How can I protect myself in the event of an ICE raid?
An immigrant father had just dropped off his 12-year-old daughter at her school in Los Angeles when two unmarked vehicles surrounded his car. With his wife and another child in the car, the family pulled away from the school. Suddenly, the vehicles’ lights flashed and the car was forced to pull over. Agents for the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained the 48-year-old father of four. The 13-year-old child in the car recorded the detention and can be heard sobbing in the publicized video. Now, the family anxiously awaits while their husband and father faces deportation proceedings.
A Community in Shock
The detained immigrant is from Mexico and has lived in the U.S. for over 25 years. ICE officials claim his arrest was routine because he had a 2014 order for deportation related to a DUI. However, the circumstances surrounding the arrest have angered the community and put fear in many of the immigrant families that live across the nation. Traditionally, ICE policy requires agents to avoid conducting detentions at locations like schools, hospitals, and churches. This arrest could signal the loosening of this policy.
ICE Raid
While this Los Angeles ICE arrest appears to have been targeted, many immigrants fear large scale raids are to come. President Trump has made it a mission of his presidency to crack down on illegal immigrants. His controversial immigrant bans have already kept families apart, while the increase in ICE arrests promises to further impact immigrant communities.
An ICE raid is an enforcement tactic used by the government to confront immigrants with outstanding deportation orders. Ideally, ICE officers hope to catch several illegal immigrants during the raid. Raids can take place in a home, supermarket, public street, and nearly anywhere else that ICE believes an illegal immigrant with a deportation order will be found. Immigrant communities and workplace are some of the most likely locations for a raid.
If you find yourself caught in an ICE raid, remember that you have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions asked of you. Ask to speak to a lawyer and call the NPZ Law Group right away. Do not sign anything without your attorney’s presence.