Quick Tips to Prevent “ICE-ing” Free Speech
by Traci Lester, President, The Opportunity Agenda and Charlie Sherman, Manager of Narrative Strategy, The Opportunity Agenda
When immigration agents ambushed Jeanette Vizguerra during her work break, it was at least the second arrest of a high profile, vocal advocate for their community in a matter of weeks. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) similarly stalked Mahmoud Khalil outside his New York apartment, confronting him with his wife, who is pregnant and a U.S. citizen, as they returned home from Iftar dinner.
All of us want to live in a world where we feel safe—safe to express our ideas freely and live without fear of being separated from our loved ones. Free speech is fundamental to who we are as a country; and like most rights, protecting it has required us to take a stand and defend it when threatened time and time again throughout history.
These arrests are just the latest in a series of highly publicized immigration enforcement actions taking place since President Trump assumed office. They’re a powerful reminder of how dehumanizing and cruel our immigration system remains.
Vizguerra is a longstanding member of her community, one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People” in 2017, and the parent of four U.S. citizen children. She made the choice any parent would in the absence of a fair process to gain status—she went to work anyway to provide for her family. Khalil was transferred thousands of miles from his legal support and wife, his letter from an ICE detention facility in Louisiana reminding us all of the “quiet injustices underway against many people precluded from the protections of the law.”
Rather than have a sincere conversation about how to reform our nation’s laws to honor the vital economic contributions of people who migrate and ensure families stay united, the Administration’s unleashing of immigration agents is wreaking havoc in communities and causing widespread fear that prevents people from accessing healthcare or showing up to schools.
What is unique to Khalil’s story, however, is that he is a lawful permanent resident—a green card holder— and the Administration is also dusting off obscure federal laws to seemingly repress his right to free speech. Public remarks from Administration leadership and former ICE agents suggest both Khalil and Vizguerra’s experiences are part of a concerted effort to suppress the voices of community advocates, a deeply troubling and potentially chilling campaign to prevent people from telling their stories powerfully and publicly, regardless of immigration status.
At The Opportunity Agenda, we stand unwavering in our commitment to challenging this fear-fueled approach to immigration. It’s in times like these where we must continue to talk about the future we all deserve. A nation where freedom of expression and safety extend to more people, not a select few. Where no matter where you’re from or who you are, we are all free to live with dignity.
As we continue to monitor the news, we wanted to offer some quick tips that we believe embody the best practices being used by immigration attorneys, advocates, and partners to respond to cases like Jeanette Vizguerra and Mahmoud Khalil.
Quick Narrative Tips:
- Continue to tell an inclusive story about how basic human rights and freedoms extend to all people in the United States.
- Avoid reinforcing disinformation about people detained by ICE with people-first language that humanizes their connections to family and our community.
- Name how the political spectacle of very public arrests is intentional, both to spread fear that prevents others from speaking out and to justify actions that violate due process and cut people off from their legal and community supports.
- Tell a systemic story—widening the lens from one case to a wider pattern of immigration agents abusing authority and outdated laws to single out people they want to silence.
- Remind audiences of what true community safety looks like and that communities will continue to stand up for one another to demand solutions that expand freedom and safety for everyone.
Folks across social justice issues know that our freedoms are intertwined, which means that attacks on free speech for one threaten free speech for all. At their most basic element, narratives are collections of stories. They’re shaped by the diverse voices that call our communities home, and our democracy is only strengthened when we ensure more voices are heard.
