John, 
We’re nearing the 21st anniversary of the USA PATRIOT Act, which instituted dangerous infrastructure for the explicit targeting and surveillance of Black and brown communities following the September 11th attacks. Over 20 years later, the USA PATRIOT Act’s relentless religious targeting and racial profiling are ever present in our rapidly evolving surveillance state. Join us on October 26th for a virtual event to learn more about what’s at stake for immigrant communities and the battle against invasive surveillance. 

While an entire nation was grieving the loss of lives on 9/11, members of Congress swiftly pushed through the USA PATRIOT Act, which expanded law enforcement’s rights to surveil United States citizens in the name of preventing terrorism. This policy allowed the U.S. government to surveil, investigate, detain, and deport predominantly Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities without probable cause. It was simply enough to be deemed suspicious. 

Over two decades later, the spying and surveillance of Black and brown, predominantly immigrant communities have only increased as surveillance tools grow more sophisticated. When big tech goes unchecked and unregulated, our immigrant communities are the first to feel its blow. 

Join me for a virtual conversation with NYIC member and S.T.O.P.’s Founder and Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn on the history of surveillance as a weapon against immigrant communities and how we can fight back.

Onwards,

Murad Awawdeh