"The Visitor" Returns for Encore in Boston

On behalf of the ACLU of Massachusetts, I had the pleasure of introducing Wednesday night's free screening of The Visitor in Boston. One audience member asked in disbelief after the movie, 'Does our immigration system really work that way?'

Unfortunately, it really does.

The Visitor is a film set in New York City that highlights the very real and very harsh realities faced by immigrants living in the United States after September 11. The movie shows us how and why people deliberately try to live their lives undetected and unnoticed. After all, any minor brush with law enforcement - whether it's because you look like you jumped a subway turnstile or because you forgot to use your turn signal while changing lanes - can result in a one-way ticket out of the country.

What I especially liked about The Visitor is that it's also a delicate story about love, friendship and how a cool drum beat can instantly transport you to a better place, no matter who you are or where you are.

To learn more about how to help raise awareness about the treatment of immigrants in the United States, check out www.aclum.org and http://prod.takepart.com/social_network/action/thevisitor/