Across the country, streets have became stages for a new wave of dissent and protest against ICE, as demonstrators demanded an end to mass deportations, detention centers, and the very existence of the agency. Newly at the center of this fury were the killings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis. As federal forces responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests, lawsuits were arguing that these tactics were a direct attack on the First Amendment. ICE maintained that they were enforcing federal immigration laws and protesters are deliberately interfering with their operations.
Lee Rowland, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), joined FOLCS for an urgent Conversation in which they discussed free speech, assembly, and the power of the federal government to punish dissent. The conversation explored how the current moment was reshaping the public square—and what artists, organizers, and advocates can lawfully do to protest these actions.
This event was co-produced by the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Lee Rowland
Lee Rowland (@berkitron) is the Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, where she oversees NCAC’s direct program work, legal and government advocacy, and public education. She also runs the Free Expression Network, a collaboration that brings together dozens of free expression advocates and organizations for regular strategy and information-sharing. Lee has extensive experience as a litigator, professor, and public speaker. Before coming to NCAC, Lee was a First Amendment litigator for two decades, serving as a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center for Justice, and the New York Civil Liberties Union; she has also taught courses on free expression at NYU Law and CUNY’s Hunter College’s Human Rights Program. She has served as lead counsel in federal First Amendment cases involving public employee speech rights, the First Amendment rights of community advocates, government regulation of digital speech, and state secrecy surrounding the lethal injection process. As Policy Director of the NY ACLU for over five years, Lee is also a seasoned lobbyist and advocate for a range of civil liberties and free speech positions, and helped draft and pass NY’s recent Equal Rights Amendment. Lee lives in Brooklyn and is addicted to Tetris.