US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently honored a deportation officer killed in a plane crash in 1948 with a social media post that used language commonly associated with white nationalists to describe the Mexican victims on board, sparking widespread outrage.
Folk legend Woody Guthrie wrote about this exact incident decades ago when dozens of Mexican workers were killed during a deportation flight crash. His song "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" is often hailed as a timeless ode to the humanity of society's most marginalized.
This is not an isolated incident, however. In recent years, ICE has repeatedly courted controversy with posts that echo the language of white nationalists, sparking accusations of dehumanizing immigrants and stripping them of dignity.
According to author Tim Z Hernandez, who helped uncover the identities of the crash victims, using such language is a deliberate attempt to justify the agency's actions and erode the humanity of those it targets.
"I'm saddened but not surprised," Hernandez said in an interview. "Even if we disagree on how to protect the border or the whole immigration process, we should be able to agree that each person is a human being and worthy of dignity."
Guthrie's song served as a powerful rebuke to this kind of rhetoric, imagining the stories of the victims he called "deportees." The Intercept has been reporting on ICE's actions for years, but this latest incident highlights the need for continued vigilance in holding those in power accountable.
In recent years, The Intercept has reported extensively on ICE's efforts to dismantle the free press and create a post-truth America. But we can't do it alone – that's where you come in.
Folk legend Woody Guthrie wrote about this exact incident decades ago when dozens of Mexican workers were killed during a deportation flight crash. His song "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" is often hailed as a timeless ode to the humanity of society's most marginalized.
This is not an isolated incident, however. In recent years, ICE has repeatedly courted controversy with posts that echo the language of white nationalists, sparking accusations of dehumanizing immigrants and stripping them of dignity.
According to author Tim Z Hernandez, who helped uncover the identities of the crash victims, using such language is a deliberate attempt to justify the agency's actions and erode the humanity of those it targets.
"I'm saddened but not surprised," Hernandez said in an interview. "Even if we disagree on how to protect the border or the whole immigration process, we should be able to agree that each person is a human being and worthy of dignity."
Guthrie's song served as a powerful rebuke to this kind of rhetoric, imagining the stories of the victims he called "deportees." The Intercept has been reporting on ICE's actions for years, but this latest incident highlights the need for continued vigilance in holding those in power accountable.
In recent years, The Intercept has reported extensively on ICE's efforts to dismantle the free press and create a post-truth America. But we can't do it alone – that's where you come in.
how can they just use language like that to describe innocent ppl?! its not even subtle, u can feel the hate from a mile away 
i mean, wut did these ppl expect when they were honoring someone who was killed in a plane crash decades ago? didnt they think it would come back to haunt them like this? 
and yeah woody guthrie's song is a total masterpiece 
its amazing how he could capture the humanity of ppl who were being treated so inhumane back then. i feel so bad for these victims & their families, they deserve way more respect than that 
. And it's not like they were deported or anything - they were just trying to get home to their families after working hard in the US. I'm so sad for the victims' families and loved ones, and I can only imagine how hurtful this must be for them 
. We need to speak out against this kind of rhetoric and call out ICE for what it is - a bunch of xenophobic bullies 
. And yeah, Woody Guthrie's song "Deportee" is like the ultimate rebuke to this kind of hate speech - we should all be listening to that and spreading its message of love and respect for humanity 
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. I mean, can't they just be respectful and not use language that's straight out of a hate group's playbook? It's like, we get it, you wanna make deportations happen, but do you have to dehumanize people in the process? 
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. We can't let them get away with this stuff! 
just saw this crazy story about ICE honoring a deceased deportation officer with a post that uses super racist language... like, what's next? They gonna start celebrating "Deportation Day" or something 
. I'm so sick of these agencies using rhetoric that erodes the humanity of people who are already marginalized. It's time to call out this stuff and hold people in power accountable. We need to remember the stories of the victims, like Woody Guthrie did all those years ago... it's a powerful reminder that we're all human beings deserving of dignity 
I'm literally shook by this news... how could they be so reckless with language? 
They're not even humans to them, right? 
This is just another example of ICE trying to whitewash their actions and dehumanize people they're supposed to be helping. 
The fact that they keep using these kinds of language is just a slap in the face to everyone who values human dignity and compassion. 
We need more artists and writers like Guthrie who can speak truth to power and remind us of what's truly important – empathy and kindness. 
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. let's keep pushing back against this kind of language and behavior. we can make a difference 
Their whole thing is to dehumanize people from different cultures and communities, and now they've gone and done it on social media. No wonder the song "Deportee" has been such a powerful rebuke for so long - it's just common sense that we treat each other with dignity, regardless of where we're from or what our immigration status is 
. ICE needs to be held accountable for this stuff, and I'm glad The Intercept is on the case 
. i mean, it's just so unnecessary to use language that's associated with hate groups... like, hello, we're all human beings! 
. we need more people like him who can make us think critically about the way we talk about others 
Are they American-born or not? Shouldn't we be talking about human beings rather than their nationality? And btw, Woody Guthrie's song is a total classic and all, but can't we just, like, put the past in the past instead of using it as an excuse to be all insensitive today? 
this is absolutely appalling, how can you be so reckless with words? 
we need to hold people in power accountable for this stuff, no matter how powerful they are... it's basic human decency!