Shortly after we started Breakthrough in the U.S., the 9/11 attacks occurred, leading to a boiling over of anti-immigrant sentiment and physical attacks on individuals. They also led to a series of repressive legal measures, racial profiling, police abuse, and increased detentions and deportations. Issues that are all still relevant today.

In response, we developed an immigrant rights and racial justice program spanning 12 years. Our approach was framing immigrants’ rights in a broader context of human rights abuses based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and class. We focused primarily on the denial of due process by aggressive detention and deportation actions by federal, state, and local authorities.

We leveraged popular culture and digital media to reach and mobilize young people in particular. Our goal was to reframe the debate on immigration in both public opinion and media coverage. We also encouraged and supported immigrant rights activism.