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What can we do?

Educate Ourselves:

Who is at risk of being detained or deported?

The changing landscape of immigration enforcement.

Share Information:

Basic rights everyone has under the Constitution

Keep Washington Working

Know Your Rights in practice

Take Action:

Community Strategies for protecting our neighbors

What you can do?

Resources to know about and engage with

Chinese Reconciliation Park, Tacoma

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�Deportation Defense: Community Strategies

Know Your Rights

WAISN Hotline: 1 (844) 724-3737

Rapid Response Teams

Observing and Documenting Immigration

Enforcement

Accompaniment

Family Safety Plans

Advocacy and Public Policy with schools,

agencies, the state legislature

Sanctuary

Direct Service: Material and Emotional Support, Fundraising, Sharing Information

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Ground Rules: Best Practices for �Supporting Immigrant Community Members

Always assume there are undocumented people in all places;
Show your support: Help each other understand ways of being inclusive, such as avoiding hurtful language (“illegal,” “alien,” “unskilled migrant”);
Support multilingual spaces;
Learn and share the safe spaces and resources in your community;
Allow people full agency if, when, and how to reveal their stories;
No one should answer questions about citizenship status;
Be informed and prepared—allies play a critical role in this effort.
Challenge demeaning and criminalizing language: Being in the US without authorization is a civil violation, not a crime. Immigrants are less likely than people born in the US to commit crimes and more likely to be victims of crimes.

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The Power of Language

Language stereotyping, distortion and demonizing play major roles in the federal government’s immigration policy.

“Illegal Alien” vs ”Undocumented or Migrant”: what’s the difference?

“Anchor baby” vs. “Mixed Status Family”: what’s the difference?

“Invasion, flood” countered by “bold and necessary action.” “With each criminal illegal alien being deported, neighborhoods are becoming safer.” (White House webpage)

Being in the US without authorization is a civil violation, not a crime. Immigrants are less likely than people born in the US to commit crimes and more likely to be victims of crimes.

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1. Educating Ourselves: Who is at risk?

14 million immigrants have temporary or no legal status. In WA. state, 1 in 7 are immigrants (NY Times).

They include people from Mexico, Ecuador, China, India,

the Philippines, Korea, Guatemala and Pakistan (NY Times).

68% have lived in the US for over 10 years.

40 % have temporary status that is at risk:

540,000 DACA recipients—17,000 in Washington State;

1 million TPS recipients;

Over 530,000 recipients of Humanitarian Parole (Ukranians, Afghans, Venezuelans, Haitians).

5 - 6 million US citizen children live in mixed status families

(National Institutes of Health).

One in ten K-12 students in WA State have at least one

parent who is undocumented (Pew Research).

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Immigrants Do Essential Work

Immigrants “who have settled in the United States after fleeing persecution, have supplied a steady pipeline of low-skilled labor for poultry plants, warehouses and manufacturing.” Immigrants, documented and undocumented, make up a significant percentage of the labor force in:

Construction
Elder Care
Farming (40% undocumented; more in WA)
Housekeeping
Restaurants
Landscaping

(New York Times 3/9/25: “A Chill Sets in for Undocumented

Workers and Those Who Hire Them.”)

In 2022 undocumented immigrants paid almost $97 billion in

federal, state and local taxes, including income taxes,

Medicare and Social Security

(Center for Migration Studies,Pew Research Center).

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The Current Landscape of Immigration Enforcement:

Sealing the border

Ending support for refugees, asylees and recipients of humanitarian programs.

Seeking to end “birthright” citizenship

Ending detention/removal priorities

Expanding Expedited Removal

Ending “Sensitive Locations” policy

Reinstating detention and removal of families

Deporting to countries where people have no ties.

Monolingualism (https://theconversation.com/trumps-english-language-order-upends-americas-long-multilingual-history-252163)

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

ICE is the enforcement arm of the Federal Department of Homeland Security. CPB (Customs and Border Patrol can do enforcement within 100 miles of any border).

ICE officers sometimes wear shirts or jackets identifying themselves but not always.

ICE officers may present a valid warrant, but not always.

They may arrive in marked cars, but not always.

We have the right to ask for a warrant and document their encounters with our community members.

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2. Sharing Information: Know Our Rights: �Everyone has rights under the Constitution

Some articles of the Constitution apply to all who reside in the country, regardless of whether you are a citizen or have legal status—or not.

The 4th AMENDMENT restricts the government's power to search you and your home without a warrant. You can say: “No consento a un registro. Quiero ver el orden.”

The 5^th Amendment guarantees the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, whether you are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the country. You can say:

“Tengo el derecho a guardar silencio.”

The 14^th AMENDMENT guarantees the right to be represented by an attorney and the right to refuse to sign documents. “Quiero hablar con mi abogado. No quiero firmar sin consultar a mi abogado.”

We have the 1^st AMENDMENT right to observe/document law enforcement activities--but not to interfere.

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Keep Washington Working

Keep Washington Working was passed in 2019, making Washington a Sanctuary State. KWW:

Prohibits law enforcement from doing federal immigration enforcement.

Prohibits state agencies (courts, schools, social service agencies, licensing) from sharing information with the federal government or barring access to services based on immigration status.

Creates model policies that schools, police, courts and others must follow. https://www.atg.wa.gov/immigrationguidance

Encourages any organization “providing physical or mental health, wellness, or education services, or access to justice” to have a policy for dealing with ICE if they show up and provide Know Your Rights and Emergency Family Planning resources to those they serve.

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What are other organizations doing?

OSPI guidance:

Schools must have a policy in place to

Protect students, families, staff and volunteers; Respond to immigration enforcement actions by training staff and making resources available.

Washington State Hospital Association (and WA. State Nurses Association) guidance:

Designate on-call administrator with legal training to request and validate a warrant;

Do not confirm or deny presence of a patient;

Offer undocumented patients the option to opt out of the directory system;

NWIRP/WAISN Guidance for Employers:

Designate public and private areas;

Designate staff points of contact;

Train employees to document ICE activity.

Churches are quietly supporting immigrants (St. John/San Juan, Faith Lutheran in Shelton).

Interfaith Works statement (www.interfaith-works.org/protect-sacred-spaces)

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Practicing Know Your Rights

https://waisn.org/kyrice/

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Know Your Rights at Home

Don’t open the door. You have the right to see a warrant. Ask the officer to slip it under the door. Makes sure the warrant correctly states your name and address and that it is signed by a judge.

If you open the door and allow the officer to come into the house, this may be considered giving “consent” to enter.

Remain silent. ICE can use anything you say against you so claim your right to remain silent! Say “I have the right to remain silent.” “Tengo el derecho de guardar silencio.”

Do not sign. Don’t sign anything ICE gives you without talking to an attorney.

https://www.wehaverights.us

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExgUmgEYf8 (Spanish)

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We have Rights at Home, in Public Spaces, at Work, and in our Cars �

If you encounter ICE:

Your have the right to remain silent. ICE can use anything you say against you. Say “I have the right to remain silent.” In Spanish: “Tengo el derecho de guardar silencio.”

You have the right to ask for a warrant. Immigration must have a warrant signed by a judge or the employer’s permission to enter your workplace. If it is a public place, they do not need a warrant.

You have the right to refuse to consent to a search of your home, car, or possessions.

Stay calm. Do not run. This may be viewed as an admission that you have something to hide.

You do not have to sign anything without talking to an attorney.

We have the right to observe and document ICE encounters with our community members.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8iCAlYXvDc (Advice for Employers)

https://www.wehaverights.us (Our rights in Public Places)

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�3. Taking Action: Deportation Defense �Community Strategies

Learn and Share Know Your Rights information with Immigrant Communities AND Allies

Encourage local organizations and employers to take proactive steps to protect staff and clientele

Memorize and Widely Post the WAISN Hotline: 1 (844) 724-3737

Participate in a Rapid Response Team or Organize an Accompaniment Team

Assert Our Right to Observe and Document encounters with federal immigration enforcement

Help Families fill out Emergency Safety Plans

Engage in Advocacy and Public Policy with schools, agencies, the state legislature

Provide Sanctuary

Provide Direct Service: Material and Emotional Support, Fundraising and Information

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Family Safety Plans �Immigrant Safety Plan for Youth and Children

Immigrant Safety Plans are collective community resources to help parents plan for the care of their children—with or without legal status in the U.S.—if a parent is detained or deported.

Legal Counsel for Youth and Children

https://lcycwa.org/isp

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��Resources/Recursos

Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN): immigrant-led network of immigrant rights groups; maintains a state-wide hotline, monitors ICE activity, advocates for public policy, holds regular trainings; https://waisn.org/

American Civil Liberties Union of Washington: https://www.aclu-wa.org/

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project: pro bono legal representation; “Know Your Rights” in Spanish & English; "Advice to NonProfits and Social Service Providers"

Legal Counsel for Youth and Children.(LCYC) https://lcycwa.org Immigrant Safety Plan and recordings, English/Spanish.

Immigrant Legal Resource Center: https://www.ilrc.org/resources/community/know-your-rights-toolkit Similar material re immigrant rights, but in multiple languages.

Multicultural Service Center—Thurston County based Community Collaboration for Immigrant Support: Contact Kathy Baros Friedt (kbfrieddt@comcast.net)

Strengthening Sanctuary Alliance: Thurston County immigrant rights group olympia.sanctuary@gmail.com

Mayan League: immigrant rights in indigenous languages: https://www.mayanleague.org/indigenous-language-resources

The Olympian: “What to do if you see/suspect ICE activity” (from WAISN guidance)

KYR App—free app for Apple or Android Phones (KRY4Immigrants); Red Cards

Short animated KYR videos to share in multiple languages; wehaverights.us

Guide for Employers: If ICE Comes to Your Workplace: https://www.nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-to-do-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace/

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