Resources for Academics

This resource page aims to help academics, especially those in higher-education institutions, interested in supporting advocacy efforts that help children in mixed-status immigrant families in the U.S. For more information or suggestions on other topics to include email Suma Setty and Dr. Chloe East at ssetty[at]clasp[dot]org and chloeeast[at]gmail[dot]com.

  1. Get involved in advocacy efforts and stay informed
  2. Support impacted students in higher education
  3. Use your voice: Op-Eds, Public Comments, Letters to the Editor, Testimonials
  4. Engage with your federal representatives and senators

1. Get involved in advocacy efforts and stay informed

Join CTAN’s research working group! The Children Thrive Action Network brings together advocates and service providers at the national, state, and local levels to advocate on behalf of and support children in the United States in mixed-status immigrant families. CTAN’s research working group provides space for researchers to get engaged in advocacy. During meetings, researchers will get federal and state policy updates on immigration, learn about CTAN’s priorities, and share research relevant to CTAN’s advocacy. This is also a space for researchers to connect with each other on conducting relevant research and guide CTAN’s research. Sign up for CTAN’s newsletters and working groups here.

Consider joining the Protecting Immigrant Families coalition! PIF formed in 2017 to combat the Trump-era public charge policy and focuses on ensuring all families, especially immigrant families, have access to public benefits like healthcare, nutrition support, and tax credits. The PIF research working group convenes researchers working on issues connected to PIF’s agenda and identifies research needs. They also make data accessible to advocates, policymakers, and the public. Sign up to join PIF here.

Both PIF and CTAN send out regular newsletters with policy updates and developments, ways to take action, research articles, and practical resources like factsheets and guidance for providers, educators, etc.

  • Scholars Strategy Network: A national membership organization of college/university-based researchers. They help connect researchers with journalists, policymakers, and civic leaders and vice versa to improve policy and strengthen democracy. They offer media and communications trainings (op-ed writing, media interviews, and relationship building), policy workshops, and custom, hands-on support for scholars interested in deepening their public engagement skills. They also have state and local chapters.
  • Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)
    • Child Policy Hub: Offers policy trainings and programs for researchers to improve evidence-based policymaking. Free for SRCD members, nominal fees per training/webinar for non-members

2. Support impacted students in higher education

3. Use your voice: Op-Eds, Public Comments, Letters to the Editor, Testimonials

Key takeaways from messaging and narrative strategies research (in progress)

Write Op-eds

Write Letters to the Editor

Write Public Comments

Give Testimonials

Social media:

Stories of people directly impacted by immigration enforcement

4. Engage with your federal representatives and senators

Scholars Strategy Network has several resources to help you build relationships with policymakers.