After reading the Office of the Provost’s “Guidance on engaging with federal officials” circulated Monday, members of the Northwestern community might wonder if there are any other resources available besides the University Police in the event that “you or someone you know is approached by a federal officer on or off campus.”
I can think of one resource with a long and important history, and the piece of technology required is something all of us already have in our pockets: a phone with a camera.
If I see someone approached by federal officers on or off campus, whether I know the person or not, I hope to intervene. The first thing I would do is start recording the officers with the camera on my phone.
I would make sure that the location of the encounter was clear by recording things like landmarks and street signs. I would focus the camera on the officers themselves, and if their badges were visible I would get them on camera. If they had any weapons visible, I would make sure those were filmed. The same with any paperwork, like a warrant. If I could, I would film their vehicles and license plate numbers. If other law enforcement officials were present, I would get footage of them too.
Afterward, I would be very careful about what I did with the recording — immediately posting to social media can be a big risk, as the identities of some individuals might need to be protected. The possibility of causing further harm has to be front of mind. Always, the priority must be the safety, dignity and agency of the person who is being targeted. I would get in contact with people close to that person, with lawyers and with activists, instead of acting alone.
Filming has risks, of course, especially if the person doing it belongs to a vulnerable group already. If you are concerned about filming, or for whatever reason you decide to stop filming while the scene is still unfolding, just watching can still make a difference. If I wanted to film but was afraid to in the moment, I would hope someone else there felt secure enough to take out their phone.
The message from many universities in this moment has been: If the government comes for you, you’re on your own — and the wisest thing for your coworkers and fellow students to do is collaborate in your disappearance by turning a blind eye. That doesn’t sound like much of a community to me.
The moral standards of this particular community could be a lot higher, whatever the Office of the Provost says. The students at greatest risk of being abducted and deported should expect more from the rest of us, and those of us who are safer should expect more from ourselves.
The right to photograph and film ICE officers is protected by the First Amendment. As a safe person, it’s the absolute least I could do for another student, coworker or neighbor.
Andrew Holter is a student at The Graduate School. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
