What immigrants need to know: 'You Have Rights'

A scene from the 'We Have Rgights' campaign where ICE agents interview an immigrant.

USING GESTAPO-LIKE TACTICS, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are doing their best to make immigrants feel not welcomed in the United States.

Comedian and actor Kumail Nanjiani, who came to the U.S. from Pakistan when he was 18, knows what it's like to be an immigrant. But his experience as a newcomer to this country is nothing like the persecution that today's immigrants must go through: The lies coming out of the White House painting immigrants as criminals, the uncertainty of when ICE  comes knocking on your door or raids your place of employment, strangers attacking you physically and verbally and telling you to "go back to your country."

KUMAIL NANJIANI

Under the Donald Trump Administration, which has called for a major increase in deportations, ICE’s “noncriminal” arrests doubled over the 2017 fiscal year, according to the Washington Post.

That's why the Silicon Valley star is pitching in to help members of immigrant communities get informed bout what to do if ICE comes knocking.

Nanjiani posted a tweet this week about his work with the ACLU and Brooklyn Defender Services on their We Have Rights campaign,

The “We Have Rights” campaign includes animated, instructional videos based on four real-life scenarios: what to do when ICE comes to your door; when ICE is in your home; when ICE stops people in the street; and when ICE arrests someone.

“ICE has a disturbing history of crossing the line and we want immigrants to know that they are protected under the Constitution,” Natalie Montelongo, ACLU’s campaign strategist, said in a statement.

The videos warn that ICE may lie, claim to be the police investigating a crime, or show official-looking but invalid documents. The videos say, ICE has no authority to enter or search a home without a warrant signed by a judge.

The videos are available in seven different languages, each voiced by a prominent activist or actor. Nanjiani voiced the version in Urdu, the language of Pakistan. Other versions feature Diane Guerrero (Spanish), Linda Sarsour (Arabic), Edwidge Danticat (Creole), Xiren Wang (Mandarin), Katya Lee (Russian) and Jesse Williams (English).

If ICE agents come knocking on your door, the videos advise, “do not open the door… no matter what they say.” You have rights!
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