Social workers on X and other sites are starting to flag suspicious job listings for social workers paying 2-3x the normal pay, posted by correctional companies. They are raising the alarm to our community that ICE may be hiring social workers to work in their detention centers and other settings. 

Despite many making statements regarding ICE, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has not advocated for members and non-member social workers to boycott working for ICE.

Why should NASW speak out and set the tone for all social workers? NASW is the largest professional organization of social workers in the world, and its voice matters. 

NASW released a statement in 2021 apologizing for the following: 

"-Progressive Era social workers built and ran segregated settlement houses.
-Social worker suffragists blocked African Americans from gaining the right to vote.
-Prominent social workers supported eugenics theories and programs.
-Social workers helped recruit Black men into the infamous Tuskegee Experiment.
-Social workers participated in the removal of Native American children from their families and placement in boarding schools.
-Social workers also took part in intake teams at Japanese internment camps during World War II.
-And since the founding of the profession, bias among some social workers has limited delivery of health care, mental health treatment, and social services to people of color."

It is clear from this, our values and ethics, and general common sense that social workers should not be involved in the abduction, detainment, and deportation of our community members. NASW MUST speak out and advocate for social workers not to work for ICE.

Having social workers at ICE facilities adds legitimacy and reduces liability to their work and their bottom line. We must protect our power and say no. We need to be on the right side of history. 

You can email the NASW directly at advocacy@socialworkers.org