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. Please visit www.cablackmedia. org to read more.
