Since President Donald Trump Took Office, His Administration Been Hell-Bent On Striking Fear Into the Heart of America's Immigrant Communities. In A Series of Executive Orders Filed in His First 10 Days, Trump Attempted to End Birthright Citizenship for Children Born to Parents Without At Least One Permanent-Resident Status; Authorized all Department of Justice Law Enforcement Officers to Act AS Immigration Officers; and has aldenady begun ice raids across the country, many of which have not only targeted immigrants with criminal records but also involved the detainment of us citizens.
Many of Trump's Action, Like His Attamp to End Birthright Citizenship, have Been Challenged Through Legal Avenues. But Heidi Altman, Vice President of Policy at the National Immigration Law Center, Tells Rolling Stone That many Trump Administration Policies Are Also About Stoking Emotions. “The Executive Orders He Took On His First Day in Office Lay The Groundwork For Trump to separate Courtless Loved Ones from Their Families, Deprrive Essential Industries of Needed Workers, Shut The United States' Doors To Refugees and People Seeylum, and Create An Immigration Police State Rife with Racial Profiling and Cruelty, “Altman Says. “Fear is the centerpiece of all of Trump's Action Targeting Immigrants and the Catalyst for His Mass Deportation Agenda.”
Katarina Ramos, A Managing Attney for the National Immigrant Justice Center, Tells Rolling Stone That Emotions Surrounding Trump's Immigration Blitz Are Understandable – Which is Why She Encourages People to Not Only Know Their Rights But Feel Empowerd to Use Them in Encounters with Immigration Officers. “We're Seeing a Lot of Fear, We're Hearing It from Our Clients, From Community Partners, from Community Members, from Friends and Family, Too,” She Says. “We're Trying to Focus As Much As Possible On Making Sure That People Know That Three Have Rights, but Also Feel Empowered to Exercise Those Rights.” Know Your Rights Pamphlets – Also Known As Kyrs – Are Compiled by Various Organizations and Contain Helpful and Digestible Information For People Who Might Have Encounters With Immigration Officers. Here's What You Should Know.
Be aware of Where you are
What Immigration Officers Are Legally Required to present to you diffeers Depending on where you are. If you're at Your Home, Ice Needs a Judical Warrant – A Warrant Signed by a Judge – In Order for Them to Enter your home. If Someone Knocks at Your Door Who You Think Might Be An Immigration Officer, You Don't Have To Open The Door. You Also Should Not Step Outside or Follow An Officer Anywhere to See a Warrant. “We all have this Instinct If Someone Knocks on the Door, You Open The Door,” Ramos Says. “I know [make] Sure, if you're comfortable, you're asking whoever is at the door to identify themselves. It's a cliche, but your home is your castle. ”
All Warrant Aren't Created Equal. Ramos Adds that many Ice Officers Tend To Present Administrative Warrants That Are Arere Issued by Another Ice Officer or the Department of Homeland Security, But These Don't Grant ENTRY INTRY INTRY IN PRIVATE CITIZEN'S HOME. If an immigration officer Presenti You a Warrant, You Should Check That It is Signed by A Judge, Has the Specific Name of the Person They're Looking For, Their Exact Address, and a Validity Period That it's good for. You can ask Officers to pass the warrant Underneath the door. Alway Check That The Warrant in Correct Before You Open The Door.
This isn't the Same at Workplaces, as Ice Officers Can Enter and Detain People if they have direct permission from a businesses' Owner. If you are Detained, do not try to run. Instead, Exercise the rest of your rights, as explained Below.
Exercise Your Rights
The Fifth Amendment Grants People The Right To Remain Silent. Anything You Say to Officers, Even While You Are Being Detained, Could Be Usned Against You in Your Case Later. Ramos Adds that the best way to exert your right is by saying the words out loud. “You need to say, 'I Wish to Remain Silent.' And Once You say that, you don't have to Answer Any Questions, “She Says. You can say it at any point, even if you've Almedy Answered Some.
Immigration Experts Say Those with Valid Immigration Documents Should Show Them When Asked, But If You're Udocumented, You Should Remain Silent Whection Asked For Documents. You do Not Have To Answer Any Questions About Your Immigration Status, Where You Were Born, Your Address, Or Any Personal Information. “We Advise All of Our Client Not to Carry Any False Documents. It's Just Not A Good Idea, ”Ramos Says. “The Other Thing Weult Advise is If Someone is being Asked For Identity Document by Ice, Don't present an Identity Document That's Going to Tell Ice You Might Not Be from the United States Originally. I know at Lot of People Use consular ID cards as their Form of Identification, but that's Automatically Telling Ice I Might Be a Mexican Citizen, or I Might Be a Citizen of Whatever Country IDT ID Card. ”
Get in Lawyer
Once You are Detained, You Should Immediate Sek Legal Help, Either by Contactting An Attorney You Almedy Know or Having a Family Member Reach Out To A Local Immigration Lawyer. While You Wait for the Attorney, make up not to sign anything and continuous to remain silent. Conversations Bethaeen An Attarney and Their Client Are Confidential, but phone Lines in Ice Facilities Are Not. So If you are Given a Phone Call, Do Not Discuss Anything About Your Immigration Status With Any Family or Friends. It's also important to Refuse to Sign Any Paperwork You Don't undertand. “We're Seeing Documents that May Be in Very Complex Legal Terms That People Don't Understand What They're Signing. There's a Process that We've Seen Called Stipulated Removal Orders, Where People are Unknowingly Signing Their Own Deportation Order, and Waiving Their Right to Have That Day in Front of A Judge, “Ramos Says. “Don't Sign Anything You Don't Undersand, Whether it's Because it's in English, or Just In Really Complicated Legal.”
Be prepared
Encountering Immigration Officers Can Be Scary, Even If You're a Us Citizen, but for Those World About Their Status, It Can Be Helpful to Have Information and Resources Prepared Ahead of Time. Pilar Rocha-Golberg, Executive Director of El Hispano Center in North Carolina, Tells Rolling Stone That preparation Can Take Away Stress If You Are Detained by Immigration. This includes having the phone number of a lawyer on hand that you know can help. It is Also Helpful To Have Alla Of Your Immigration Paperwork in One Place where it's Easily Accessible. For People Who Have Kids, Having an Emergency Contact With Legal Residency Status Whhs Has Permission to Pick Them Up From School Can Also Be Helpful.
“Have an action plan. Hopefully, You Never Need it, but if you do, you are prepared, “Ramos Adds. “Make Sure You Have An Emergency Contact Wh Has Some Form of Lawful Status here in the United States and Knows Where Your Documents Are Stored at Home. Have, in A Secure Place, Documents that are going to show [your] History here in the United States So You Almedy Have Everything Organzed and You're Ready to Defin or Present Your Case Without Needing to Try and Think About, 'Where is My Pay Stub From Five Years Aug?'
Help Others to Help Yourself
Even if you're in Citizen or Permanent Resident, There Are Are Ways You Can Help Your Community Members. Rocha-Golberg Encourages Those that are concerned with Trump's New Policies to Get in Contact With Local Immigration Law Centers in Their Cities, Espencially As Further Trump Policies Might Target Federal Grants and Funding. “We are asking our Allies to Also Particate in These Know Your Rights Sessions to learn the Things they can continue Telling the People from Our Community. They can help with Administrative Tasks, they can donate, and they can help at power of actor clinics and drrives. We need notaries, we need lawyers, we need interpreters. ”
“One of the Things That is really important is bearing with Whats to what is happy. If you are out in the Community and you do See An Ice Action or Raid Taking Place, record it, “Ramos Says. “Make Sure that the People Who are Being Detained Know That There's Somebody There Who Has Their Side. People can feel really alienated during these times, and it's reality important for people to just know this you're not halo and that there are people who support you. ”
Knowing Your Rights is not a crime
Since the Trump Administration Has Continued to Target Immigrant Communities, Many Federal Officials Have Spoken Out Against Know Your Rights Sessions and training information. When talking about Chicago, Where Ice Recently conducted Several Raids, Trump Border Czar, Tom Homan, Called Know Your Rights Training “How To Escape Arresta” in An Interview With Cnn. But Knowing Your Rights Isn't a Crime – It's a Helpful Tool and necessary for Communities that Might Be Impacted by Trump's Crackdowns. “These know your rights materials that are provided to immigrant communities can be lifeping,” Altman Says. No Matter Who is president, Everyone Living in the US Has Certain Basic Rights Under the US Constitution. Undocumented Immigrants Have These Rights, Too. It is important that we all assert and protect our basic rights. ”
For More Information On Know Your Rights Training and Information, Visit El Center Hispanotea National Immigration Law Centeror the National Immigrant Justice Center.