Immigration

Lawyers Targeted By White Supremacists

This is what happens when you 'advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy.'

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Over the weekend, the national offices of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), a group whose stated mission is to “advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy,” was targeted by a white supremacist group, Identity Evropa. Two men — described by a witness as “generic” “bros” — attempted to hang a banner with an anti-immigration message on the facade of their national offices in Washington, D.C.

 

The attempted vandalism was interrupted by a witness who recognized the name of the white supremacist group, as reported by City Paper:

“I started yelling at them and they quickly ran around the corner,” the witness says. “They might have taken a selfie or two in front of [the banner],” he adds. The witness describes the two suspects as “generic twenty-something bros, kind of preppy-ish.”

The witness also saw the significance of the chosen location for the vandalism, and that coupled with the message on the banner created a unique and targeted message:

“While the message on the banner may not seem racist to a casual observer, the message and the target are obviously an attempt at intimidation,” the witness wrote in an email to City Paper. “I don’t know how often this happens downtown but with neo-Nazis and other racists carving swastikas, leaving nooses, and racist flyers, and assorted other racist acts, I wanted to reach out to the press.”

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The Executive Director of the AILA, Benjamin Johnson, said in a statement that the attempt at intimidation wouldn’t stop the Association from continuing its mission:

For more than 70 years, AILA and its members have fought against xenophobia and advocated for laws and policies that honor America’s proud history as a nation of immigrants. Sadly, there has been a dramatic and disturbing increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric and racially charged scapegoating and stereotyping of immigrants. Too many politicians seem willing to pander to this kind of fear and hatred and too few are willing to stand up against it. In this environment our mission and the work of our members have never been more important. This incident comes on the heels of inflammatory and derogatory statements by Attorney General Jeff Sessions towards immigrants, asylum seekers, and the attorneys that represent them. The Attorney General’s remarks were irresponsible and wrong. However, AILA and its members will not be deterred or distracted from our work and our mission to stand by America’s immigrants and to advocate for fair and just immigration laws and policies, by those who peddle fear and hatred. Not today, not ever.

It’s good to see that despite the message from white supremacists, the AILA will continue doing its important immigration work. Between the president’s confusing position on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Travel Ban v. 3.0, and that goddamn wall, there’s a lot to be done.

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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