What to Do if ICE Invades Your Neighborhood

[Narrator] What to do if ICE invades your neighborhood.

If ICE invades your neighborhood,

there are no simple answers for how to protect yourself

and others in every scenario,

but there are frameworks you can use

for weighing your options.

[mellow music] Plan ahead.

According to the nonprofit,

National Immigration Justice Center,

individuals and communities can create a safety plan

to help prepare in case ICE operatives arrive in the area.

This can involve identifying trusted family members,

friends, or colleagues who can act as emergency contacts

for people who could be the target

of federal immigration actions

or anyone who could come in contact with agents.

Memorize their phone numbers,

and also make sure that your child's school

or daycare has emergency contacts on file.

CBP and ICE both have digital surveillance capabilities

that are increasing all the time.

People who could specifically be the target

of an immigration enforcement action

should consider taking extra digital precautions

if they can.

On the scene.

If you find yourself witnessing

an immigration enforcement action,

there are some things you can keep in mind.

Training materials from the Siembra NC,

a North Carolina based grassroots organization

say that the priority when ICE is present

is letting agents know that they are being observed

and reminding people of their right to remain silent

while deescalating whenever possible, and promoting safety.

The group advises that if ICE operatives

are conducting an arrest or traffic stop,

responders should try to approach their line of sight

and identify themselves in the process.

Filming ICE behavior can let agents know

they're being watched,

potentially creating some accountability for their actions

as well as a digital evidence trail for any legal cases

or proceedings that may occur at a later date.

Siembra NC recommends identifying yourself as a volunteer

and asking agents who they are, what they're doing,

and what agency they work for.

Then, you can say that you'll remain present

to observe while also recording any models of vehicles,

license plates, and operatives at the scene.

The fact remains though

that peacefully filming interactions

can be interpreted as aggressive or escalatory,

precisely because it's an accountability mechanism.

Work from home.

Even if you can't risk hitting the streets,

there are other important ways

to contribute to community safety efforts.

Civil liberties groups have been campaigning nationwide

to ban real-time surveillance platforms

and and lucrative contracts that feed information to ICE.

You can contact the offices of your local officials

and tell them to cancel surveillance contracts

and stop information sharing

and other law enforcement cooperation

that fuels ICE operations. [mellow music]