Last month, Act on a Dream held a rally calling for the abolition of Immigration, Customs, & Enforcement (ICE). In the reporting of the article, The Crimson staff contacted ICE for a request for comment on the protest. In a follow-up meeting to discuss their policy, Crimson staff stood by their decision to call ICE and stated that they would do so again. 

This was the wrong call. We are extremely disappointed in the cultural insensitivity displayed by The Crimson’s policy to reach out to ICE, a government agency with a long history of surveilling and retaliating against those who speak out against them. Here are just a few examples. In this political climate, a request for comment is virtually the same as tipping them off, regardless of how they are contacted. 

We strongly condemn their decision to uphold a policy that blatantly endangers undocumented students on our campus. The Crimson, as a student-run publication, has a responsibility to prioritize the safety of the student body they are reporting on — they must reexamine and interrogate policies that place students under threat. Responsible journalism includes being conscious about the impact caused by their actions as a news organization. 

The Crimson relies on the trust of student organizations to accurately and effectively report on events happening on campus. They have violated that trust. We call on The Crimson to take public accountability for their actions and take steps to change a policy that actively endangers undocumented students and members of their own staff. 

We demand that The Crimson:

1. Apologize for the harm they inflicted on the undocumented community.
2. Critically engage with and change their policies that require calling ICE for comment.
3. Declare their commitment to protecting undocumented students on campus.

Resolutely,

Harvard College Act on a Dream 

Harvard College Democrats

Harvard College Democrats for Warren

Harvard Fuerza Latina

Harvard Radcliffe RAZA

Harvard Women in Computer Science

Latinas Unidas

Colombian Students Association (COLSA)

Latinxs in Finance & Technology (LiFT)

Divest Harvard

Student Labor Action Movement (SLAM)

Phillips Brooks House Association

Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee

Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign

Association of Black Harvard Women (ABHW)

Concilio Latino 

Harvard Black Men's Forum