Activists are preparing families who may be subject to #ICE raids this weekend by educating them on their rights.
Social media has been used as a tool to spread this information around following Trump’s announcement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be arresting and deporting families with court-ordered removals in 10 major cities beginning Sunday.
“If you’re here illegally, then you should be removed,” acting head of ICE Mark Morgan told reporters this week, @CNN reports. “And in this case, that includes families.”
According to reports, the 10 cities subject to the raids are Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco. A viral post being shared by thousands on social media has information provided by The Refugee and Immigrant Center For Education and Legal Services (RAICES) regarding what to do if an immigrant is contacted by ICE in their workplace or home.
The post says:
“You have the right to say that you want to speak to an attorney. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right against unlawful searches by ICE agents. You don’t have to sign any documents. You have the right to not open the door.”
The operation has apparently been underway for some time but Trump’s announcement made things official.
“Certainly, the President’s tweet helped prioritize things for people,” a senior administration official told CNN, adding that there had been internal debate about timing amid negotiations with Congress on additional funding and the upcoming 2020 budget.
The official added that “there has been an effort to communicate what is likely to happen, without saying specifically when and where,” contrary to the “zero tolerance” policy which was done without much advance notice to the media or those in Congress.
Officials said there are preparations being put in place for mixed-immigration status families: for example, if a parent is undocumented, but has a US citizen child.
“Due to law-enforcement sensitivities and the safety and security of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, the agency will not offer specific details related to ongoing enforcement operations before the conclusion of those actions,” ICE said in a statement Friday.
We will keep you posted on any updates, Roomates.
TSR STAFF: Christina C! @cdelafresh
