Behind the Bastards

It Could Happen Here Weekly 216

12 snips
Jan 24, 2026
Guest
Ellie Bell
Ellie Bell, a community organizer who leads campaigns to free detained immigrants, discusses ICE abuses and the campaign to free Albeiro. She describes deceptive stops, detention medical neglect, and organizing strategies to sustain mutual aid. Short, urgent scenes of raids, staffing failures, and practical ways people can support community defense.
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INSIGHT

Violence As A State Escalation Test

  • ICE escalations are a deliberate test of how much violence the state can exert while the public remains complacent.
  • Lack of accurate data and selective public sympathy enable continued disappearances and deaths in custody.
ADVICE

Use Privilege To Share Organizing Burden

  • Use your privilege to help activists doing frontline detention work by donating, sharing cases, and calling representatives.
  • Spread labor so vulnerable organizers don't burn out and campaigns gain power through broad participation.
ADVICE

Organize Collectively And Sustainably

  • Coordinate collective action based on each person's skills and form logistics, safety, and mutual aid networks.
  • Prioritize rest and sustainable organizing to avoid burnout and keep campaigns effective.
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