In Tom McCarthy’s follow-up to his award-winning directorial debut, The Station Agent, 2008 Academy Award®-nominee Richard Jenkins stars as Walter Vale, a disillusioned professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter with a young immigrant couple in New York. Their friendship is almost instantly rattled when Tarek is stopped by police, arrested as an undocumented immigrant and held for deportation. As Tarek’s situation grows desperate, Walter finds himself compelled to help his new friend with a passion he thought he had long ago lost.
In conjunction with the 2008 theatrical release, Active Voice and Participant Media launched The Visitor Social Action Campaign through a series of word-of-mouth screenings to inspire audiences to learn more about the U.S. immigration detention system and due process. After the theatrical release, with support from Open Society Foundation, Active Voice worked with the Detention Watch Network and the National Immigrant Justice Center to use the film to shine light on real detainees, local detention centers, and legal networks in 30 communities around the country. Through a series of screenings, trainings and resource materials, Active Voice energized the national dialogue about post 9/11 security policies by raising values of justice and due process among audiences who were new to the issues.
Opportunities and Objectives
Highlight existing policy efforts to bring justice and due process to our immigrant detention system.
Educate new allies “beyond the choir” about the plight of detained immigrants in their own communities.
Inspire residents to “be a visitor” in communities with nearby detention centers.
Support pro bono lawyer training to increase the number of attorneys qualified to represent immigrants in bond hearings.
Project Activities
Community screenings in over 30 communities nationwide.
Law school events that connected the film to curriculum.
CLE trainings in major U.S. cities, in partnership with O’Melveny and Myers and Bet Tsedek.
Dissemination of resource materials, including a discussion guide, action brochure and resources for law schools.
Educate yourself and others about immigration detention, due process and the history of U.S. immigration policy by checking out Active Voice’s discussion guide.
Find out if there is a detention center near you by visiting Find out if there is a detention center near you by visiting www.detentionwatchnetwork.org.
Play Breakthrough’s ICED video game and walk in the shoes of an immigrant at risk of deportation.
Donate money to or volunteer with a local immigrant aid organization that is dedicated to defending and securing due process for detained immigrants and their families. See our partners list on this page for ideas.
Speak up about the importance of due process by blogging about it, talking to friends and colleagues or sharing relevant articles.
