NILC Immigrant Justice Fund

Type of Activity: Project
Grantee: NILC Immigrant Justice Fund
Amount: Updated to $200,000 in 2021 — originally approved as $100,000 in 2020

What is the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund?

In 2013, the National Immigration Law Center created an affiliate organization, the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund (NILC IJF), to advocate more directly for federal immigration reform policies that provide a road to U.S. citizenship for all aspiring citizens. IJF’s work is guided by a mission focused on building immigrant power, and advancing smart, effective, and fair immigration policy by executing civic engagement campaigns.

Why do we think this project is important?

Despite devastating attacks on immigrants’ lives and livelihoods over the last four years, immigrants and immigration are all too often the last issue on the policymaking agenda. IJF and its sister organization, the National Immigration Law Center, litigates in court and lobby with allies in state houses and Congress to advance immigrant justice. Last year, IJF relaunched its political arm, and developed the 2020 Project to advance smart, effective, fair immigration policy by: 1) shifting how immigration is covered by the media; 2) transforming the way policymakers and political influencers talk about immigrants and immigration; and 3) building enough political power to hold leaders accountable.

The civic engagement strategies of NILC-IJF accomplished these goals including engaging and building their list of activists, preparing activists and voters for advocacy efforts in 2021 and beyond, continuing to produce social media ads using immigrant inclusive messaging to build broad support for immigrants, and continuing to engage the press to tell the story of an inclusive, thriving vision for the United States that includes a fair and humane immigration system.

How is Democracy Fund Voice supporting the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund?  

In 2020, Democracy Fund Voice made a grant of $100,000 to NILC Immigrant Justice Fund. In 2021 an amendment was approved to increase the amount of the grant by $100,000 for a total of $200,000.