Director of Public Policy Casey Carter Swegman writes:
“Because of what is happening today, survivors of violence will be even more afraid to ask for help. For them, life is always a calculated game of Risk. Speaking up at home could bring more violence. Calling the police could bring its own trouble. Will you be believed? Will the police actually protect you? Or will they leave you in the hands of the person who is abusing you, made even angrier by your plea for help?
Or worse, will they care more about your immigration status than the abuse you have experienced, and report you to ICE?
The path to safety for people living in dangerous homes is a support system on the outside that says we are here for you, we believe you, and we will help you get safe. Arresting and potentially deporting people who speak up sends a different message. It says to stay “safe,” you need to stay small. Because the consequences of speaking up are unpredictable; by staying silent, at least, you know the pattern and have learned to survive around it.
But that’s not good enough. That’s not what Sara deserves. We should all be able to live healthy lives in loving homes, surrounded by people who care for us. To use our constitutionally-protected right to free speech, and work to build a better society for everyone.
For Sara, and others like her, speaking up needs to be safer than staying silent — or the abuse won’t end.”
