Sure, the tech industry has a vested interest in immigration reform due to the amount of high-skilled STEM workers that its fast-paced industry needs. But in a lightning-fast and electronic industry, Mark Zuckerberg has succeeded in reminding us how personal the immigration issue really is.

With this morning’s launch of his new political action group, FWD.us, Mr. Zuckerberg voiced his support for comprehensive immigration reform – on a personal level. His op-ed announcement of FWD.us recalls his experiences with the plight of young undocumented DREAMers, who he asserts “should be part of our future” as a nation.

The human element of immigration reform is not lost among the great technological minds of the 21st century. Mark Zuckerberg, perhaps the most prominent founder of this group, is not alone in his stance: other supporters for comprehensive immigration reform via FWD.us include investors and VIPs of such companies as Dropbox, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Yelp, among others – some of whom are immigrants themselves.

This is a group of minds who understand the need for immigration reform. Mr. Zuckerberg states that the much-needed changes that CIR will address “won’t happen on their own.” He echoes the foundational advances that our current system needs to make, including:

  • A path to citizenship for the undocumented population in the U.S,
  • Effective border security measures, and
  • An immigration system that attracts talented, hardworking people to the U.S.

Unlike other reform advocates, however, Mr. Zuckerberg takes it a step further, calling also for “higher standards and accountability” in our nation’s schools, and a more progressive educational structure for STEM fields.

Knowledge, says Mr. Zuckerberg, is the new foundation of the U.S. economy. Unlike in the industrial age, we are now in a time where thoughts and ideas make the greatest impact on society; “in fact,” he goes on to say, “the more people who know something, the better educated and trained we all are, the more productive we become, and the better off everyone in our nation can be.”

We couldn’t agree more.

For more information about FWD.us, or to get involved in the immigration reform movement, check out their website or get connected on Facebook.