Anti-invasion group hits Twitter with civil-rights complaint

WASHINGTON – Top conservatives repeatedly have documented censorship by Twitter, Facebook and Google over their conservative views.

Now Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, a leading non-profit group that opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants, is filing a complaint with the United States Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

The complaint was prompted by Twitter's suspension of the organization's account for seven days over Christmas.

Twitter suspended ALIPAC's account after the group posted a note celebrating Congress' inability to pass the DREAM Act, or any comparable legislation, to protect Dreamers from deportation, before going into recess for the holidays.

The social-media organization claimed it was "hateful content" for ALIPAC to state its political position.

"ALIPAC's suspension from Twitter following the defeat of DACA legislation in D.C., and the blocked ads were considered by Twitter to be 'hateful content,' although [a] simple inspection of the ads and posts show they do not violate the stated rules on Twitter," ALIPAC explained when it announced its plans for action against Twitter.

Twitter forced ALIPAC to delete old tweets before it would restore the account.

In its complaint, ALIPAC blasts Twitter for unfair trade practices, which it claims are targeting American groups and individuals with defamation and censorship based on their conservative creeds and opposition to DACA amnesty. He alleges that besides the shutdown, the social-media company is refusing his ads based on his viewpoint.

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Not only is Twitter using its expansive global corporate power to censor individuals and organizations and squelch the protected First Amendment rights of Americans, but it is strategically coordinating to impact the outcome of legislation and elections through a pattern of discrimination, ALIPAC President William Gheen told WND Thursday.

"Twitter, Facebook and Google are moving to take control of the United States' elections and legislative process. Anyone like me, that would oppose their agenda, is facing abuse and discrimination, which I believe violates that 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits companies from mistreating or giving unequal treatment to citizens based off of race, religion, national origin and creed."

ALIPAC has been obstructed on Facebook and Twitter and has been threatened by Google Ads for its anti-illegal immigration content for years, Gheen explained, but since Donald Trump's historic victory last November, the censorship has become increasingly stifling.

"But under the U.S. laws this isn't supposed to be allowed to happen. But it is happening to conservatives, Republicans, Christians, whites or basically any non-socialist. It's a very big tent of people in America who are now being discriminated against by these companies," he said.

He said the agenda has been present for some time, but since Trump's election victory, they've "thrown the gauntlet down."

"There is a complete surveillance, censorship, electronic control being exerted over the United States at this time."

Gheen urged Americans to start calling Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the DOJ Civil Rights Division with their own complaints detailing how they've been censored on social media.

"We know that there are a lot of other people out there who are having similar problems – this is part of a much larger pattern – we want people to send in their own complaints to the civil-rights division. We want people to start contacting Congress and ask Congress for hearings on this matter," he said. "Congress should not proceed to do anything legislatively, much less with immigration, until there is a full investigation of what Twitter, Facebook and Google are doing to try to affect the outcome of legislation in defiance of the will of the American public."

Social-media platforms such as Twitter, which have become monopolies, should be held to the same standard as traditional corporations that would be penalized for marginalizing a demographic of society based on their beliefs or creed, Gheen argued.

"The key word here is 'creed' – a group of people that share a common belief – that could be Republicans, Democrats, Christians, Muslims, anyone that have a shared set of beliefs about things – you're not supposed to be able to discriminate against them," he said. "In America we don't allow Walmart to tell Democrats that they can't buy plumbing and electrical supplies. That is exactly what Twitter has done to me. Twitter has told me that I can't buy ads because I oppose DACA amnesty. In America, imagine if someone was trying to set up a Republican or a candidate campaign headquarters and the phone company and the power company denied them service because of their creed. That is what's happening with Twitter."

Twitter is blocking ads paid for by ALIPAC that oppose DACA amnesty for illegal immigrants, Gheen explained, but allows ads from pro-amnesty organizations to reach large American audiences.

Twitter is also refusing to verify the ALIPAC's account and has rejected more than five of the group's applications for verification since 2016, despite its account having 24,000 followers and meeting all stated requirements.

Gheen blasted Twitter for giving special treatment to pro-amnesty groups and argued that the disparity between how conservatives are treated on Twitter versus left-leaning groups is work-place discrimination.

"Imagine if you are me, and you've already been targeted by Twitter, Facebook and Google and you go and apply for a job – who's going to hire somebody that Twitter, Facebook and Google have banned if using these platforms is part of your job? The employment aspect of it is very important," he said. "I must engage in Twitter and Facebook to have any hopes of completing my work satisfactorily. That's where, legally, these companies get in trouble. No one in America has the right to deny me the resources and tools that I need to do my work and to be employed based on my creed. That's where you violate the 1964 Civil Rights legislation, is on the employment aspect."

He continued: "This is my job and from Dec 23 to Jan 3, I could not do my job through Twitter because Twitter shut me down. And I'll be honest with you, it really feels like that they shut us down on bogus charges – they didn't get DACA legislation passed and employees at Twitter were being vindictive."