By WITNESS | Team
On February 28, 2017, Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez and his wife had just dropped off their youngest daughter at school in the Highland park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. While en route to drop off another daughter, Romulo saw flashing lights from a black car that had been following them. Government officials with only the word “police” emblazoned in large yellow letters on their backs emerged from the unmarked car, demanding that Romulo get out immediately. Despite not identifying as such, the men were Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They arrested Romulo while his wife and 13-year old daughter, Fatima, watched in tears from the car. Amidst her sobs, Fatima pulled out her cell phone and pressed record.
ICE agents said they arrested Romulo, who has lived in the U.S. for over 25 years, based on two decade-old misdemeanor convictions that have since been vacated, and an order for removal from 2008 as a result of the misdemeanor convictions. His lawyers were able to temporarily combat the order with an emergency stay.
Unfortunately, this story is not unique. Under Trump’s new widened deportation machine, every one of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. is a priority, misdemeanor conviction or not, even while driving their daughters to school.
With help from a journalist, Romulo’s family publicly released Fatima’s footage of her father’s arrest. Fatima’s video helps expose how ICE agents often portray themselves as officers from local police departments to ensnare or fool people into revealing information, or even into giving ICE consent to enter their homes. While the video did help to expose abuse and usher in support for Romulo and his family, the high profile case also added to an escalating climate of fear among immigrants in the U.S.
Video can be a powerful tool for justice, but it’s not always safe to share videos of ICE and people being detained on social media. Sharing footage online could potentially put ICE’s target and their families at further risk, or expose other undocumented bystanders in the frame – making them vulnerable to retaliation.
This is why WITNESS is partnering with the immigrant community in the U.S. to determine how video can best protect their rights without creating further risks. Working with activists, organizers, and lawyers, we are creating resources like our Filming ICE tip sheet and a webinar series to inform community members of their right to film, and how to do so safely, ethically and effectively.
These efforts are part of a new series from WITNESS called Eyes on ICE: Documenting Immigration Abuses, in which we look at how video can be used as a tool for justice, accountability, and advocacy in immigration work. Over the next 6 months, this series will focus on different uses of video – from evidence to storytelling, keeping in mind safety and digital security.
After six months of Romulo’s family, community, and lawyers tirelessly advocating, organizing, rallying and speaking to media, Romulo was finally released from immigration detention. Although he’s now at home with his family, his story is nowhere near finished.
Thank you. This work is made possible by dedicated supporters like you. You can read the full story here. To stay up to date our latest efforts including Eyes on ICE, please sign up for our newsletter.
Wishing you a peaceful holiday season and a happy new year.
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