You’ve heard it before — even if you haven’t been arrested, you’ve heard it on TV shows: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be held against you in a court of law …”

Not that the state takes that guarantee seriously when push comes to shove, of course. Property rights activist Lauren Canario found herself institutionalized when she declined to speak to her persecutors. I’ve read accounts of judges attempting to nullify the 5th Amendment guarantee of non-self-incrimination by ruling that if the witness is given immunity, he or she must speak.

In any case, activists in Arizona are now advising immigrants to exercise their right to silence. Good strategy or bad? And not just for immigrants, but for all state victims?