What Is Canvassing?

Canvassing is the act of going business-to-business or door-to-door to talk with our

neighbors, build relationships, and share information that strengthens community safety. It is

one of the oldest and most effective tools in community organizing because it connects

people directly — face to face — in the places where they live and work.

 

Canvassing isn’t just outreach. It’s leadership development. It’s power-building. It’s how

everyday people become organizers capable of shaping the conditions of their own

neighborhoods.

 

What Is Business Canvassing?

Business canvassing focuses specifically on local storefronts, shops, and workplaces — the

everyday spaces where immigrant and working-class folks spend their time. Businesses play a

critical role in shaping the safety and tone of a neighborhood.

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Through business canvassing, we:

● Identify businesses that share our values

● Offer them information and legal rights materials

● Invite them into the ICE-Free Zones network

● Provide “ICE Out” signs and resources

● Build a foundation of support that helps protect workers and customers from ICE

harassment

 

Business owners often want to help — they just need clear information, community backing,

and an invitation to be part of something bigger. That’s what canvassing provides

 

Why Canvassing Matters

Canvassing is important because nothing changes unless people talk to each other, build

trust, and take collective action. When we canvass, we:

● Break isolation by bringing community members into conversation about what’s

happening in their neighborhoods.

● Build relationships with residents, workers, and business owners who are impacted

by ICE harassment and racial profiling.

● Grow long-term power by connecting people who want safer, stronger communities

to a shared goal.

● Strengthen community protection by helping people understand their rights and

the legal power businesses have to resist ICE entry.

● Create visible support that shows ICE their presence is unwelcome and that the

community is organized and watching.

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Canvassing is how we shift fear into action and action into power.

 

Why CU and SLCIPA Encourage Business Canvassing

Comunidades Unidas (CU) and the Salt Lake County Immigrant People’s Agenda (SLCIPA)

encourage business canvassing because it directly advances: 

protecting immigrant/working-class families, building community-led leadership, and pushing ICE out of

our communities.

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We canvass because:

● Our campaign is people-powered. Base members of SLCIPA helped design these

materials and identified business canvassing as a key strategy.

● Businesses are essential allies in creating an ICE-Free Zone and standing against

harmful practices.

● Visible community support makes it harder for ICE to operate.

​● This is how we win — by organizing people, building alliances, and taking collective

action grounded in community leadership.

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Together, we are building the power needed to protect our people — one conversation,

one business, one relationship at a time.