August 18, 2020

Contact:

Brooklyn Defender Services: Daniel Ball, dball@bds.org

WITNESS: Matisse Bustos-Hawkes, matisse@theotrolado.com

RAICES: Lucia Allain, media@raicestexas.org

Variant Strategies: Abby Goldberg, abby@variantstrategies.com

***For Immediate Release***

IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES PREMIERE VIDEO ON HOW TO DOCUMENT ICE ARRESTS AND ABUSES

New Animated Advocacy Video Created by Brooklyn Defender Services and WITNESS Features English and Spanish Narration from Singer-Songwriter Fiona Apple and Erika Andiola of RAICES

(NEW YORK, NY) – Brooklyn Defender Services and WITNESS launched “We Have Rights: When Documenting ICE Arrests”, a new video on documenting immigration enforcement abuses and arrests, as part of “We Have Rights,” a national immigrant empowerment campaign to inform people of what to do when interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In collaboration with the immigrant communities they represent, Brooklyn Defender Services partnered with WITNESS to develop a new, bilingual English and Spanish, know your rights animation on how to safely and securely document ICE arrests and abuses in a way that maximizes accountability. The story-driven short animation is narrated by singer-songwriter Fiona Apple in English and Erika Andiola, Chief Advocacy Officer at RAICES Texas in Spanish. The goal of the video is to empower both immigrants and bystanders with the tools to challenge and document ICE arrests.

The video is available at WeHaveRights.us and across social media platforms.

English language video: https://vimeo.com/447225087

Spanish language video: https://vimeo.com/447572760

The archive of the livestream premiere event with Brooklyn Defender Services, WITNESS, and RAICES is available here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=313064720005038

“After four months of limited ICE operations in the New York area during COVID-19, we have started to again receive calls from terrified families whose homes have been raided and loved ones taken to immigration jails,” said Nyasa Hickey, Director of Immigration Initiatives at Brooklyn Defender Services. “ICE enforcement is racist, inhumane, and a danger to us all, especially in the middle of the pandemic. Documenting ICE abuses has never been more important to hold them accountable.”

“ICE’s success is contingent on secrecy and a lack of transparency, but we have cameras at our fingertips that can help expose them,” said Palika Makam, US Program Manager at WITNESS. “There’s a reason why ICE enforcements often happen in the middle of the night or early hours of the morning. We have the ability to show the world what happens in the shadows. Video can help expose ICE abuses, deter violence, hold agents accountable, and call attention to their cruel and inhumane tactics.”

“We know that ICE lies. We know they trick, trap, and abuse immigrants. This video is an absolute must-watch for anyone who wants to join the fight against these grave injustices,” said Fiona Apple. ”You don’t need fame or money or political clout to make a difference. But you DO need to know how to safely and effectively document what you see. You DO need to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.”

"ICE has tried to separate me and my family many times: I know how scary it can be. Knowing your rights in these situations, and knowing that we all have a right to document ICE abuses is as critical as it is empowering,” said Erika Andiola, Chief Advocacy Officer at RAICES Texas. “Our communities are under attack, ICE has resumed raids, and we're now seeing them use their nefarious tactics on our non-immigrant brothers and sisters. We all need to know how to protect one another, we have rights."

Background on the We Have Rights Series: In 2018, in response to the fear and demand for more information for immigrant communities about how to safely defend themselves against ICE, Brooklyn Defender Services along with the ACLU and other partners launched We Have Rights, a series of four animated films in seven languages to help immigrants know what to do when confronted by ICE in the most common situations. The films have been seen over 20 million times, are used in trainings and know your rights events throughout the country, and are embedded in United We Dream’s Notifica App.

###

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) is a non-profit public defense office in Brooklyn, New York. BDS provides multi-disciplinary and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, immigration and other civil legal services, and social work support to tens of thousands Brooklyn residents who cannot afford an attorney every year.

WITNESS is an international nonprofit organization that helps people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights.

The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families and refugees in Central and South Texas. RAICES is the largest immigration non-profit in Texas with offices in Austin, Corpus, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio