Last week, several national immigrant rights organizations publicly released leaked information that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) planned mass raids aiming to detain between 6,000-10,000 immigrants during a two week period in September. As soon as the information hit national news, the Department of Homeland Security announced that operation was canceled due to hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
The news has been widely reported in Spanish language media, and many of our neighbors and allied immigrant rights organizations do not believe that the mass raids are canceled. We have seen ICE and Border Patrol announce that they would keep immigration checkpoints open in the Gulf Coast through the duration of the Hurricane Harvey, forcing undocumented and mixed status families to choose between the risk of drowning and deportation.
We know that ICE had plans to execute widespread mass raids, and we have witnessed that they do not do rain-checks. We also know ICE has been active in every county in Oregon, detaining and deporting people from some of the most rural and remote communities in the state, which is true across the country.
One critical way folks can show up for their neighbors right now is to attend a training to become an ICE Observer. ICE Observers document ICE activities and the violation of constitutional rights that can lead to a legal case that could potentially stop ICE from tearing families and our communities apart.
Join us Tuesday, September 26th at 6:30PM for an ICE Observer webinar hosted by ROP and our friends at the Civil Liberties Defense Center. This training is for rural leaders hoping to get trained up and prepared to rapidly respond to the news of a local raid or ICE activity. Register here!
Hungry to dig in deeper? Consider bringing ROP to your town to lead “Know Your Rights” and “Know Your Roles” workshops! With constant attacks on immigrants, folks are hungry for information, resources and space for the community to dig in together.
- “Know Your Rights” is offered in English or Spanish to learn about our rights, how to enforce them, and how to document a violation of our rights to make a case against ICE tactics. The workshop incorporates people of all ages, including kids and teenagers, since everyone needs to learn to defend their rights!
- “Know Your Roles” is offered in English or Spanish for non-immigrants and documented folks in which we share information about the current state of immigration, and dive into how we organize from our position for the common good of our community. Click here for more information and email keyla@rop.org about bringing “Know Your Rights” and “Know Your Roles” to your town!
- Don’t forget to register for the ICE Observer webinar next Tuesday, September 26th at 6:30PM, Register here!
Taking action for immigrant fairness everywhere across the state will make a huge difference in the long term struggle for human dignity in our communities. Let us know what you’re working on, what resources could take your work to the next level, and what kind of support you need to take action with your human dignity group to prepare for the possibility of detention, deportation, and raids in your community. Together, we can do it!