We Can’t Stay Passive Against ICE

ICE has been operating in many cases like Trump’s own secret police

Since Trump took office in January, he has embarked on a multi-front campaign to intimidate political opponents. That has included unleashing federal law enforcement agents like ICE to try and send fear throughout our communities.

Often dressed in plain clothes, with masks covering their faces, ICE agents are kidnapping people off the street for no reason other than their political views. They are ripping mothers away from their children. And federal officials are even arresting and charging elected officials from New Jersey to Wisconsin.

Let’s be clear about what’s happening here.

Donald Trump is leading the most corrupt administration in our country’s history, accepting bribes like a $400 million luxury plane from the Qatari royal family, and pocketing hundreds of millions from crypto scams. At the same time, he has been largely stymied—at least so far—in his attempt to fulfill his campaign promise of “the largest deportation” in American history.

Instead, they are hoping to placate their own hardcore base, and send fear through the majority of this country, through a series of high-profile raids and arrests. They’re hoping the rest of us will cower in fear—which is exactly why it is on all of us to take a stand in this moment.

ICE has been operating in many cases like Trump’s own secret police. That’s why it is vital that we equip ourselves, neighbors, and loved ones with the knowledge necessary to navigate a confrontation with them. Here are some important things to keep in mind if you witness or are subject to an interaction with ICE:

You do NOT have to speak to ICE without a valid warrant signed by a judge. If they attempt to enter your home or your workplace, ask for a warrant signed by a judge. The National Immigrant Justice Center has some examples of what these warrants look like.

You have the right to remain silent. This is also true for anyone else in your workplace or residence. You do not have to share personal information like your immigration status or place of birth, either.

You have the right to a lawyer. Assert it, and ask for one. ICE does not provide attorneys, so try to consult one in advance.

They cannot force you to sign documents or hand over papers without speaking to an attorney first.

You have the right to record your interaction, as long as you do not interfere.

The ACLU has compiled a list of multi-lingual instructions, and we urge you to familiarize yourself with them, and even print them out in case you’re confronted by ICE, or witness them confronting someone else in public.

United We Dream has shared a series of preparedness plans specifically to assist immigrant families in navigating encounters with ICE or CBP.

The Trump administration is counting on us to remain passive in the face of their authoritarianism.

They are counting on us to look the other way when we see them harassing or abducting people in the streets.

And they hate the idea of a general population that knows their rights, and is willing to stand up for their friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors.

That’s why we must continue to show up, speak out, and organize.

- Working Families Power