Advocacy Groups Work to Strengthen Their Influence on Immigration Laws

“We see that in the blogosphere,” says Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that pushes for lower levels of immigration. “Their opposition research and opposition attacks are much strengthened.”

But he says he doesn’t see evidence that the groups are helping to persuade more American voters. And, he says, passing legislation when the unemployment rate hovers around 10 percent would be “political lunacy.”

Mr. Beck says his group will focus on that message in the next few months. NumbersUSA has both a charity and an advocacy arm; the charity receives about 70 percent of its money from foundations, he says.The Chronicle of Higher Education