Sarah English, RN, and Jack Schrader, RN, of Portland are members of the Maine State Nurses Association.

On Jan. 29, we went to the State House in Augusta with a group of Maine State Nurses Association RNs to testify in support of LD 2106, which would prevent immigration enforcement officials who lack a valid judicial warrant from entering hospitals, schools, daycare centers and libraries.

The State House was packed with health care workers, teachers and immigration lawyers who came to testify in support of the bill. As RNs, we shared our concerns about allowing armed immigration enforcement agents into our workplace, and the dangers and harms that poses to our patients, our co-workers and our communities. We spoke about how no nurse should have to stand up to armed agents to protect a patient, and no nurse should have to worry that private health information will be turned over to ICE to harm that patient.

During our brief two-minute testimonies, we were twice interrupted by Sen. David Haggan, R-Hampden, after we used the term “fascist” to describe the ongoing extrajudicial terror and violence ICE agents are carrying out in our communities.

In his first interruption of a nurse’s testimony, Sen. Haggan called for a point of order, stating, “The term fascism is an extremely offensive term and I do not believe it is germane,” as reported by the Portland Press Herald in its Jan 29 article “Gov. Janet Mills backs bill to keep ICE out of schools, hospitals.”  

During his interruption of a second nurse’s testimony, Sen. Haggan again got so offended by the term “fascism” that the council had to call a brief recess, impeding on the time allotted for the public to make their voices heard.

Those two minutes of testimony are our sacred time to express ourselves, as U.S. citizens with a voice in our legislative process. Sen. Haggan was out of bounds to interrupt and scold us for using the word “fascism.” If he thinks the word “fascism” is “extremely offensive,” we hope he is equally offended to see human beings, who are here legally, being terrorized and abducted and deprived of their right to due process.

We hope he is offended that people who have been legally and peacefully observing and recording ICE operations have been threatened and intimidated and called “domestic terrorists.” 

We hope he is offended that journalists are being arrested for covering anti-ICE protests. We hope he is offended that government agents murdered our fellow RN, Alex Pretti, as he was responding to harm with selfless compassion, and acting within his constitutionally protected rights.

Fascism is characterized by forceful suppression of opposition, and trampling on people’s rights, including our right to free speech. We are concerned that an elected official is attempting to censor citizens testifying at the State House for speaking out against violent authoritarianism and fascism. 

Such censorship, in fact, seems to fit within the definition of fascism. As registered nurses and as U.S. citizens, we believe that it is important that we call it out for what it is. When we are able to see it and name it, we can collectively fight against it.