Stepping Up and Speaking Out for Our Immigrant Communities
When ICE came to Chicago, Father Gary Graf knew he needed to draw attention to the injustices taking place in his community. He came to JT with an idea: walk from the birthplace of Pope Leo XIV in Dolton, Illinois, to the Statue of Liberty - our nation’s most iconic symbol of immigration.
It was a big goal, but JT was ready to make the idea a reality. Whether it was coordinating the kick-off event, pitching media, editing daily social videos or even stepping in to walk 20 miles, the Jasculca Terman team worked hard to get Fr. Gary to New York City.
The JT team recognized the need for avenues for audiences to connect with Father Gary. JT’s digital team quickly created social media accounts for the campaign and equipped Fr. Gary with the tools and tactics to film daily videos of himself. Each day, Father Gary offered a prayer and an update on his journey, which our digital team edited, approved and uploaded to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube. Strategic collaborations with accounts like the Archdiocese of Chicago, immigration rights groups and even Saturday Night Live’s Cecily Strong allowed channels to grow quickly and reach new audiences. On TikTok, a Chicago woman even walked alongside Father Gary in her own neighborhood, sharing daily videos inspired by his journey.
In under two months, these videos took off and engagement soared - Fr. Gary’s daily videos were viewed nearly 3 million times, with over 230,000 interactions. Comment sections flooded with love, gratitude, prayers and words of encouragement.
The social feeds and a brand new website were the home bases for the campaign. While social media provided daily updates, the website invited audiences to participate by sharing their own family’s immigration stories through The Footprint Project. Many people shared unique stories about their family histories and how the current administration has broken their families.
JT also helped Fr. Gary share his journey through traditional media outlets with stories from the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, WGN, Daily Southtown, Telemundo Cleveland, PBS in Pennsylvania, America’s Voice and more.
“It was JT that was able to focus me, us, the message and then share it…These wonderful people, I thought of every day and I am so thankful for you believing in this and putting everything into it. It incentivized me to do it.”
Beyond JT, there was an entire team of interfaith leaders and activists behind the scenes planning every stop along the way, ensuring Fr. Gary had a place to stay, a meal to eat and people to connect with. He stopped at churches, businesses, universities and organizations along the way to build connections and hear about the diverse ways in which people are affected by current immigration enforcement. Notably, he met with students at Notre Dame University in Indiana, helped raise funds for food donations at a bowling alley in Ohio, walked part of the Appalachian Trail with members of CASA, and presided over mass at Our Lady of Fatima in New Jersey.
Fr. Gary said it was a man named Richard, whom he met near the Appalachian Trail, who reminded him that this growing community is not grounded in religion or faith, but instead values and humanity. “He said to me, ‘There are upwards 35% of non-believers in this country, don’t forget us, we want to be in the conversation.’”
In every room, event and conversation following his dialogue with Richard, Fr. Gary focused on creating a safe space for all people, not just believers, to open their hearts.
“For people like myself who left organized religion to find God in other places, you find your church in other ways. An instance where we are crammed into that room in the U.S. Capitol, and all of these people came together…you had Dreamers, you had faith leaders, you had all of these people that were coming together because they still believe in this. You saw it along the way, I think people are hungry for empathy to be brought back into society.”
The pilgrimage concluded on December 1, when Father Gary crossed from New Jersey into New York City. His last 12 miles through Manhattan were filled with sleet and snow, culminating in a ferry ride from Battery Park to the Statue of Liberty joined by members of the JT team and interfaith leaders from across the U.S. But Father Gary didn’t stop there - while in New York he connected with faith leaders from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities to speak about the ways in which we can work together going forward. He even attended a naturalization ceremony for New Yorkers who have completed their citizenship applications - the perfect ending to his long trek across the country.
While Fr. Gary’s walk might be over – the work to support and protect immigrant communities is not. Communities around the country are still living in fear as I.C.E has traveled to new cities – and even returned to Chicago right before the holidays.
JT was honored to take part in this vital project, and we will continue to work with Father Gary and immigrant rights groups to make sure everything is being done to uplift the values in which this country was born. Step up, Speak Out will continue through social media and its website to ensure news, resources and immigration stories get the attention they deserve.