Dear Borderless Community,
Borderless Magazine was born almost nine years ago as a promise to future generations. I was pregnant with my second child and had spent over a decade in journalism reporting on war and criminal justice in Chicago and Asia. In that time, I watched as our local news infrastructure crumbled and a consolidating media abandoned communities.
One in three Chicago families includes someone who was not born in the U.S. Yet newsrooms too often think of immigrants as an inconsequential minority, rather than an integral part of our city and a sizable voting population. When President Donald Trump enacted the Muslim Travel Ban in January 2017, our news outlets were caught off guard.
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I cofounded the blog that would become Borderless in February 2017 because I knew we could do better. All communities in our city deserve access to credible news and information sources. And that includes our city’s young, multiracial and multicultural population, people like my own kids and the reporters in our newsroom.
We began our strategic planning process in early 2025 as President Trump returned to the White House. In many ways, the previous year had been a landmark in our maturation as a nonpartisan news organization. We surpassed $1 million in revenue for the first time in 2024, doubled our staff size, and were named the “Future of Local Journalism” in the national Next Challenge Awards for providing free and accessible news to Chicago’s immigrant communities.
We were no longer the bootstrapped, understaffed organization of years past. We had an active board, an experienced editorial and business team, and meaningful investment from Chicago’s communities. We were ready for our next chapter.
Undertaking strategic planning while ICE flooded the streets of Chicago with tear gas and agents was no small feat. Our entire editorial team and most of our back office team come from immigrant communities, so attacks on immigrants were a part of both our home and work lives.
Our reporters learned how to use gas masks and goggles, we increased our security and enlisted more legal support in the face of increased threats against Borderless and our team, and we learned how to hold the pain and fears of this moment together.
We have emerged from 2025 stronger and more committed than ever to our mission and building the Borderless of tomorrow.
We vow to remain fearless in our pursuit of truth and support for our communities in the years to come, regardless of the challenges that come our way.
Borderless is entering this new chapter in a place of organizational and financial stability.
As part of our next chapter, I would like to share with you that 2026 will be my final year as Executive Director. I will be working closely with Borderless’ board and staff to welcome a new executive director in Q3 2026. I look forward to handing the reins over to a brilliant new leader who will bring innovative strategies and fresh perspectives to this critical work.
I am a lifelong fan of Borderless and will always support the organization, both as a donor and by contributing to special projects in the future. I will continue to advocate for a stronger and more inclusive media ecosystem in the years to come. However, I am excited to return to writing and editing — passions that led me to create Borderless’ predecessor nearly a decade ago.
I am eternally grateful to Borderless’ incredible staff, board members and supporters for believing in Borderless and making it an award-winning, powerful, and inclusive news outlet.
Borderless is entering this new chapter in a place of organizational and financial stability. We have the skilled staff, expert board, and dedicated supporters we need to meet this moment.
We invite you to read our strategic plan and stand with us as we embark on this new chapter. Now, let’s get to work!
Sincerely,
Nissa Rhee
Cofounder and Executive Director
Borderless Magazine
