Karl Rove-backed Crossroads GPS runs pro-immigration overhaul ad

Crossroads GPS, an advocacy group backed by Karl Rove, former senior adviser to George W. Bush, is launching a $100,000 ad campaign urging conservatives to support an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws.

The full-page print ad is signed by 53 business leaders and Republicans, including former Republican National Committee Chairman Edward Gillespie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Rove. It's the first ad the group has run on immigration this year.

"Immigration reform presents an historic opportunity to strengthen our nation's security and prosperity for the future," the ad says in bold text near the top.

There's a caveat to Crossroads GPS' support, however. In a statement released on Monday, Crossroads GPS CEO Steven Law said the current bill requires an "extreme makeover" that increases border security provisions and protects American workers. But abandoning talks over the bill would give President Barack Obama more decision-making power over the future of immigration policy, Law said, echoing an argument that Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio makes frequently.

"If we lose this opportunity to pass meaningful immigration reform, we will give President Obama an opening to shift immigration policy further to the left by executive fiat," Law said in the statement.

"The Senate immigration bill needs an 'extreme makeover' before we can say it really protects our borders and our workers, but it's important that Congress move forward on it and not just throw up its hands," continued Law. "This isn't just about politics; it's about taking responsibility for solving a critical national problem."

The ad, pictured below, will run online and in The Wall Street Journal, Roll Call, The Hill and Politico.