Despite claiming to have a deep love of pop culture in running events like New York Comic Con, PAX, BookCon, MCM Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, and others, ReedPop's parent company RELX also simultaneously operates the subsidiary LexisNexis, that is directly profiting in providing data and information services to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), fueling their surveillance, terror, and violence against communities across the country.

They claim to promote inclusion and diversity, but how can event attendees feel safe, supported, or included when they are deliberately choosing to support the equivalent of the Empire in Star Wars, the Fire Nation in Avatar: The Last Airbender, and other oppressive forces that fans consistently support the dismantling of on-screen and in the pages? The hypocrisy of ReedPop being behind multiple international, multicultural events, yet aligning itself with a company that is actively fueling state-sanctioned violence against immigrant communities and communities of color is alarming, particularly at a time when we cannot ignore the parallels between our favorite pieces of pop culture and the real-life struggles against rampant violations of human and civil rights we are witnessing.

We call upon ReedPop to pressure RELX/LexisNexis to end its DHS/ICE contracts, and provide clear assurance of keeping convention spaces free from ICE and ICE cooperation. Until this is addressed, many members of the community will be reflecting upon and reevaluating the decision to attend, contribute to, and support any future ReepPop events. 

Learn more and take additional action at bit.ly/ICE-Out-Of-ReedPop