Position:

IDP’s Immigrant Justice Organizer will focus on identifying, supporting and implementing
strategic organizing and advocacy responses to advance IDP’s mission, and use their voice and
expertise to change the narrative on criminalization of immigrants and build power in the field.
Core responsibilities include working with IDP’s advocacy team and other teams as appropriate to develop, lead and support creative state and local policy interventions to: i) stop the police-to-deportation pipeline and end entanglement between immigration and local law
enforcement in New York; ii) minimize or eliminate immigration consequences in the criminal
legal system in New York; iii) work to intervene in and end the perpetual punishment of
immigrants impacted by the criminal legal system by advocating for individual pardons and
clemency justice. The organizer may also engage in work at the federal level to dismantle
criminalization in our immigration and criminal laws on a limited and strategic basis.

 

Responsibilities:

• Advance IDP advocacy priorities and strategies at the city and state level, by working with the Director of Advocacy, across teams at IDP, in coalitions with partner organizations, and with impacted community members.
• Support in analysis of state and city laws and policies to identify and develop strategies in furtherance of IDP’s mission to pressure targets to win real-world change.
•  Cultivate partnerships and alliances with legislators, legislative staff, government entities, coalition partners, legal advocates and grassroots organizations to collaborate on state and local policy initiatives at the intersection of the criminal and immigration systems and to end the vilification of people with criminal convictions
• Organize collective action in the immigrant justice field that applies IDP’s voice, expertise and resources as part of a broader social justice movement to fight back against criminalization of all people and build power so everyone can thrive.
• Work with the Director of Advocacy to develop a framework and practice of participatory policy-making that allows IDP to support and amplify the voices of community members impacted by priority areas of work.
•  Lead advocacy for individual clemency requests to the Governor for non-citizens in collaboration with technical support teams and partners in the field.
•  Support strategic communications within our areas of work and develop advocacy and communications materials, including memoranda of support, public statements and talking points as needed.
• Provide occasional strategic support on federal immigration policy analysis and advocacy projects and foster relationships with the New York Congressional Delegation as appropriate.
• Represent IDP in coalitions, forums, and convenings on priority issues

Qualifications:

• At least five years of relevant cumulative experience with community organizing, advocacy and/or legislative and policy campaigns,
•  Demonstrated commitment to immigrant rights, racial justice and social justice issues, a belief in the principle that nobody is disposable, and a desire to fight against the mass criminalization, detention and deportation of immigrants impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Ability to work in a respectful, supportive and collaborative manner across teams at IDP.
• Because IDP is an organization primarily staffed by attorneys, the candidate should have an ability and interest in collaborating with attorneys whose technical expertise is critical to the work.
• Ability to work in a respectful, supportive and collaborative manner externally with individual community members, community-based organizations, other advocates, legislative staffers and other stakeholders.
•  Exceptional organizational and written and oral communication skills; ability to timely respond to and balance numerous requests for assistance.
• Strong command of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Suite (Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.), and other standard productivity software.
• An interest in learning about participatory policy-making and practices that ensure community members can inform and decide on policy.
• An interest in working with the director of advocacy to shape and grow the role of the advocacy team within the organization.
• Oral fluency in a language other than English that is amongst the top languages spoken by immigrants in NYC is a plus.

How To Apply:

Submit a cover letter and resume to jobs@immdefense.org with the subject line “Organizer.” Writing samples and three references will be requested for those interviewed. No phone calls.