By: Ashmar Mandou
Earlier this week, several organizations banded together to file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s plans to carry out immigration raids in Chicago. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights joined, Organized Communities Against Deportations, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and Raise the Floor Alliance in an effort to halt the raids and protect Chicago’s sanctuary city status. “The sanctuary movement was born out of the belief that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and that harsh, inhumane immigration enforcement is not the answer to what our city needs,” said Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel at ICIRR. “Immigrant communities who have called Chicago their home for decades are scared,” said Antonio Gutierrez from OCAD. “We refuse to live in fear and will fight any attempts to roll back the work we’ve done to keep families together.” Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution, and understanding those rights is extremely important. While the raids continue to be carried out the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights has guidelines on how to conduct yourself when interacting with immigration officers.
Understand ICE Tactics: ICE often carries out operations early in the morning, targeting people as they leave for work or take their children to school. They may also set up traffic stops, visit workplaces, or go to people’s homes. Even if someone is not the primary target, ICE has historically detained others who are present.
Know Your Rights:
Do: Remain calm, remain silent: Have the right to remain silent when questioned or arrested by immigration officers. Furthermore, you should not sign anything you do not understand. You should state that you wish to speak with an attorney.
Do Not: Post unverified information. Rumors spread by social media only cause more havoc and can be used against you if there is an investigation.
Do: Establish a safety plan. This plan should include authorization in writing to inform any emergency contacts of your whereabouts; it should include a plan of action regarding children and how you would like legal decisions to be made.
Do Not: Lie or provide false documents. ICE officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your home. ICE “warrants” are not signed by judges; they are ICE forms signed by ICE officers and they do not grant authority to enter your home without your consent. In the event that they have an actual warrant, you are still not required to discuss your immigration or citizenship status with agents.
Create a Safety Plan: Planning ahead is essential. Make sure your family has emergency contact information, and ensure schools or daycare centers have updated contact details for emergencies. In addition to the hotline and sharing know-your-rights information, we are preparing to respond to executive orders on immigration that will threaten all immigrant communities. We will also continue fighting to preserve the Chicago Welcoming City Ordinance, Illinois TRUST Act, and Illinois Way Forward, all of which play a critical role in protecting immigrant communities in Chicago and across the state. If you are detained, it is important that you seek legal representation. Call 1-855-435-7693 to connect with an immigration attorney. Tell your loved ones that if you are detained by ICE, they can try to use ICE’s online detainee locator to find you: locator.ice.gov. The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights Network hotline: 1-855-435-7693.
