How to Protect Your Undocumented Friends from ICE and Trump’s Mass Deportations
An Important and Timely Guide to Supporting Vulnerable Communities
With Donald Trump back in the White House, his administration’s aggressive stance on immigration and mass deportations will likely intensify. For undocumented individuals, this reality is both terrifying and deeply personal. But as allies, we have the power to step up, support our friends, and ensure their safety. Here’s how you can take action:
1. Know Your Rights (and Theirs)
Understanding your rights and sharing them with undocumented friends is critical. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:
Everyone has rights, regardless of immigration status. Remind your friends that they have the right to remain silent and do not need to answer questions about their immigration status.
If ICE shows up at someone’s door, they should ask to see a warrant. Without a signed judicial warrant, ICE cannot enter a home.
Carrying a Know Your Rights card can help individuals assert their rights in a calm, clear manner. You can download these cards from immigrant advocacy groups like United We Dream.
2. Create a Deportation Defense Plan
Preparation is key. Work with your undocumented friends to develop a plan that outlines:
Emergency contacts: Make sure they have a trusted person who can care for children, pets, or finances if they’re detained.
Legal representation: Help them find a lawyer who specializes in immigration cases and ensure they’ve memorized the lawyer’s contact information.
Document safekeeping: Encourage them to keep important documents — such as IDs, birth certificates, and any immigration paperwork—in a safe and accessible place.
3. Stand Up During ICE Encounters
If you witness an ICE encounter:
Stay calm and record the interaction, but do so discreetly and without interfering.
Notify the person of their rights: they do not have to answer questions or sign anything without a lawyer present.
Do not lie or present false information to ICE agents. Instead, assert your right to observe and document.
4. Organize and Build Community Resilience
Support networks can provide protection and peace of mind for undocumented individuals. Actions you can take include:
Hosting Know Your Rights workshops in your community.
Encouraging local leaders to adopt sanctuary policies that limit collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE.
Donating to or volunteering with organizations like United We Dream and the National Immigrant Justice Center that fight for immigrant rights.
5. Advocate for Policy Change
Call your representatives and demand they oppose policies that target immigrants. Share stories of how immigration enforcement negatively impacts your community to amplify the voices of those affected.
Remember, You Have Power
ICE’s tactics rely on fear and division. By standing together and equipping ourselves with knowledge, we can dismantle this fear and protect those we care about.
For additional resources and guidance, check out the following:
Your support can make all the difference. Let’s ensure our communities remain safe and united in the face of unjust policies.
Thanks for reading,
Good job, James Crocker!