Advancing Narrative Change for Immigrant Families
Background
Following the implementation of inhumane immigration policies such as Remain in Mexico and Title 42, the Families Belong Together campaign emerged as a leading force in the fight to end family separations, detentions, and deportations. The campaign aimed to permanently dismantle harmful policies, reunite families, and advocate for a humane, safe, and orderly immigration system.
In March 2022, The Communications Shop partnered with Families Belong Together to strengthen messaging, digital storytelling, and audience outreach. Our collaboration focused on shaping a long-term positive narrative shift around immigrants and their families, ensuring that their voices were at the center of advocacy efforts.
Challenge
To effectively combat misinformation and change public perception, the campaign needed to:
- Develop a compelling, human-centered narrative – Shift the conversation from policy-driven rhetoric to stories of resilience, family unity, and justice.
- Strengthen audience engagement – Reach and mobilize diverse communities through strategic digital outreach.
- Drive ongoing public education efforts – Equip partners, advocates, and the general public with accessible, impactful messaging tools.
Strategy & Execution
The Communications Shop led a comprehensive strategic assessment and messaging framework to ensure the campaign’s storytelling and outreach efforts were impactful. Our approach included:
1. Strategic Messaging & Storytelling
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- Developed messaging guides to ensure a consistent and compelling advocacy voice across campaign materials.
- Created narratives that humanized family reunifications, elevating the personal stories of impacted individuals.
- Aligned messaging with broader immigration reform goals to bridge emotional storytelling with policy advocacy.
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2. Digital Content & Public Education
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- Designed and implemented monthly content calendars to drive campaign consistency across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Produced infographics and videos that effectively communicated the impact of family separations and unjust immigration policies.
- Developed public education campaigns that framed immigration reform as a moral and human rights imperative.
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3. Audience Outreach & Community Engagement
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- Created targeted digital outreach strategies to engage immigrant communities, activists, policymakers, and the general public.
- Ensured that impacted families remained at the center of communications efforts, reinforcing the need for systemic change.
- Collaborated with coalition partners to amplify digital campaigns and advocacy messaging at the national level.
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Results & Impact
Through strategic storytelling and digital engagement, the Families Belong Together campaign successfully advanced its mission to end family separations and push for humane immigration policies:
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- Expanded Digital Reach – Increased audience engagement through consistent, high-impact messaging and storytelling
- Strengthened Narrative Power – Centered the humanity and resilience of immigrant families, shifting public perception.
- Amplified Public Education Efforts – Equipped communities and advocates with accessible content to drive policy change conversations.
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Conclusion
By implementing a data-driven, storytelling-first approach, The Communications Shop helped Families Belong Together build a powerful advocacy narrative, ensuring that impacted voices remained central to immigration reform discussions. Our work continues to contribute to the movement for a just, humane, and compassionate immigration system.
- Partner : Families Belong Together
- Categories : Media Relations • Strategic Communications • Campaigns • Immigration
- Access To Information
- Advocay
- Campaign
- Immigration & Refugees
- Media Relations & Public Relations
- Strategic Communications
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