All code is political. GitHub has enormous power, influence, and a monopoly of our code in the overall ecosystem whether free software or proprietary software. Yet GitHub has chosen to work with, take, and defend their $200,000 from ICE, a fascist US federal law enforcement agency that was only recently created in 2003. Countless members of our communities have been harmed and killed needlessly by ICE in systemic, state sanctioned murder. GitHub has a deeply embedded role in our code; our professional work and jobs; our free software and open source communities; our society and our every day lives, whether you write code or not. Understandably, because of this many individuals who otherwise would drop GitHub cannot make that personal decision to. Even if you move your code over to another alternative, you likely will inadvertently use GitHub due to open source tools and packages hosted on GitHub.

GitHub knowing this wants you, especially if you're someone who cannot outright delete your account and face the socioeconomic repercussions of losing your life's personal and professional work, to feel powerless as an individual and give up on protesting against them for supporting ICE. GitHub is using every tactic possible to create this illusion that individuals are powerless. This is also because they know GitHub is critical infrastructure for the internet as we know it, and GitHub belongs in the hands of people, not by stakeholders in boardrooms that take contracts from and defend ICE. We can fight to dismantle ICE and make GitHub a tool of the people, and we will win.

Every action counts. Reflect your opposition in your branch names, rebase your commits with statements about your opposition to GitHub's contract with ICE, send tweets, write blog posts, speak with your friends and family, protest digitally or in-person, write to your legislators to defund and dismantle ICE, amplify and share the voices of marginalised people harmed by ICE and those working tirelessly against ICE, the options are endless. Those with the financial and professional privileges, influence, and especially those with access to rooms most will never see nor know exist, can use their professional and socioeconomic privilege to enact systemic change in their worlds, and use their platforms to provide a megaphone and lift up marginalised people.

Collectively, we can and we will win.

No justice, no peace.