BRIEF
The criminal legal and immigration systems are increasingly intertwined, putting immigrants, especially communities of color, at risk of detention or deportation after routine police contact. Break it Down! is a bilingual guide that explains these connections and empowers community members to understand their rights and advocate for themselves.

MY ROLE
Collaborating with IJN and CUP, I created an accessible, community-focused print resource that supports trainings and advocacy. My goal was to create a tool that not only informs but empowers immigrants to navigate the systems affecting their lives.

Community Input

The project team gathered for a review meeting to evaluate an early draft of the fold-out poster. During the session, team members provided detailed feedback on clarity, visual hierarchy, language accessibility, and cultural relevance. This collaborative discussion helped identify areas where complex legal concepts could be simplified, visuals could be strengthened, and bilingual text could be more readable.

We also gathered input during a community session to ensure the guide was accessible, relevant, and effective for the people it was designed to support. The feedback informed revisions that made the poster more intuitive and effective as a community-facing educational tool.

Team

CUP, Director of Programs – Yasmin Safdié

CUP, Community Education Program Manager – Genea Foster
Immigrant Justice Network, Content Expert – Jane Shim
Immigrant Justice Network, Content Expert – Oliver Merino
Designer – Emily Lin