Editor’s Note: The following message was initially published by the Center for the Study of Political Graphics on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Que Hacer Si ICE Llega A Su Puerta / What To Do If ICE Shows Up At Your Door
Orange County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
Orange County, California
37658/37659
Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, his administration has been aggressively conducting ICE raids across the country. The administration claims (data unavailable to the public, therefore unverified) that they arrested an average of 826 people a day in the first weeks, but have recently stopped publishing daily numbers. Trump border czar Tom Homan admitted on CNN that the Chicago ICE raids were less successful than he anticipated due to residents knowing their rights and refusing to cooperate with ICE. The agency is failing to meet Trump’s goal of 1,500 arrests per day, and is running out of money. While it is important not to understate the damage Trump’s ICE raids have caused, community organizing and education are proving successful at weakening the impact of these inhumane attacks on immigrants.
Remember:
- “Knock and talk” practices are unconstitutional (Kidd v. Mayorkas, 2024).
- ICE agents and police are legally allowed to lie to you, but you cannot legally lie to them. Invoke your right to silence and, if necessary, to speak to a lawyer.
- Do not open the door unless they have a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
- Make sure your name and address are spelled correctly.
- If you are in a mixed status family, make a plan as to who will respond.
- If you are documented or an ally and see ICE agents in private areas (i.e., driveways, backyards, sides of a house, inside an apartment building), they cannot be there legally without a warrant. If it is safe to do so, try to stop them–ask what they are doing there and document the encounter.
Resist surveillance. Educate yourselves and your community. Keep each other safe.
Resources:
Immigrant Defense Project ICE Raids Toolkit
Immigration Hotlines to seek help or report raids
California Federation of Teachers’ Guides for Teachers and Educators
National Detainee Handbook (available in 19 languages)
References:
Misleading ICE data “laying groundwork” for mass deportations
ICE struggles to boost arrest numbers despite infusion of resources
Some migrants arrested in Trump’s immigration crackdown have been released
Activists launch community patrols in response to promised ICE raids
In which cities are ICE immigration raids being conducted?
Trump 2.0, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
ICE Ruses, Immigration Defense Project
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