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For Immediate Release
Contact:

Mariya Parodi, media@aiusa.org

ICE Reactionary Billboards Inflame Hate

Responding to

WASHINGTON

Responding to billboards launched by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Pennsylvania following a campaign by Amnesty International USA to educate the public about family immigration detention in the state, including the prolonged and indefinite detention of children, Denise Bell, the researcher for refugee and migrant rights said:

"Once again, ICE relies on fear-mongering to achieve a discriminatory policy agenda fueled by tactics of misinformation and disinformation. Tactics by ICE demonstrate how low the agency chooses to stoop again and again to invoke baseless fear of our very neighbors. This is propaganda - at its core and at its appeal. ICE is an agency that continues to devalue humanity - and fundamental rights - to demonize people based only on where they come from and who they are. It is disgraceful and disgusting. This hate-mongering and xenophobia is a disease in this country stemming from the very top of the government. We've seen the President of the United States use these demonization tactics throughout his presidency.

"The simple truth is that ICE seeks to sidestep constitutional protections and human rights. Instead of focusing on doing its job lawfully, ICE uses inflammatory language and images on billboards as a red herring. ICE has chosen to target immigrants to further a political agenda."

Amnesty International USA is calling on ICE to follow long-established practices respecting constitutional law, immigration law, and universally recognized human rights standards. No one should be discriminated against based on their immigration status.

Photos and videos of Amnesty International USA billboards in Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, D.C. are available at this link.

More:

New Billboards Call on ICE to Stop Detaining Families and Children (September 15, 2020)

Human Rights Organizations Urge Court to Safeguard Children's Rights and Family Unity (Amicus Brief, August 31, 2020)

Coalition Demands Release of Trump Administration Documents on the Detention of Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic (FOIA, August 4, 2020)

First COVID-19 death in immigration detention a result of continued dehumanization of people by ICE (News, May 6, 2020)

Governments must halt dangerous and discriminatory detention of migrants and asylum seekers (News, April 2, 2020)

Leading NGOS Call on ICE to Stop Family Separation (July 17, 2020)

Family Separation 2.0: "You aren't going to separate me from my only child." (Research, May 21, 2020)

'We Are Adrift, About to Sink': The Looming Covid-19 Disaster In United States Immigration Detention Facilities (Research, April 2020)

Update to Amnesty International Report on COVID-19 in US Immigration Detention (Research, August 2020)

No Home for Children: The Homestead 'Temporary Emergency' Facility (Research, July 17, 2019)

'You Don't Have Any Rights Here': Illegal Pushbacks, Arbitrary Detention and Ill-treatment of Asylum-seekers in the United States (Research, October 11, 2018)

This statement is available at: https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/icebillboardspennsylvania/

Follow @amnestyusa on Twitter, Instagram @amnestyusa, and Facebook FB.com/amnestyusa.

Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.

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