We stand in solidarity with our partners and members of the immigrant community to condemn the arrest of Vietlead’s Executive Director and co-founder Nancy Nguyen. Nancy was arrested for defending the rights of immigrants being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): she engaged in peaceful protests outside the home of acting ICE director Tony Pham in order to call attention to horrific human rights abuses in ICE detention centers. There is no doubt that the arrest of this longtime advocate of immigrants’ rights and mother of two small children was a deplorable act of wrongful intimidation. Her arrest was intended to scare all immigration rights advocates and community members. We will not be silenced and will not back down. We will stand with Nancy, members of the immigrant community, and all other advocates for human rights to decry this act of overt retaliation, racism, and injustice.

Read more abou Nancy Nguyen’s arrest in the following Inquirer article: “Philly Asian American leader arrested on littering, trespass charges related to protest weeks ago at Va. home of ICE director.”