We were honored to have Movement Lawyer Nana Gyamfi join the Legal Lens Podcast to discuss the urgent and often overlooked issues at the intersection of immigration and racial justice. While conversations surrounding immigration often revolve around Latino and Hispanic culture, it’s important to consider how it’s impacting African Americans, Black Americans, and Black individuals who comprise the sizable African diaspora, too. A first-time guest and fellow UCLA Law Bruin, Gyamfi is the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), an organization at the forefront of the fight for the rights of Black migrants and African Americans.
During this powerful episode, we discussed how Black communities are disproportionately targeted by immigration enforcement, the dangerous rise of masked federal agents, and what we can do to protect our communities. Nana’s insights are a wake-up call, providing a sobering look at the challenges we face while still offering a clear and hopeful path forward.
For a deeper, more convenient dive into these pertinent topics, I strongly encourage everyone to listen to our discussion on the Legal Lens Podcast. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Simplecast, and everywhere you get your podcasts for free. Alternatively, you can also listen in the player below:
Attorney Nana Gyamfi on Black Immigration, Anti-Blackness, and Civil Rights
I have no doubt you’ll be both informed and inspired by this powerful conversation with Movement Attorney Nana Gyamfi, a leader with an incredible story who brings clarity and urgency to some of the most pressing civil rights issues of our time. To help you easily navigate the episode, here are relevant timestamps:
- 0:45 – The Overlooked Impact of Immigration on Black Communities
- 3:00 – An Overview of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI)
- 8:40 – Immigration Enforcement
- 19:24 – The Dangers of Surveillance and the Criminalization of Black People
- 22:30 – The Problem with Masked Federal Agents and Bounty Hunters
- 27:00 A Call for Accountability and Community Action
Who Is Nana Gyamfi?
While Attorney Nana Gyamfi is a first-time guest on the Legal Lens Podcast, she is sure to become a fan favorite. If her name is ringing bells, that might be because she is a familiar friend to many of the shows in the KBLA Talk 1580 family.
Nana Gyamfi has built a decorated career and coined the term Movement Lawyer because she’s on the front lines of the issues that matter. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI).
For my listeners, I anticipate that it will be difficult to walk away from this episode not feeling revitalized by our conversation and the inspiring and powerful words of Gyamfi.
An Overview of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Nana Gyamfi and I opened our conversation by discussing her groundbreaking work as the Executive Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), a group that has been in existence since 2006 and is close to celebrating its 20th anniversary.
BAJI is a Black national organization that fights for the rights of Black migrants and African Americans through a multi-faceted approach that includes policy advocacy, research, community organizing, narrative building, and civic engagement.
“Our goal is to improve the conditions of Black people, regardless of citizenship, by advancing racial justice. Immigrant rights and racial justice are not things you often hear together, but we are here to tell you that immigration rights are racial justice, and racial justice is immigration rights,” said Gyamfi.
This powerful statement highlights the indivisible link between these two struggles. As Nana pointed out, while the public narrative on immigration often focuses on other communities, Black immigrants have been disproportionately affected by the worst parts of the immigration system.
“The immigration system has impacted us the most as Black immigrants, precisely because we are black and for no other reason,” summarized Gyamfi in no uncertain terms.
Gyamfi noted that one in five Black people in the U.S. is either a Black immigrant or a child of a Black immigrant.
“One of the big pieces of the work that we do is called our Cops in Cages work, and that’s our abolition work. We are an abolitionist organization, and our goal is to try to have there be no police. I know that sounds scary to people – no jails, no prisons, including ICE enforcement and detention. What we understand is that ICE enforcement, particularly now, is being used as the tip of the spear to create a police state,” added Gyamfi.
As for the scope of their work, Gyamfi noted that they work across continents internationally, from Latin America to Europe, saying wherever there are Black immigrants, they face the same challenges.
The Risks of Immigration Enforcement
A key part of our discussion focused on the current political climate and how immigration enforcement is being used to normalize overreaches of power.
“The current state of affairs is dire, and what we understand again the way that immigration enforcement is being used as, by targeting people who have been historically identified as expendable and not quite human, and when you do that and dehumanize people, people don’t care what happens to them. It makes it easier to implement extreme policies without public backlash because they almost feel thankful that they have been extracted from society,” Nana Gyamfi said.
She provided sobering examples of how this plays out, including criminalization of immigrants, surveillance, the attack on birthright citizenship, and the detention and deportation of African Americans and Black people who are U.S. citizens or have legal status.
She also mentioned a U.S. military veteran who was deported to Jamaica and is now stateless, demonstrating how these policies affect anyone who is Black, regardless of their citizenship status.
Related Podcast Episode: Dr Anansi Wilson Joins the Legal Lens Podcast to Discuss President Trump, the Supreme Court, Birthright Citizenship, Redistricting and Voter’s Rights, and Landmark Expansions to the 4th Amendment!
The Problem with Masked Federal Agents and Bounty Hunters
Nana Gyamfi also shed light on the dangerous trend of expanding immigration enforcement to other federal agencies.
She revealed that agencies like the IRS are now involved in deportations, despite having no prior training on enforcement. Even more concerning, she exposed the use of masked agents who refuse to identify themselves or their agencies.
“They’re using criminalization as a way to strip rights from people, and they’re disappearing people. These people have masks on, so we don’t know who they are. They’re not calling themselves ICE agents, and they refuse to say where they’re coming from. We see these stories on the news, and we see that ICE has raided places, but the question becomes: What kind of surveillance was actually used? Who are the ICE agents? How are they being recruited? Is it a new set of recruits? Basically, they’re being recruited like bounty hunters being promised X amount to get X number of people a day,” explained Gyamfi.
Gyamfi also noted that they operate on a quota system, earning money for every person they arrest, and are part of a broader, violent movement to “drag America backward,” and she said that they intentionally try to appear intimidating.
“These pit bull bounty hunters are like mercenaries. I remember we used to talk about police quotas, and now ICE has similar quotas of 3,000 people a day themselves to capture those they are hunting down like fugitive slaves,” said Gyamfi.
Related Article: Angela Rye and Jeffery Wallace on the State of the People Power Tour in 2025, ICE Raids, Grassroots Activism, and the Rise of a New Black Policy Agenda
A Call for Accountability and Community Action
Toward the end of our conversation, Nana and I discussed the critical role of the courts and the need for accountability.
“BAJI has joined with dozens of other Black organizations in writing to the African Union (AU) to say, ‘Hey, we need for the union to actually as a collective, say No, you don’t get to use our countries to dump your toxins, your secondhand clothes, and now the people that you don’t want to be bothered with anymore.’ That’s not acceptable,” explained Gyamfi.
She also said that it’s important for employers to take action to help protect those workers who are being unjustly targeted.
“We know that there are certain types of jobs and workplaces where they are going to try to find a lot of people who are immigrants. So the question becomes: How do we cordon off areas and make them private to protect people? How do we share our rights, realities, and responsibilities with our employees and managers so they know what to do? This is when we need to support these vulnerable populations being subjected to such unjust treatment,” said Gyamfi.
Gyamfi noted that while some court rulings have been favorable, they have not been enough to stop the overreach of the current administration. She emphasized that our communities cannot afford to be distracted or silent. We must stay engaged and informed.
“There are people who are showing up to try to help and provide support within their communities, and if folks are interested in that, they should look into working with BAJI because people need to know their basic freedom mantras,” explained Gyamfi.
Gyamfi concluded by reminding us all of the importance of knowing our rights. She advised everyone to remember the basic freedom mantras: “I don’t want to talk to you,” “Am I free to leave?,” “I want my attorney,” and “I do not consent.” This knowledge is a vital tool for self-protection.
Gyamfi also touched on what bystanders can do to help.
“If you are a passerby, some of the most effective things that people are doing besides recording and getting good footage of the masked person engaging in enforcement is yelling out and telling people being targeted that they don’t have to talk to these agents and that, if they’re free to leave, they should leave. We have to be there for each other. Sometimes, people forget their rights because it’s so scary to be in those situations. You’re in fight or flight, and those thoughts easily leave your head,” said Gyamfi.
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Firstly, we strongly encourage all of our listeners to go to www.baji.org to connect with their policy team, legal team, and organizers to contribute to their amazing cause and learn what they can do to be an ally to all immigrants during such tumultuous times. Our discussion with Movement Lawyer Nana Gyamfi offered a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and democracy is happening in real time. Her insights into the intersection of immigration and anti-blackness reveal that the attacks on Black voters and immigrants are inextricably linked. This important conversation serves as a wake-up call, reminding us that we must stay vigilant and active to protect our communities and our democracy.
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This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.