FWD.us, the political action committee launched by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley executives, has launched a campaign against deporting undocumented immigrants by dramatizing what a world of mass deportations might look like. The video plays out an imaginary police state brought about by — it suggests — politicians like Rick Santorum and Donald Trump, who has made anti-immigrant rhetoric a central element of his campaign. It's supposed to be the first section of a six-part series, each of which "tackles the devastating effects on various sectors of society" and shares stories from undocumented immigrants.
FWD.us is best known for supporting the expansion of H-1B visas, which allow American companies to bring "highly skilled" foreign workers to the US. But this video addresses the roughly 11 million people who would currently be affected by a mass deportation of undocumented immigrants. It's far from the first time anyone has pointed out that Trump's hard-line proposal would likely be expensive and ineffective, but it's coming from an increasingly powerful voice in the conversation.
Zuckerberg himself also implicitly denounced Trump's call to bar Muslims from entering the United States in a Facebook post yesterday. "Even if an attack isn't against you today, in time attacks on freedom for anyone will hurt everyone," he wrote. "If you're a Muslim in this community, as the leader of Facebook I want you to know that you are always welcome here, and that we will fight to protect your rights and create a peaceful and safe environment for you."