Vancouver resident John Ford says leaders and media outlets must stop laundering dehumanizing metaphors as “tough talk’’

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and may not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

America’s immigration system is in crisis, but a second crisis is unfolding in public: “digital deportation squads.” As Maria Garcia (2023) reports, social media users post videos of people they assume are undocumented — often alongside ICE hotline numbers — urging followers to “report them.” This is not random trolling; it is the downstream effect of decades of dehumanizing narratives that portray migrants as a “flood” or an “invasion” (Santa Ana, 2002), making intimidation feel like civic duty.

Platforms then accelerate the harm. Engagement-driven algorithms reward fear and outrage, pushing sensational confrontation clips over nuanced policy analysis (Fisher & Taub, 2019) and stitching angry viewers into echo chambers where harassment is socially rewarded. The result is real-world damage: families fear public spaces, false reports waste resources, and the policy conversation collapses into racialized spectacle.

Deleting posts is insufficient. Leaders and media outlets must stop laundering dehumanizing metaphors as “tough talk,” and journalists should treat “invasion” rhetoric as a public-safety risk, not a headline hook. If we want workable immigration reform, we must first restore basic human dignity to the debate.

John Ford
Vancouver

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