Since Trump has returned to office, he has made his priority on deportation clear through a major crackdown on illegal immigrants in the US. Upon his return, the president signed an executive order tasking Homeland Security with enforcing immigration laws, which had resulted in over 7,400 people having been arrested by ICE across several states. Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has detailed that these arrests will be targeted in nature, and the administration has marketed this crackdown as an attempt to remove criminals from the country. There have been several raids in cities that have been known to be friendly towards immigrants, such as Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, and New York.
A policy change that has garnered much attention is the allowance of ICE to conduct deportations and arrests at sensitive locations including schools, places of worship, and even hospitals. The Department of Homeland Security stated “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest. The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense.” Naturally, there is major pushback to these policies, and there are resources available to those who may need them regarding how to avoid deportation/arrest by ICE.
The three main steps of action when being approached by agents are to verify, document, and report. First, verify the legitimacy of the agent apprehending you by gathering details about their specific department. This can be done by asking for warrants, business cards, badges, etc. In order to enter any of the establishments listed earlier, an agent must have a warrant that is signed by a judge. If they cannot provide this documentation, you do not have to let them in. Next, document the encounter by filming or writing down information about any questioning, searching, or arrest that may take place. Finally, report and share the incident through any means possible, and seek legal assistance if necessary.
