Conservative ad criticizes Obama for deportations

Republican presidential candidates blasted the Obama administration during the primaries for not doing enough to combat illegal immigration. But a conservative group is launching a television ad in Nevada on Wednesday criticizing President Obama for deporting a record number of undocumented immigrants.

The $38,000 ad, which will run in the Las Vegas area -- including on the top two Spanish-language TV stations -- warns viewers: “Don’t let Obama fool you. He’s not committed to immigrants. He just wants your vote.”

It criticizes Obama for “offering our young undocumented a solution that is temporary” and does not resolve their legal status, and asks: “Why didn’t he push immigration reform like he promised us?”

The ad continues by showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with a handcuffed woman and stating that “Obama has deported more people than any other president in the history of the country.”

The TV ad concludes by asking: “With friends like these, who needs enemies. In November, make your vote count.”

The ad was produced by Nevada Hispanics, which is part of American Principles in Action, a conservative nonprofit.

Alfonso Aguilar, an executive with American Principles, said the goal of the ad in what is expected to be a battleground state is to “wake up” Latinos to what he called the hypocrisy of the Obama administration’s handling of illegal immigration. Aguilar said he had been critical of harsh anti-illegal-immigrant laws passed in Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina.

“Obama speaks indignantly about Arizona and sues Arizona, but then he implements an enforcement policy that is much more punitive. The rhetoric doesn’t really match his actions,” Aguilar said of the deportations.

Aguilar said he hoped Latinos would give Mitt Romney a chance to lead in November. “He hasn’t had a chance. Mr. Obama has had a chance and he hasn’t delivered,” he said.

hector.becerra@latimes.com