An immigration advocacy group born out of Donald Trump's first administration has launched a new political arm to fight back against his plans for a second term.
Immigration Hub intends to push back against the incoming president's anti-migrant policy plans with major political advertising campaigns through its newly created Catalyze/Citizens organization, which will work to counter disinformation about the issue, reported Politico.
“The past decade has marked a dangerous shift: the mainstreaming of authoritarian ideology and the systematic spread of anti-immigrant narratives,” said 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.”
Republicans outspent Democrats five to one on broadcast ads during the 2024 election cycle, according to an analysis of AdImpact data from Catalyze/Citizen’s new “Right-Wing Playbook," and they were able to successfully frame immigration as a national security threat worsened by what they called president Joe Biden's "open border" policies.
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"Trump has said he will conduct deportations at a scale never seen before and has vowed to quickly undo several Biden administration policies," Politico reported. "Immigrants’ rights groups have spent the last year preparing for a second Trump term and an overhaul to the nation’s immigration system, analyzing Trump’s proposals, drafting legal briefs, coordinating messaging and organizing aid for immigrants and asylum seekers."
Immigration Hub's new campaign is one of the first political countermoves since the GOP won a trifecta last month, and immigration leaders argue that messaging must address voter concerns about voter security while fighting back against Trump's "extreme" policies.
“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,” said Kerri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub.