Degree Name

MA in Sustainable Development

First Advisor

Jeff Unsicker

Abstract

Over the past decade an increase in enforcement tactics to address unauthorized immigration in the United States has led to the separation of families through raids, detentions and deportations across the nation. Directly impacted by the deportation of their undocumented loved ones, many US citizen adults and children have suffered the stress of physical separation and have undergone pressure to make difficult decisions about the future of their families. These separations have adverse implications not only for the affected families but also for the entire community. Seeking a solution to the broken immigration system and enforcement-only tactics, the Ya Basta! Coalition in Chicago has pushed for an immediate end to the raids and deportations while advocating for a just comprehensive immigration reform. This case study describes the sociopolitical context from which the Ya Basta! campaign emerged and examines the way in which advocates have analyzed the policy issue and developed an advocacy strategy. Covering the campaign from its initiation in August 2008, the paper then offers an evaluation of the campaign’s effectiveness through March 2009, followed by lessons learned. Information for this case study was gathered through observation, informal conversations, primary documents and significant literature, including the Policy Advocacy course books by Lisa VeneKlasen with Valerie Miller and Jim Schultz.

Disciplines

Human Geography | Social Policy

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