This week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a “WANTED BY I.C.E” billboard campaign in Pennsylvania, encouraging the public to turn in immigrants, if found, back to ICE. The billboards exploit immigrants formerly in ICE custody, who have been released in order to comply with federal constitutional protections. Broadcast in six different locations across the metropolitan Philadelphia area, each billboard features images of the previously detained individuals for the world to see, further proving the agency’s disregard for human life. At the request of federal law enforcement, ICE detainers hold immigrants beyond the time legally allowed by the U.S. Constitution. Philadelphia’s sanctuary policy simply requests ICE to comply with the U.S. Constitution, and helps to protect the constitutional rights of all Philadelphia residents.
“ICE will stop at nothing in its quest to further dehumanize, demonize immigrants,” said Losmin Jiménez Immigrant Justice Project Director at Advancement Project National Office. “The launching of this particular campaign, 30 days before Election Day in a battleground state, is intentional on the agency’s part, potentially inciting fear in immigrant voters. We recognize the timing of this campaign is no coincidence, and clearly is meant to serve as a voter intimidation tactic. We must stand together against this unlawful threat to communities of color.”
Erika Guadalupe Nuñez, Executive Director of Juntos said, “This is an intimidation tactic used by ICE, aimed to spark fear in our communities, and it is unacceptable. We must come together as a community in resistance to celebrate our livelihoods, center our joy, and remind ourselves of the rights and power we have. We must ensure that we condemn these acts of violence, and stand for our immigrant community.”
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Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
Juntos is a community-led, Latinx immigrant organization in South Philadelphia fighting for our human rights as workers, parents, youth, and immigrants. We believe that every human being has the right to a quality education and the freedom to live with dignity regardless of immigration status.