Juan Escalante

Juan Escalante is a nationally recognized digital strategist and a leading voice in immigrant rights. His personal story is closely connected to his professional mission: Escalante's family fled Venezuela following the election of Hugo Chavez, and an immigration attorney mishandled their case, causing the family to lose their immigration status despite having waited in line, paid taxes, and covered immigration fees. Brought from Venezuela at a young age, Escalante discovered his undocumented status at 18 while attempting to apply for college and seek employment—a turning point that shaped his career in immigration advocacy.

By the time President Obama announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Escalante had graduated from Florida State University with a political science degree and had helped develop digital tactics for immigration-related campaigns nationwide. Through DACA, Escalante returned to Florida State University and earned a master's degree in public administration. He specializes in digital storytelling and campaigning, using technology, web platforms, and social content to communicate complex ideas to broad and targeted audiences.

Once a DACA recipient, Escalante has since adjusted his immigration status and serves as the director of digital campaigns at FWD.us, a Washington, D.C.-based organization focused on reform in immigration and criminal justice. In this role, he leads social, web, and email strategies for a national immigration advocacy organization, managing multi-disciplinary creative teams and collaborating with more than 20 state and national partners. Earlier in his career, Escalante served as communications manager at America's Voice, where he wrote columns for HuffPost addressing topics such as the Democratic Party's approach to Latino voters and other immigration issues.

With over a decade of advocacy, Escalante's expertise and insights have been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Univision, and CNN, contributing to national conversations on immigration policy. After gaining lawful permanent residency and later citizenship, Escalante continues to advocate for permanent solutions for Dreamers and undocumented individuals, leveraging digital strategy and online storytelling to shape immigration narratives. His firsthand experience navigating the U.S. immigration system, combined with his expertise in digital strategy, positions Escalante as a credible voice in the ongoing debate over immigration policy.