IGNITE 2020 Immigration Summit will take place on February 24th and 25th in Miami, Florida, at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami, FL 33137. Only registered participants will be allowed on the premise. We look forward to sharing two days of inspirational, informative, and impactful discussions with you and countless advocates from across the country.
Click here for a map of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex.
DAY ONE - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020
8:30 - 9:30 — BREAKFAST
9:30 — WELCOME
Location: Courtyard
Tyler Moran, Executive Director, Immigration Hub
Monica Barrera and Beatriz Lopez, Immigration Hub
Marleine Bastien, Executive Director, Family Action Network Movement (FANM)
Maria Rodriguez, Executive Director, Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC)
10:00 — [PLENARY] Breakthrough Immigration Messaging Across the Movement
Location: Courtyard
The results of the 2016 and 2018 elections prompted a number of advocates and researchers to dig deep into voter perceptions on immigration. From deep canvassing and social listening to online polls and digital tests, efforts have yielded rich data aiming to arm the movement and campaigns with the messaging tools to create the conditions for humane immigration reforms. Hear from a panel of pollsters, advocates, and messaging experts on breakthrough research to move the electorate, talk immigration, and drive bold changes.
Albert Morales, Latino Decisions
Amy Levin, Benenson Strategy Group/Breakthrough Campaigns
Ian Haney López, Author of Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America
Kimberly Serrano, California Immigrant Policy Center
Moderator: Tyler Moran, Immigration Hub
11:40 — [WORKSHOP] The Big Book: Policy Priorities for the Next Administration
Location: Church
More than 60 immigrant rights organizations have convened to develop and prioritize a set of administrative policies for a new Democratic administration. Called the “Big Book,” this project addresses enforcement and removal proceedings, prosecutorial and judicial discretion, naturalization and integration, labor and employment, and protection and humanitarian response, among other areas. Join panelists to learn about the Big Book project and our movement’s ideas for the future of administrative immigration policies.
Charanya Krishnaswami, Amnesty International USA
Christian Ramirez, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Esther Olavarria, Consultant for Immigration Policy Tracker
Sirine Shebaya, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild (NIPNLG)
Moderator: Sarnata Reynolds, Immigration Hub
11:40 — [WORKSHOP] Rewiring the Digital Playbook to Hack the Hate
Location: Art Room
In the last three years, the opposition has reimagined and weaponized the online space to normalize conspiracy theories, false narratives, and “alt-right” voices against immigrants and communities of color. The Trump campaign is investing $1 billion in digital marketing to once again dominate Facebook and other platforms. How do we counter their tactics and revolutionize micro-targeting, creative content, and online messaging for lasting change? Join digital innovators and creative thinkers who are helping rewrite the digital playbook to counter the hate and go on offense.
Amihan David, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) & iAmerica
Ali Noorani, National Immigration Forum
Hemly Ordonez, FWD.us
Matthew Ray, ChatterBlast Media
Moderator: Jasmin Malone, Emerson Collective
11:40 — [STRATEGY SESSION] Toward an Alternative Model for Labor Migration
Location: Community Room
This interactive session will introduce and gather feedback from movement allies on a framework for labor migration developed by Migration that Works, a coalition of thirty organizations working together to end international labor recruitment abuse. This alternative framework for labor migration is a value-based model that prioritizes the human rights of migrant workers and their families and elevates labor standards for all workers. Participants will also weigh in on strategy and campaigns being developed to advance this alternative model.
Iris Figueroa, Farmworker Justice
Josh Bernstein, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
María Perales Sanchez, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante
Rachel Micah-Jones, Migration that Works
11:40 — [STRATEGY SESSION] Toward a New Vision for Border Policy
Location: Gallery
This interactive session will introduce and gather feedback from movement allies on the New Border Vision, a framework for border policy and messaging developed by the Southern Border Communities Coalition, a coalition of community organizations spanning the length of the southern border, in collaboration with the Northern Border Coalition and partners. A New Border Vision is intended to set a new tone for dialogue about the border and offer a template to move away from decades of enforcement-only border policies and towards policies that expand public safety, protect human rights, and welcome people at our borders in a manner consistent with our national values and global best practices. Participants will also weigh in on strategy and campaigns being developed to advance this new messaging and policy framework.
Astrid Dominguez, ACLU of Texas - Border Rights Center
Cynthia Pompa, ACLU of Texas - Border Rights Center
Jennifer Johnson, Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC)
Robert Lopez, Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP)
12:45-1:45 — LUNCH BREAK
Location: Courtyard
1:45-2:00 — Presentation: Indigenous Land Acknowledgement by Tara A. Chadwick
2:00 — [PLENARY] Race Against Hate in America
Location: Courtyard
Hate crimes reached a 16-year high in 2018. With growing polarization, attacks against Latinos, Arab Americans, Muslims, Jews, and African Americans on the rise, and an uncontrollable online minefield of hate speech, the country is facing greater challenges from age-old foes: racism, anti-semitism, and islamophobia. Hear from leaders across movements who are taking on hate in America with renewed conviction and vanguard approaches.
Causten Rodriguez-Wollerman, Demos
Ginna Green, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Laura Rivera, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative (SIFI)
Maya Berry, Arab American Institute (AAI)
Moderator: Henry Fernandez, Center for American Progress (CAP)
3:40 — [WORKSHOP] Shifting America’s Story and Culture
Location: Church
The 2016 elections vividly exposed the consequences of rampant misinformation and deep-seated anxieties turned into angst and contempt against immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ communities, and religious minorities. Join experts attempting to shift America’s culture through innovative storytelling and messaging, moving average Americans to embrace changing demographics, understand personal journeys, and identify common struggles and perseverance.
Darwensi Clark, StoryCorps
Mohammed Naeem, American Immigration Council
Ryan Eller, Define American
Moderator: Saket Soni, Resilience Force
3:40 — [WORKSHOP] Going on Offense: Winning in the Age of Trump
Location : Courtyard
Despite countless setbacks for immigrant communities under the Trump administration, a number of state and local victories have succeeded in paving a path for a more immigrant-inclusive society. What conditions and organizing strategies gave rise to these wins, and how can we replicate them in other states and scale them up to the national level? Hear from leaders whose organizations went against the odds, spearheaded effective on-the-ground organizing, and delivered progressive policy solutions.
Astrid Silva, Dream Big Nevada
Eva Millona, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
Javier Hernandez, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ)
Murad Awawdeh, New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC)
Moderator: Naureen Shah, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
3:40 — [WORKSHOP] Rewiring the Digital Playbook to Hack the Hate **Encore Presentation**
Location: Art Room
In the last three years, the opposition has reimagined and weaponized the online space to normalize conspiracy theories, false narratives, and “alt-right” voices against immigrants and communities of color. The Trump campaign is investing $1 billion in digital marketing to once again dominate Facebook and other platforms. How do we counter their tactics and revolutionize micro-targeting, creative content, and online messaging for lasting change? Join digital innovators and creative thinkers who are helping rewrite the digital playbook to counter the hate and go on offense.
Amihan David, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) & iAmerica
Ali Noorani, National Immigration Forum
Hemly Ordonez, FWD.us
Matthew Ray, ChatterBlast Media
Moderator: Jasmin Malone, Emerson Collective
3:40 — [STRATEGY SESSION] Language and Campaigns for Liberation
Location: Community Room
The criminalization and demonization of immigrants, in the context of the ongoing injustice of mass incarceration, is the linchpin of the Trump administration's attacks on "sanctuary" policies and immigrant communities in general. This interactive workshop will explore the Comm/Unity Network’s intersectional messaging approaches, which consider recent research findings, with opportunities for participants to share their own reflections. The session will also highlight policy solutions informed by directly-affected communities.
Jon Rodney, Immigrant Defense Project & Comm/Unity Network
Arianna Rosales, Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)
4:45 — [PLENARY] #BreakOuts!
Location: Theater
5 minute inspirational hot takes and shared learnings from advocates, innovators, influencers, performers, and experts from across the country who are breaking the status quo and energizing their fields and movements.
Opening Performance — Dance NOW! Miami
Reverend Craig Nash, Chicago CRED
Cristina Jimenez, United We Dream (UWD)
Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
Carlos Odio, Equis Labs
Juanita Cabrera Lopez, International Mayan League
Abdi Nor Iftin, Author of Call Me American
Karen Caudillo, March for Our Lives & NextGen Florida
Ai-jen Poo, Supermajority & National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)
Closing Performance — Dance South Florida
6:00 — END OF DAY ONE
Shuttles will be provided from Little Haiti Cultural Center to the reception at Astra Rooftop Bar, or participants are welcome to dine locally or return to their hotels. One shuttle will depart from the Little Haiti Cultural Center for the Marriott Biscayne Bay hotel.
6:30 - 8:30 — RECEPTION
Complimentary light bites and drinks will be available at a casual reception on Monday evening at Astra Rooftop Bar, 2103 NW 2nd Ave, Miami, FL. Attendees are encouraged to explore Miami’s local restaurant scene for dinner.
DAY TWO - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020
9:30 — [PLENARY] Reporters Reveal: Complicating the Narrative and Digging Deep
Location: Courtyard
With increased attacks on the media and shrinking local news organizations, truth and democracy are facing new obstacles. Investigative reporting has become critical to exposing corruption, rogue agencies, inhumane treatment of immigrants, and the stories of our most vulnerable communities. Hear from reporters on the frontlines on how they are tackling the new landscape and pushing the envelope to reveal the veracity of American news.
Alan Gomez, USA Today
Jorge Cancino, Univision
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Author of The Undocumented Americans
Moderator: Pili Tobar, America’s Voice
10:35 — [WORKSHOP] Sparking the Evolution of the Partisan Bystander to the Progressive Participant
Location: Art Room
Who is the partisan bystander - a swing voter, a moderate voter? From suburban white women to Hispanics wary of sanctuary cities, the latest research findings have drawn a new profile of the “voter in the middle” and why they are ambivalent or on the wrong side of immigration. Learn how trailblazing advocates are using new organizing methods to inoculate and persuade these voters to embrace progressive policies and candidates.
Ausaf Qarni, Working America
Jill Murphy, Michigan United
Melissa Morales, EquisLabs
Moderator: Beatriz Lopez, Immigration Hub
10:35 — [WORKSHOP] Mobilizing the Changing Faces of Red States Across the South
Location: Courtyard
From shifting demographics to a movement empowered to reclaim their rights, revolutionary advocacy and organizing are fighting back against the forces of systemic racism and disenfranchisement. Join advocates at the frontlines of major mobilizations and voter engagement to hear how they’re un-gaming the system and inspiring change in southern states.
Daniel Castellanos, National Guestworker Alliance
Desmond Meade, Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC)
Hillary Holley, Fair Fight
Maya Castillo, New Virginia Majority
Moderator: Paola Luisi, Families Belong Together
10:35 — [STRATEGY SESSION] Toward ‘Freedom to Stay and Freedom to Move’: A Progressive New Framework on Immigration for Presidential Candidates, Voters, and the Nation
Location: Gallery
This interactive session will introduce and gather feedback from movement allies on the "Free to Move, Free to Stay" immigration framework developed by United We Dream Action, Indivisible, MoveOn, Center for Popular Democracy Action, Working Families, Sunrise, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, and the Women’s March. Participants will also weigh in on strategy and campaigns to mobilize voters and our communities around this progressive framework and help set a new standard for presidential candidates hoping to appeal to immigrant, Latinx, and voters of color in 2020.
Greisa Martinez, United We Dream (UWD)
Angel Padilla, Indivisible
10:35 — [STRATEGY SESSION] Toward a 'Roadmap to Unity and Freedom': A Nine-Pillar Vision for Political Engagement and Policy Change
Location: Community Room
This interactive session will introduce the "Roadmap to Unity and Freedom" policy vision developed by the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and FIRM Action, the nation’s largest immigrant rights network made up of 47 community based immigrant rights groups in 35 states. FIRM is housed at Community Change Action, a national social justice organization. Participants will also discuss strategy and campaigns to mobilize voters, policymakers, and candidates around the values, principles, and policy recommendations in the Roadmap to Unity and Freedom policy vision.
Angelica Salas, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) / CHIRLA Action Fund / FIRM Network Executive Committee
Sylvia Ruiz, Community Change / Community Change Action
11:40 — [PLENARY] Reimagining Immigration Reform in 2021
Location: Courtyard
Beginning in the early 2000s, the formula for winning citizenship for the 11 million was a comprehensive immigration reform frame that included legalization, border, and worksite and interior enforcement. After witnessing the extreme weaponization of enforcement by the Trump administration, how are organizations envisioning going on offense and winning legalization and protections for our communities? How can we talk about reform in a way that centers our communities’ goals of legalization, freedom, and dignity without focusing on enforcement? Join the discussion with advocacy leaders on reimagining a new path to long-fought immigration solutions.
Andrea Delgado, United Farm Workers (UFW) Foundation
Greg Chen, American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)
Greisa Martinez, United We Dream (UWD)
Lorella Praeli, Community Change/Action
Oscar Chacón, Alianza Americas
Moderator: Sergio Gonzales, Immigration Hub
12:50 — CLOSING
Performance — Island Groove Entertainment, Junkanoo Band & Dancers
1:30 — [OPTIONAL] Civic Engagement Activity Led by the Florida Immigrant Coalition
Summit attendees will have the opportunity to volunteer at a naturalization workshop or participate in phone-banking efforts led by the Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), a local non-profit organization working to register more than 75,000 voters in 2020.