ICE Sued for 1st Amendment Violations after Targeting Non-White Immigrant Activists for Deportation

From [HERE] Four immigrant rights organizations filed suit in federal court in the Pacific Northwest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Tuesday alleging that ICE has been singling out immigrant activists in particular for deportation.

Northwest Detention Center Resistance (NWDC), Detention Watch Network, The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild and the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites allege ICE has been “systematically surveil[ed], detain[ed], and deport[ed] immigrant activists who speak out about immigration policies and practices.” The suit argues this is a First Amendment-protected conduct.

“ICE has investigated, surveilled, harassed, raided, arrested, detained, and deported those activists immediately following press appearances and news conferences. It has detained spokespeople and directors of immigration advocacy organizations. It has surveilled the organizations’ headquarters and targeted their members,” the complaint states.

“[ICE’s] targeting of activists is anti-democratic and it threatens the free speech rights of anyone engaged in protest of ICE, an agency that sits at the forefront of the President’s anti-immigrant agenda,” said Detention Watch Network in a press release.