Pro-immigration organization initiates a political branch to oppose Trump's policies
This election cycle, Republicans invested significantly more in immigration advertising compared to Democrats, with a ratio of five to one.
TroibNews 
On Tuesday, a prominent immigration advocacy organization unveiled a new political arm aimed at countering Donald Trump’s agenda and assisting Democrats in effectively communicating on a long-challenging issue for the party.
The latest initiative from the Immigration Hub, a pro-immigration group established in 2017 in response to Trump’s initial term, focuses on launching significant political advertising campaigns to address the incoming president's policy proposals, which involve a swift increase in deportations. The newly formed political arm, named Catalyze/Citizens, aims to broaden the Immigration Hub's efforts by combating misinformation regarding immigrants and advocating for reforms to a liability shield that permits platforms to share content without facing legal repercussions. Details of the group's strategy were exclusively shared with PMG.
This organization aims to shift the political landscape for Democrats regarding this complex policy issue. As the party reflects on its 2024 defeat, strategists point out that the Democrats' shift to a tougher stance on migration this cycle fell short against years of Republican dominance in the immigration narrative. An analysis of AdImpact data reveals that Republicans outspent Democrats five to one on broadcast advertising.
“The past decade has marked a dangerous shift: the mainstreaming of authoritarian ideology and the systematic spread of anti-immigrant narratives,” stated Beatriz Lopez, co-executive director of Immigration Hub and Catalyze/Citizens. “Catalyze/Citizens emerged from a clear conviction — we need a robust response that matches, competes and wins against the extreme right’s anti-immigrant, anti-democratic narratives.”
This cycle, Republicans successfully depicted immigration as a national threat, amplifying misleading claims about immigrant crime, “invasions,” and President Joe Biden’s border policies. From January to October, spending on immigration-focused television advertisements in 12 battleground presidential and Senate states reached $680.5 million, with Republicans accounting for 84 percent of this expenditure, according to the analysis.
GOP advertisements concentrated on Vice President Kamala Harris’ role as “border czar,” targeting her regarding Biden’s “open border” policies. This advertising barrage intensified following Harris’s rise to prominence on the ticket.
Trump has promised to conduct unprecedented deportations and intends to swiftly reverse several Biden administration initiatives. Over the past year, immigrant rights organizations have been preparing for another Trump term and a significant overhauling of the U.S. immigration system, scrutinizing Trump’s proposals, drafting legal documents, coordinating messaging, and organizing aid for immigrants and asylum seekers.
The new initiative marks one of the left's first political responses as advocates anticipate immigration to remain a crucial issue in the midterms and in the 2028 elections. Democrats find themselves at a pivotal point in the movement, seeking to formulate a message that counters Trump’s agenda while addressing voters' escalating concerns about border security and the flawed immigration system.
The increasing politicization of immigration has posed challenges for Democrats in Washington, who have struggled to withstand a barrage of GOP criticisms. It wasn’t until this year that the party consolidated around a central argument, blaming Trump for the breakdown of the bipartisan border deal and advocating for practical solutions to the crisis. This strategy drew inspiration from Rep. Tom Suozzi’s successful February special election campaign in New York, which focused on enhancing border security.
The next two years will be critical as Democratic leaders endeavor to repair the damage. Immigration advocates emphasize that the party must acknowledge voters’ security concerns while also rejecting Trump’s “extreme” policies, which they believe could alienate swing voters and moderates seeking a more balanced approach to border issues.
“With the transition to a new administration that has pledged to reverse the progress made in recent years, we can expect far-reaching, inhumane and lasting changes on America’s immigration system,” remarked Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The latest initiative from the Immigration Hub, a pro-immigration group established in 2017 in response to Trump’s initial term, focuses on launching significant political advertising campaigns to address the incoming president's policy proposals, which involve a swift increase in deportations. The newly formed political arm, named Catalyze/Citizens, aims to broaden the Immigration Hub's efforts by combating misinformation regarding immigrants and advocating for reforms to a liability shield that permits platforms to share content without facing legal repercussions. Details of the group's strategy were exclusively shared with PMG.
This organization aims to shift the political landscape for Democrats regarding this complex policy issue. As the party reflects on its 2024 defeat, strategists point out that the Democrats' shift to a tougher stance on migration this cycle fell short against years of Republican dominance in the immigration narrative. An analysis of AdImpact data reveals that Republicans outspent Democrats five to one on broadcast advertising.
“The past decade has marked a dangerous shift: the mainstreaming of authoritarian ideology and the systematic spread of anti-immigrant narratives,” stated Beatriz Lopez, co-executive director of Immigration Hub and Catalyze/Citizens. “Catalyze/Citizens emerged from a clear conviction — we need a robust response that matches, competes and wins against the extreme right’s anti-immigrant, anti-democratic narratives.”
This cycle, Republicans successfully depicted immigration as a national threat, amplifying misleading claims about immigrant crime, “invasions,” and President Joe Biden’s border policies. From January to October, spending on immigration-focused television advertisements in 12 battleground presidential and Senate states reached $680.5 million, with Republicans accounting for 84 percent of this expenditure, according to the analysis.
GOP advertisements concentrated on Vice President Kamala Harris’ role as “border czar,” targeting her regarding Biden’s “open border” policies. This advertising barrage intensified following Harris’s rise to prominence on the ticket.
Trump has promised to conduct unprecedented deportations and intends to swiftly reverse several Biden administration initiatives. Over the past year, immigrant rights organizations have been preparing for another Trump term and a significant overhauling of the U.S. immigration system, scrutinizing Trump’s proposals, drafting legal documents, coordinating messaging, and organizing aid for immigrants and asylum seekers.
The new initiative marks one of the left's first political responses as advocates anticipate immigration to remain a crucial issue in the midterms and in the 2028 elections. Democrats find themselves at a pivotal point in the movement, seeking to formulate a message that counters Trump’s agenda while addressing voters' escalating concerns about border security and the flawed immigration system.
The increasing politicization of immigration has posed challenges for Democrats in Washington, who have struggled to withstand a barrage of GOP criticisms. It wasn’t until this year that the party consolidated around a central argument, blaming Trump for the breakdown of the bipartisan border deal and advocating for practical solutions to the crisis. This strategy drew inspiration from Rep. Tom Suozzi’s successful February special election campaign in New York, which focused on enhancing border security.
The next two years will be critical as Democratic leaders endeavor to repair the damage. Immigration advocates emphasize that the party must acknowledge voters’ security concerns while also rejecting Trump’s “extreme” policies, which they believe could alienate swing voters and moderates seeking a more balanced approach to border issues.
“With the transition to a new administration that has pledged to reverse the progress made in recent years, we can expect far-reaching, inhumane and lasting changes on America’s immigration system,” remarked Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
