Advocates, Attorneys Arm Immigrants With Education to Fight ICE Raids  

A number of California groups, officials and individuals are taking proactive steps to educate immigrants subject to deportation about their legal rights as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalate.

By Manny Otiko | California Black Media   

A number of California groups, officials and individuals are taking proactive steps to educate immigrants subject to deportation about their legal rights as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids escalate. 

One of them is Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), who represents a district encompassing Oakland, Alameda and Emeryville.   

 “Communities in Assembly District 18 and the entire nation are confronting direct attacks on our fundamental rights as citizens,” said Bonta in a press release. “ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids and presence in our neighborhoods are threatening our safety in the workplace, schools, and places of worship, breaking apart families and disrupting commerce — all while costly federal delays threaten funding for schools, healthcare, and countless other aspects of our lives.”  

  Bonta listed several immigrant rights resources in her newsletter.  

• Know your rights: How to Communicate with ICE Agents. This is a series of videos explaining what to do if ICE officers show up at your door.   
• A listing of state, national, and local resources in different languages such as Spanish and Haitian Creole.  
• California Rapid Response Networks. This features a listing of hotline numbers that help immigrants.   
• A link to the California Department of Justice’s website featuring resources and information for immigrants.   

Ethnic Media Services (EMS) also recently hosted a press conference featuring experts who offered advice and tips on how immigrants can grapple with Trump administration immigration policies. 

Amanda Alvarado-Ford, deputy directing attorney at the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, was one of the speakers at the news conference.  

She said most of her clients are from Latin America, but she has also represented people from Asia and Africa.  

Alvarado-Ford said in this climate of anti-immigration raids, it’s important to know that immigrants, whether undocumented or legal, have rights.  

She said anybody in this country has the right to be protected from unlawful searches and the right to remain silent. She advised immigrants to exercise both rights.   

“One important thing to know is that people in this country for more than two years have a right to a hearing. So, even if they are arrested, they still have to go through a procedure,” said Alvarado-Ford.   

She also recommended that immigrants keep documents that prove they’ve been in this country on their cell phones. Also, it’s important to keep information to show that you are going through the immigration procedure such as applying for a visa.  

Alvarado-Ford said immigrants must inspect documents if ICE officers show up at their doorstep.   

A U.S. district judge must sign an immigration arrest warrant, she said. However, in many cases, they are signed by ICE officers. That doesn’t make it valid.  

She recommended never letting ICE officers in the door and asking for them to either shove the documents under the door or show them on the screen door.  

 “You have the right to inspect the warrant,” said Alvarado-Ford.   

 She added that if you are arrested, you should demand to speak to an immigration attorney, even if you don’t have one. And mention that you fear being sent back to your country.  

Alvardo-Ford advised immigrants to be calm when faced with this kind of situation.  

 “Don’t open the door,” she said. “We have to breathe and remember our rights.”  

Alvarado-Ford also said immigrants have specific laws they can use if they are faced with an ICE raid at work. ICE is allowed to enter public places at work, but not allowed to enter private areas, such as break rooms.  

However, workplaces and homes are not the only place where the government can go after undocumented immigrants.  

The Trump administration has also given ICE the green light to target undocumented immigrants in schools. There have been news reports of ICE agents raiding school buses and asking students for documentation. 

And that’s where Viridiana Carrizales, comes in. Her organization, Immschools, advocates for undocumented students and parents of undocumented students.  

Immigrant parents are aware of ICE’s new directive, said Carrizales, who also spoke at the EMS news conference. And that means many are now wary about sending their children to school.  

“It has caused a lot of fear in immigrants,” she said.  

 According to Carrizales, more than 5 million children have undocumented parents or at least one undocumented parent. And now many of them are contemplating pulling them from school She added that its harmful to the entire community to have that many children removed from the education system.  

Carrizales added there are laws that protect both students and parents. One of them is the 1982 Plyler Vs. Doe decision. This law establishes that all children within the United States have the right to an education, no matter their status. It also prevents schools from revealing information about a student’s or their parents’ immigration status.  

Another law that protects immigrant students and families is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). This law protects students’ educational records.  

Because of FERPA, schools can’t release student information unless the family approves it.  

During education seminars, Carrizales also tells families ICE agents can’t get this information unless they have a judicial warrant.  

“We’re telling families about those laws,” she said.  

Carrizales added that even in these tense, anti-immigrant times, it’s essential children of immigrant families get an education. She advises them to stay informed and attentive. 

 “Be alert, be aware, but bring your kids to school,” she said.