“Throughout history, governments and political movements have sought to justify harsh treatment of vulnerable populations by first changing the language used to describe them. When human beings are reduced to labels, stereotypes, or objects, it becomes easier to disregard their rights, dignity, and individuality.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Ezra Wohlgelernter released the following statement in reaction to the aliens.gov website recently launched by the White House. At first glance, the website appears to be about extraterrestrials, but tracks arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, using inflammatory language to describe immigrants.
The Philadelphia Bar Association has long stood for the rule of law, equal justice, human dignity, and the principle that every person is entitled to be treated with fairness and respect under our Constitution.
Recent actions by the federal government should concern every lawyer, regardless of political affiliation or views on immigration policy.
The White House has launched a website, aliens.gov, that uses science-fiction language and imagery to describe immigrants living in the United States. The site states that immigrants have been “walking among us,” “living in our neighborhoods,” and “living seemingly normal human existences,” before declaring that they “do not belong here.” It encourages members of the public to report “suspicious aliens” and, in one section, refers to individuals being returned to “its place of origin.”
Reasonable people can disagree with immigration policy. They can disagree about border security, asylum, deportation priorities, and enforcement mechanisms. Those are legitimate subjects for democratic debate.
What should not be subject to debate is the fundamental humanity of the people affected by those policies.
Words matter. Throughout history, governments and political movements have sought to justify harsh treatment of vulnerable populations by first changing the language used to describe them. When human beings are reduced to labels, stereotypes, or objects, it becomes easier to disregard their rights, dignity, and individuality.
Lawyers have a special obligation to recognize this danger. Our legal system is built upon the premise that every person – citizen and noncitizen alike – is entitled to due process, equal protection, and the protections guaranteed by law. The strength of our constitutional system is measured not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it treats the vulnerable.
The Philadelphia Bar Association was founded on the belief that lawyers have a responsibility not only to represent clients, but to defend the institutions and values upon which our democracy depends. That responsibility now rests with each of us. I call upon every member of our Association to reject language that diminishes the humanity of others, to defend the constitutional rights of all people, and to speak clearly and publicly in support of the rule of law. The question before us is not whether we agree on immigration policy. The question is whether we will remain faithful to the enduring principle that every human being deserves dignity, fairness, and justice. Let us meet this moment with courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to the values that define both our profession and our nation.
We cannot remain silent. We will speak up and speak out in defense of the Rule of Law and the fundamental principles of decency and humanity.
