AILA’s Virtual National Day of Action: FAQ for Registered Participants

Thank you for registering for AILA’s Virtual National Day of Action on Wednesday, April 27, 2022! To help you understand the virtual format, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions below.

• How are virtual congressional meetings scheduled?
  
  • AILA National and your chapters have hired a consulting firm to schedule meetings with members of Congress and provide video and teleconference lines for each meeting.
  • You will be put in teams with other AILA members based on your home and/or work addresses or relationships with members of Congress and will meet with 3 to 6 Congressional offices.
  • All registered participants will receive their preliminary schedule on Wednesday, April 20.
• What is the time commitment for me to participate in virtual NDA?
  
  • For planning purposes, we ask registrants to hold 9am to 5pm local time on Wednesday, April 27. Changes to your meeting schedule can occur until the day-of NDA due to last minute changes in the Congressional calendar. As a result, we hope you can commit to meeting the full day.
• How long are Congressional meetings?
  
  • Each meeting is typically 20 to 30 minutes long.
• Are there breaks between meetings?
  
  • Yes – Congressional meetings will be scheduled 60 minutes apart.
• Will I meet with members of Congress?
  
  • Meetings are requested with the members of Congress. However, due to competing priorities, most of the meetings will be with a high-level staff, like the Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, or Immigration Legislative Assistant. These meetings are just as important, as members of Congress rely heavily on their staff’s opinion. Staff can also be gatekeepers to the issues the legislator adopts.
• When will I receive my schedule?
  
  • Meeting schedules will be emailed to registrants on Wednesday, April 20.
• What if I haven’t received my schedule?
  
  • Please check your spam folder in your email address you provided when you registered.
  • Please contact AILA National’s Grassroots Advocacy Associate at srosales-zeledon@aila.org using the subject line: NDA Meeting Schedule.
• What if my availability changes for NDA?
  
  • We understand that schedules can change. You can cancel your registration if you are no longer available to participate in any meetings. If you are only available for part of the day, please email your chapter NDA Liaison or ssrosales-zeledon@aila.org as soon as possible.
• How can I prepare to meet with Congress?
  
  • We encourage participants to look up the member of Congress you are meeting with in advance using AILA’s Legislative Directory to review:
    
    • Years in office
    • Committee assignments
    • Sponsorship of immigration-related bills
  • AILA National will host a training to go over legislative priorities.
  • Your AILA Chapter may also decide to host additional training calls.
• What’s the dress code?
  
  • We ask AILA members to dress in professional attire.
• Can I use a virtual background?
  
  • No – unfortunately, the video conference lines we will be using do not allow for the use of virtual backgrounds.
• What are other tips can I follow to be video conference ready?
  
  • Pick a quiet place with enough lighting and take a moment to test your microphone and camera before the meeting. Avoid having any windows or bright lights behind you.
  • Position your camera as close to your eye level as possible and make sure your entire face and your shoulders are in the frame; do not leave too much space above your head.
  • Keep your background professional.
  • During the meeting, mute yourself when not speaking and when you're talking, look into the camera instead of the video feed on your screen.
  • For more tips read this Short Guide to Video Conferencing Etiquette.
• What if I need to cancel my participation?
  
  • Please email your chapter NDA Liaison or srosales-zeledon@aila.org as soon as possible using the subject line: NDA Cancellation.
• Can we take photos and share on social media?
  
  • Yes, but ask for permission first! Chapters may have time to do so at the beginning or end of the meeting to allow people to turn off cameras if they prefer not to have a photo taken.
  • Another fun way to share an image on social is to take a selfie of yourself, ready for the videoconference/meeting, coffee cup in hand. Or if you have AILA branded swag or a #LibertyontheMove figure, those work great too.
  • Tag your congressional delegations’ handles (found in AILA’s Congressional Directory) in your tweets or IG posts.
  • Don’t forget to use the hashtag #AILANDA22
  • If you have additional questions, please reach out to newmedia@aila.org.
• I am a member of an international chapter. Can I still participate in NDA?
  
  • We welcome all AILA members to join us for NDA! If you are also a member of a U.S.-based chapter, please register with that chapter. If you are only a member of an international chapter, register with your chapter and our grassroots advocacy associate will reach out to you to best place you with a U.S.-based chapter. For scheduling purposes with members of Congress, we prefer to place international AILA members where they may have a connection, whether professional/personal relationship or geographic proximity, or where they will enhance advocacy capacity.

Cite as AILA Doc. No. 21022633.