Daily Act of Resistance #3: Defend Against ICE (the new Gestapo)

Level 4 – Super Hard – But Absolutely Necessary

It will take courage, but we must protect our neighbors. Things will only get worse if we do not stop it now.

For those who have while privilege, weaponize it.

If you see someone getting arrested by ICE and you are alone:

• Videotape it – it will protect you and document the truth.
  • Even better if you livestream it or it automatically gets uploaded to the cloud so it can’t be deleted without your permission.
    • Focus on the officer, not the person being detained.
    • Use a service like dropbox to upload automatically.
    • Lock your phone with a 6-digit PIN, not biometrics.
    • Filming alone can, at times, get officers to back off and leave someone alone.
    • Make sure to get the following answers to the above questions on video so you can go back and see it.
• Ask the officer:
  • Their name
  • Their badge number
  • For a warrant
  • (They are legally required to identify themselves)
• Ask detainees
  • Their name with spelling
  • Their date of birth
  • A phone number for a person to contact.
• Narrate the date, time, and location.
• Help translate a warrant if required. You can use online translation tools.
• Get the vehicle and license plate number on camera.

If there are people around:

• Yell for them to help. Sometimes people just need to be spurred into action.
• One person can get the information from the officer and one from the detainee(s). More people can record from different angles.

Either way, if the officer is in plainclothes and does not provide sufficient evidence that they are ICE or other law enforcement agent, it could 100% be a kidnapping. You can scream that someone is being abducted and call 911 if your are in a state or city that will not cooperate with ICE.

Level 4 – Super Hard

• It is legal to shout or use a bullhorn to warn others. This is covered under the first amendment. Just make sure not to use “fighting words”.
  • Even though it is legal, it is risky. Do not aim your warning towards a single person. Better just to announce the presence of the officer.
• Write down phrases in different languages.
  • For example, la migra is term for immigration enforcement and border patrol officials in Spanish.

Level 2 – Medium

• Join the ACLU as a volunteer.
  • They have opportunities to call and text for different civil rights violations. Recently, there have opportunities have been related to the violation of immigrant rights.

Level 2 – Medium

• Volunteer for the United We Dream MigraWatch Hotline
  • Volunteers are need to answer answer calls and provide guidance for people calling the hotline.

Level 2 – Medium

• Start a list of local pro-bono immigration lawyers that are willing and ready to provide services for people being detained.

Level 1.5 – Not as Easy

• Print and distribute Red Cards from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center
  • One one side is a statement invoking the 4th and 5th amendments in English. On the other side are rights in a language other than English.
  • There are cards in 19 different languages.
• Print and distribute Know Your Rights Cards from the ACLU for if ICE shows up.
• Post Know Your Rights flyers as well from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

Level 1 – Easy

• If you witness a person having been taken by ICE, immediately report it to
  • Stop Ice
  • The appropriate link at the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
  • United We Dream Migrawatch Hotline: 1-844-363-1423

Level 1 – Easy

• Send & Receive alerts about ICE raids and activity in your area.

Level 0.5 – Super Easy

• Get the word out: Tell your friends, share on social media.

Extra

If you are an immigrant (or any non-white, non-conforming person) consider getting a video doorbell like Ring.

See if someone has been detained. (You will need their Country of birth AND “A number” OR Country of birth, first name, last name, and
date of birth)

NYC Gov guide on what to do if a friend or loved one is detained.

Know your rights resources (I’ll lay these out in a later post)

• https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/know-your-rights-with-ice/
• https://ocasio-cortez.house.gov/services/immigration-know-your-rights

The Immigrant Defense Project’s Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests