| by Jonathan Kuttab The outrageous behavior of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel has had an eerily familiar feeling for Pro-Palestinian activists. The use of heavily armed, masked gunmen roaming Democratic cities in unmarked cars, accosting people of color or those who speak Spanish, intimidating and threatening them without the benefit of warrants, and acting in an overall aggressive manner has been really scary for people. The escalation of force, rather than deescalation, and the appearance of following a clearly political agenda under the guise of law enforcement has been equally frightening. The fact that such behavior has affected not only the undocumented immigrant community but also citizens, even white people, has led some to believe that ICE is being used as a prototype for future moves by the current administration to influence the political atmosphere in the country and perhaps interfere in the upcoming elections. (It is a tragedy that structural and implicit racial hierarchies in the US lead to a situation where some deaths elicit more sympathy and outrage than others, but this is where the country is at.) New technologies, including facial recognition software, are also being used for tracking down and monitoring protesters. ICE personnel have surged in great numbers into cities that are seen as being Democratic or unfriendly to the policies of the present administration. Individuals abducted by ICE have been separated from their families, flown to far away locations, and kept in horrible conditions in detention centers and prisons, without access to family, attorneys, or even clergy while the authorities decide what to do with them. They have been threatened with deportation to horrifying prisons in foreign countries where they have no connections or support systems. What has compounded our feelings of dread is the Trump Administration’s gaslighting of the nation, claiming they are only going after hardened criminals, when in reality ICE agents are hunting down immigrants at their workplaces, at schools, at churches, and in the streets. From unmarked cars, they are belligerently accosting people of color, demanding proof of citizenship, and often ignoring proffered documentation. The shootings of three US citizens after killing multiple others who were immigrants seems to have finally galvanized a response by the population. While the activities of ICE are taking place half a world away from Palestine, they have elicited comparisons at a deep psychological level, as an entire vulnerable population has felt helpless in the face of a powerful armed force, seemingly unconstrained by law or human rights considerations and using brute force to intimidate, hunt down, and handle people with violence and inhumanity. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza face attacks, shootings, and harassment at the hands of settlers and soldiers who appear to act out of pure malice , with little or no legal constraints, and with little or no recourse, so the feeling is that ICE can also act with impunity and disregard the Constitution and the laws of the land. There were also some media reports that the Israeli Army has participated in training and offering guidance to ICE agents. It is therefore not at all surprising that groups like Students for A Democratic Society, who have led Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and encampments in colleges, turned out to be central in leading the anti-ICE demonstrations and other actions in order to protect their friends and neighbors targeted by ICE. Somehow, Minnesota became the model and epicenter of ICE activities. The administration flooded the state, known for the “niceness” of its people, with a large number of agents.They swaggered throughout the state terrorizing the population and seeking maximum arrests, including those who were in the country legally and even those who were invited to immigration court to process their cases. ICE agents wore masks, used unmarked cars to surprise and catch potential victims, all in an apparent effort to meet certain quotas for deportation. They blatantly ignored court orders to release individuals they arrested or to refrain from flying them out of the state.They seemed to act with utter arbitrariness. The response by the people of Minnesota was most noteworthy and satisfying. Not only the governor and mayor voiced their indignation and refused to cooperate with ICE in its heavyhandedness, but ordinary people also stepped up and decided to use their phones and cars to follow and document the activities of ICE agents and to educate the potential ICE targets of their rights. They insisted that ICE agents needed to respect constitutional rights, demanded to see warrants, and refused to be intimidated. The entire community felt as if they were under military occupation, as ICE agents outnumbered local police and law enforcement officers. People also took to the streets demonstrating in the bitter cold. They undertook a number of nonviolent tactics to defend themselves and their neighbours, using their phones to record and document all interactions with ICE agents, driving after and alerting people to the presence of ICE agents, refusing to allow entry to their institutions, shops and homes without a warrant, swarming around to protect potential targets, and nonviolently disrupting the reign of terror ICE introduced in their neighbourhoods. ICE agents reacted with additional force, treating the demonstrators as enemies and “domestic terrorists” and seeking ways to intimidate and use violence against them as well. As ICE repression increased, the people escalated their nonviolent response, to the point where ICE agents began feeling isolated and targeted, and were at times forced to abort their efforts and withdraw when they were prevented from arresting more migrants. Instead of terrorizing ordinary citizens, they were now feeling surrounded, pursued and prevented from carrying out their actions. Instead of having their authority obeyed and their narratives accepted, they were now faced with a population that wanted them out of their communities altogether. Even Democratic legislators found some spine and started demanding that ICE agents stop using masks, stop hiding their identities, wear bodycams at all times, and seek judicial warrants before making arrests. The protests seem to be bearing some fruit, as even the President is admitting that mistakes were made and that ICE needs to take a gentler approach. 700 agents are being withdrawn from Minnesota and bodycams are being introduced and mandated. The battle is ongoing, but Minnesota provides us with some hope and is a good example of how ordinary people can organize in solidarity and produce change. It is an example of the power of nonviolence and of the need to confront those in power and not be intimidated by them. Yet, this comes at a price, and sacrifices are made. This administration is treating those who oppose its policies as enemies, and it is actively slandering them and targeting them for retaliation. I am proud that FOSNA’s National Field Organizer, Addie Domske, travelled to Minnesota to join the protest and show that solidarity for Palestine also includes care for immigrants and all vulnerable communities. Ultimately, it is all one struggle. |
