For decades, there has been a strategic campaign to scapegoat immigrants for the economic hardships faced by the U.S. working class. It was on full display during the 2024 presidential campaign and opened the door to our present moment.
We began conceiving this video in December 2024 in anticipation of what was to come – once in office, the administration would start operationalizing its mass deportation regime. The same administration, the wealthiest in U.S. history, had promised to make deep cuts to our social safety net, which were bound to drive further economic insecurity.
Amidst all this coming hardship, we recognized a narrative opportunity. Because the truth is that mass deportations will not make anyone’s lives better. Study after study has shown the positive impact that immigration has on the U.S. economy and the potentially devastating consequences of mass deportations that will be experienced by citizens and non-citizens alike.
Our goal was to reclaim the conversation around immigrants and the economy by asserting a bold, values-based vision: one that centers working people of all backgrounds. We sought to educate, demystify policy, and expose the history and powerful interests that have molded our broken system.
This video would become a powerful storytelling tool to capture hearts and minds and broaden our ability to collectively resist.
We set out to create a video that humanized immigration policy, exposed the power structures behind our broken system, and presented a vision of solidarity across race, class, and immigration status.
We began by seeking to understand our potential audiences. We were particularly interested in what messages would be effective with lower-income communities, who are so often targeted with anti-immigrant rhetoric and disinformation. We used a digital message platform to run tests with national and low-income audiences in six swing states, where we saw working class voters swing rightwards in the election. Next we tested content via a targeted Meta ad campaign, helping us refine our approach based on real-time engagement.
Using our messaging insights, we developed a script that wove together history, policy, and values, while challenging viewers to see how divide-and-conquer politics keep everyday people disempowered. We then partnered with acclaimed artist Molly Crabapple, whose unique visual storytelling draws in audiences and helps them envision a world that does not yet exist but could.
Recognizing that long-form content is not optimal for social media algorithms, we integrated distribution strategy into creative production from the start. First we produced the video in both English and Spanish, allowing us to reach wider and more diverse audiences with two parallel launch campaigns. Second, we built out a strategy around collaboration, seeking opportunities to partner with narrators and media whose audiences aligned with our goals. Knowing that YouTube would be the best channel to drive video views, we executed a paid media campaign, targeting both a broad audience and people who had engaged with similar content. Finally, we leveraged a coalition of allies, from grassroots partners to values-aligned social creators, to amplify the video across platforms.
This project was a major success:
All in all, we were successful in crafting a compelling narrative that resonated both broadly and with priority audiences. In times of increasing darkness, this will continue to be an important piece of storytelling for NILC. Just because this moment demands defense, it will not stop us from standing firm in the declaration that a pathway to a better world still exists – if we build it together.
