“An informed community is a community with power.”
We always say that prevention is better than regret and one of the ways to do that is to prepare ourselves. First of all, in case of ICE raids we must remain calm and do the following:
Know your rights.
- You have the right to remain silent, or inform the immigration agent that the people you want to remain silent with. Do not give information about yourself or others about where you were born or how you entered the United States.
- Ask to speak with a lawyer.
- Do not carry fake documents with you.
- Carry the “Know Your Rights” information card and show it to the immigration officer. The card explains that you want to remain silent and that you want to talk to a lawyer.
- Find out the name and phone number of one or a trusted immigration lawyer and always carry that information with you. You can find low-cost legal aid organizations at: immigrationlawhelp.org
- Knowing your alien registration number (Alien Registration Number ARN), not all people have it, if you have one write it down on a piece of paper and leave it in a safe place on your Home where your family can easily find you. Search for the RNA at: https://www.thoughtco.com/alien-registration-number-que-se-use–1965463
- Prepare a document authorizing another adult to care for their minor children if necessary.
- Advise those family members who do not wish to be questioned by ICE, to stay away from the place where the raid was carried out or where the detained person is.
- Do not sign any documents without consulting your lawyer first. Sometimes ICE agents try to trick people into signing. DO NOT DO IT.
- Do not open the door of your home if ICE agents do not have a court order signed by a judge, for that order to be valid you must have your full name and correct address. You have the right to consult with a lawyer before you open the door.– If you have a valid work document or green card, take it with you if you need to show it as an ID. Do not carry documents from other countries like passports or driving licenses, could be used against you in case of a deportation process.
- If you have sons or daughters and are afraid that an ICE agent will arrest you, tell them, they may not arrest you if you are a parent, parent or principal of US citizens under the age of 18.
- Keep important documents such as birth certificates, passports or immigration documents in a safe place and where your family or trusted friends can easily find them if necessary.
- Make sure your family members can find you if you are arrested or detained by ICE. You can use the ICE adult searcher in immigration custody at: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/homePage.do You can also call the ICE Local Office, obtain the phones at: https: // www. Ice.gov/contact/ero
- Report the raids to the United We Dream line at: 1-844-363-1423. You can also send text messages to: 877877.
- To obtain information about the status of your immigration case you can call the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) at: (240) 314-1500 or 1-800-7180 it is free and available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Prepare community groups and advocates for immigrant rights.
- Distribute information cards entitled “Know Your Rights” to unions, workers and community groups, which explain what to do if there is a raid or someone in detention.
- To help those people who can be detained to practice with dramatizations, the best way to respond to ICE interrogations.
- Advise people not to sign any documents, or let immigration officers force them to sign the “Stipulates Orders of Removal” or voluntary departure.
- Be prepared to be able to document all events, including any action taken by immigration officers going against the law, the names and official badge numbers of immigration agents, and the names and dates of birth of The detained immigrants.
- Obtain the phone numbers and contact information of foreign consulates in your region.
- Obtain phone numbers and contact information for local detention centers.
- Find out where information on other detention centers can be obtained in case detainees are moved out of the region. (A list of immigration detention centers can be found at: www.ice.gov/pi/dro/facilities.htm. Detention Watch has compiled a more complete listing of locations where immigrants may be detained; Listing is at: https://detentionwatchnetwork.org/dwn_map
- Get the name of the special immigration agent in charge of the region (ICE Special Agent in Charge, or “SAC”)
- Create contact or strengthen the relationship with 1). The Chief Judge of the local office of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) and 2). The Office of the Federal Public Defender.
With regard to the media.
- Establish relationships early with local media and increase the likelihood that the public will be alerted immediately when a raid is taking place.
- If these relationships with the media have developed, when a raid takes place on the job site, the reporter or reporter may be attached to the workplace or detention center, to observe for example if ICE Is denying lawyers access or denying detainees access to a lawyer.
- Conduct “Know Your Rights” presentations on local community radio shows.
- Consider writing “Know Your Rights” articles in newspapers or other written media in the local community.
With regard to community leaders and agents of the security forces.
- Establish relationships with local law enforcement and community leaders.
- Meet with ICE for, 1). Ensure that immigration officers working in the local office are aware of the rules of procedure about (a). The execution of immigration operations at workplaces while labor disputes are taking place, and b). The release of detained mothers or fathers whose children and daughters with minors in case there is no other relative who can take care of the children; 2). Inquire about the protocol of the local immigration office and how to decide when to carry out a raid.
- Develop an immediate response team of lawyers, media members, and community leaders. – – The immediate response team should be composed of lawyers specializing in immigration, criminal law and family law; Which can gather facts and data from the raid, help locate and represent detainees and assist with the care of minors whose parents have been detained.
- In creating this team, advocates must establish relationships with other lawyers who have experience with constitutional, criminal and family law in the event that ICE infringes upon the civil rights of individuals during the raids, or if Government charges criminal offenses against the detainees, or that the detainees have children and minor daughters.
- Advocates should also identify local immigration lawyers available at the time of representing the detainees.
- A well-organized team that includes members of the media, community leaders and lawyers can provide a coordinated response to any type of immigration raid.
- If ICE denies detainees access to a lawyer, members of the immediate response team may call the EOIR lead judge to facilitate the contact of the lawyers with the clients.
- If the federal government files criminal charges against detainees, immediate response team members can work with the Office of the Federal Public Defender to ensure that detainees acquire adequate legal representation.
“AN INFORMED COMMUNITY IS A COMMUNITY WITH POWER”
Prepared with information from the National Immigration Law Center -NILC-