#HelloICE? On Laughter as Good Medicine for the Addictive Drug of White Nationalism

Hello, ICE? I need to report a dangerous illegal in my church.

He breaks the law all the time — heals on the Sabbath, sits and eats with public sinners. From what I understand, he and his parents entered Egypt illegally — no papers at all.

Can you please come and pick him up?

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Someone on Twitter today provided a snapshot of posters that have gone up on electric poles in Kansas Omaha, Nebraska, urging "American citizens" to call ICE and report anyone they suspect of being "illegal" — since THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW. I let that tweet get away from me and can't find it now, so I can't link to it here. (Later: this is the story I saw tweeted this morning, regarding these signs.)

It has given me the idea, however, of starting a Twitter thread I'm calling #HelloICE. Here are my contributions to it thus far — if you are on Twitter, please feel free to jump in:

Hello ICE? I have a doctor's appointment this morning, and notice the clinic has assigned me a doctor — a woman one! — with a foreign name.

Looks Indian to me.

Can you please come to the clinic and be prepared to arrest her if she turns out to be illegal? Thanks, ICE!

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Hello, ICE? I want to report my teacher. He's making us read some boring stuff about a jail and Birmingham and how not all laws are just laws and it's a moral obligation to defy unjust laws.

I think a black man wrote the Birmingham stuff.

Can you come pick the teacher up?

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Hello, ICE? The English department at my school just assigned, for all of us to read, something about civil disobedience by someone who sounds foreign — Thoreau or something like that.

There are several foreigners in the English department.

Please come and pikc them up.

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Hello, ICE? I'm in a Mexican restaurant, and all the people working here look Mexican to me.

Can you please come and do a sweep immediately? After I finish my tacos. Thanks! #HelloICE

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Hello, ICE? I’m from Arkansas where real Americans live. I’m visiting New York. Someone on this bus just talked another language. Can you come and screen all passengers? Except me, of course. Thanks, ICE. #HelloICE

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018

Hello, ICE? There's a man about to return to the U.S. who has a long criminal record — shady dealing with real estate, collaborating with a foreign government to undermine an election. It goes on and on.

When this law-breaker tries to enter the U.S., can you please pick him up?

— 𝚆𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳. 𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚢 (@wdlindsy) July 12, 2018