LEWISTON, Maine, USA – I am heartbroken, enraged, exhausted and devastated because today, in the nearby city of Biddeford, Maine, agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement killed a 26-year-old man from Colombia.
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Joan Sebastian Guerrero had a family and was part of his community.
We don’t yet know everything that happened this morning, but we know ICE shot him dead, the latest in a trail of victims across America.
The agency is not making us safer. It is only instilling fear and hate.
They push the idea that people from different cultures and backgrounds are threats. But it isn’t true.
One of the many things that make Maine amazing is that we have a diverse community, with many languages because people have come from all around the globe, bringing their diverse experiences and cultures with them.
We need to take action to protect them and fight back against injustice. We cannot be silent while ICE terrorizes and kills people in our own community.
There are many ways to help: check in on vulnerable people you know, listen to their stories and make sure they know you support them. Take care of those who are afraid to go outside. Go to protests. Post on social media. Do what you can to create a safer future for everyone.
Even the smallest steps toward progress add up to something big in the end.
Tell politicians what you think so they will put their power and resources into protecting people, including the most marginalized among us. And insist they hold ICE accountable before it claims more victims.
We have to stand together as a community and show up to support one another. We cannot let ICE and its supporters get away with spreading hate.
The power of the people can overcome any form of injustice.
All of us have the right to live in freedom, enjoy yourselves and celebrate who we are without being seen as the enemy. Every person, regardless of where they were born, deserves to be respected and surrounded by love.
Carlos Fra-Nero is a Reporter with Youth Journalism International.
