 27, 2013 — Continuing the burgeoning momentum for broad immigration reform, voices of local and national evangelical leaders are resonating on the radio across 14 states, encouraging prayer and action on commonsense reform. The Evangelical Immigration Table’s largest ad buy to date launched last week, continues this week and has been capturing local and national headlines.

The multi-week ads are airing at saturation levels. This more than $400,000 effort puts cumulative media buys in the every region of the country at nearly a million dollars. The ads are the latest effort in the Evangelical Immigration Table’s “Pray for Reform” campaign, during which grassroots support is coming from more than 60,000 people who have signed up as prayer partners.

Local pastors and national leaders spoke about their ads and other efforts on a press call Tuesday. A recording of the call is available here, and the ads are posted here — including five new pastors who have recorded ads since Tuesday’s launch.

The following are just a sample of the top stories from the past week:

National

Associated Press: Coalition of Evangelicals launches ad campaign in key congressional districts
A coalition of Evangelical groups, including the Southern Baptist Convention, hopes to give an earful to key congressional lawmakers about immigration reform …
The ads will feature local pastors and national voices encouraging passage of immigration reform without delay. 
Story published in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Associated Press: Voices Opposing Immigration Law Muted This August
“The big story I think of the August recess is that we haven’t seen what some had predicted, this major anti-immigrant movement where members of Congress would be heckled into inaction,” Galen Carey, vice president of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, said on a media call this week to announce a $400,000, 14-state radio ad campaign in support of immigration reform. “We’ve seen very much that that has been a muted voice, but actually the pro-immigrant voice has been rather prominent at many of the town halls that we have observed.”
Story published in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Washington Post: Evangelical pastors step up pro-immigration campaign
The campaign builds on work the coalition has done over the past six months, during which members have held dozens of meetings with congressional offices. The coalition also had aired a previous round of immigration ads in five states during Congress’s spring recess.

NBC Latino: “I could be the voice of those who are voiceless” – religious leaders advocate immigration reform
Several religious organizations are stepping up their support for immigration reform as legislators debate the issue around the country.
Today, the national Evangelical Immigration Table launched the latest in its “Pray for Reform” campaign — a Christian and talk radio ad campaign which will air locally in 14 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

USA Today: Evangelical group to back immigration reform
A coalition of evangelical Christians will spend more than $400,000 on radio ads urging members of Congress to support immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for most of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Story published in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio.

Illinois

Chicago Sun-Times: Evangelicals take to Illinois airwaves to promote immigration reform
The ad also asks for support of reforms that establish a path toward citizenship, protect family unity and the rule of law, guarantee secure borders and ensure fairness to taxpayers.

Oklahoma

The Oklahoman: A ‘voice for the voiceless’: Oklahoma City pastor pushes for immigration reform in radio ad campaign
“I could be a voice for the voiceless in my church,” Cabrera said of his motivation to participate in the ad campaign.
“I’m not doing this because I’m Hispanic. I’m doing this because I’m a Christian.”

South Carolina

Gannett (S.C.): Evangelicals target Upstate congressional districts with immigration ads
Those involved in the Evangelical Immigration Table said their work represents the grassroots of their congregations, not just church leaders.
“This is not top-down at all. I feel like I’m being brought along by members of my congregation,” said Mike McClenahan, pastor at a Presbyterian church in Solana Beach, Calif.
Story published in South Carolina in Greenville, Hilton Head & Beaufort, Myrtle Beach and Columbia. Also ran in New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Texas:

Houston Chronicle: Evangelicals launch radio blitz to sway GOP Texans on immigration reform
Evangelical Immigration Table, meanwhile, have signed up 60,000 people for a grassroots effort called “Pray for Reform,” designed to reach out the wavering or uncommitted lawmakers on immigration reform.
Also ran in the San Antonio Express-News.