This conviction is the continuation of a campaign of terror and violence that has been allowed to imprison people speaking out against the immigration policies of this administration.
Experts warn that my conviction will have a “chilling effect” on previously constitutionally protected activities; this was made clear as the intent when Judge O’Connor said he wanted to make an example of us, with clear disregard for the facts of the case.
This is a government telling its citizens that to raise a voice of dissent carries a life sentence, maybe even death.
To my friends, to Renée Good, to Alex Pretti, and to the people being held in detention centers across the country, I have the very same urgent message that compelled me to Prairieland that night with a heavy heart: “We see you. We love you. You are not forgotten.”
