I've modified this Original Reddit Post a bit. Let me know your thoughts and criticisms, if there is anything I should add, or correct.
Also, fuck Reddit and Spez of course. However we should be pragmatic. There is a vast amount of information on reddit and a lot more people use it for now. I'm manually moving things I feel are important on to the Fediverse for archival and general use purposes. And sharing sources for full disclosure.
Important: Scams spike during crackdowns. Only use trusted directories to find legal help. Don’t send money to strangers:
- National Immigration Legal Services Directory (state-by-state nonprofit listing)
Guides
If someone is detained: what to do:
- Use ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) to search by name/DOB/country of birth or A-number.
- ICE also provides official info on locating people in detention.
- USA.gov has a plain-language explainer for families.
Know Your Rights
Printable “Know Your Rights” cards
If ICE comes to your door
- Keep the door closed. Don’t consent to entry. Ask for a warrant signed by a judge.
- Do not open the door. Speak through the door. Ask who they are and what they want.
- Ask them to slide the warrant under the door or hold it up to a window so you can read it.
- Administrative ICE “warrants” (ICE/DHS forms) are not the same as a judicial warrant signed by a judge and generally do not authorize entry into a home without consent.
- You can use/print a Know Your Rights card and slide it under the door or show it in the window.
If enforcement shows up at a workplace
- Employers/workplaces have rights too; don’t consent to entry beyond public areas, and ask for proper legal paperwork.
- NILC has an employer response guide.
- ACLU also summarizes workplace encounters
Family preparedness
- Be aware of your surroundings
- Write a disaster plan on paper for if the unthinkable happens at your work, home, school, or any other place you spend a lot of time
- Emergency contacts (paper, phone, radio frequencies)
- meeting points
- who will pick up kids/pets
- who has keys
- who can translate (if needed)
- secret passphrases which can be used to quickly communicate while under duress or to prove who you are
- Document readiness
- Keep copies of key documents (ID, lease, medication list, insurance, school info, pet records) in a “grab folder,” plus a secure digital backup. Search for “fireproof document bag” if you want extra security.
- If you’re a U.S. citizen and anxious: a Real ID / passport card can reduce friction in many situations, but you still have the right to remain silent and to ask for counsel if questioned.
- Communication and Energy Backup
- Memorize important phone numbers, radio frequencies, addresses, etc.
- A paper copy of important phone numbers, radio frequencies, addresses, etc.
- Portable Battery bank
- Spare Charging Cable
- An “anchor contact” that friends know to check in with.
- Transit plan (especially if you don’t have a car)
- Map your nearest: friend’s place, a library, fire station, community center (warming/cooling), and safe daytime places you can wait if needed.
- Keep a small “walk-out kit”: water, snacks, transit card, phone power, medications, and pet essentials.
- De-escalation + safety habits
- Don’t open the door to unknown knocks.
- Use a peephole / door camera if it helps you avoid opening the door
- Buddy system with neighbors: “If you hear anything weird, text me first; if I don’t reply in X minutes, call.”
Helpful Readiness guides
- ready.gov
- Red Cross - how to prepare for emergencies
- ILRC’s Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan is the best all-in-one toolkit I’ve found for immigration-related emergencies.
- How to Build a Tiered Readiness Plan for SHTF [video]
Other related reddit posts:
- Glass doors - how important do you think it is to swap for a more solid door these days?
- Minnesotan Mother to a Young Child. I can’t believe I’m writing this, but here we are.
- Automations for safety and notifications
- Prepping for your pets, not in the usual way we talk about
- Prepping for quick protest action
- Explaining local ICE raids to my kids
- What should people who are at risk of ice keep on their person?
- So what are we stocking up on with these ICE raids?
- ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know
