Ideas on how to protest against ICE’s state sponsored violence.
My thoughts on the question most asked by my readers: How do we resist or protest the state sponsored violence of forced disappearances?
I’ve been thinking about this question for a few weeks now. It is important to me that I give you advice that considers many different factors: goals, possible outcomes, expectations. And since I am not an attorney nor an organizer, I will be basing this advice on what I know about immigration enforcement and the culture of these agencies.
Please be aware that simply being present at one of these extrajudicial kidnappings could result in you being incarcerated. Especially if the incident ends up becoming national news or someone is seriously injured or killed in the incident. Look no further than Newark, New Jersey’s Mayor Ras Baraka’s arrest for proof of this statement. Immigration agents from ICE, CBP and Border Patrol have a hundred year history of grabbing witnesses to their use of force violations and disappearing them. For evidence of this, I suggest you look at my US Border Patrol Illegal Coverup Team newsletter.
WARNING: Whether local, state or federal, cops of all types are looking for you to cross that invisible line so that they can justify using force. Whether the feds call in your local and state cops to help or you call 911 to help the victim, your local and state cops are trained to take the position that you are the aggressor and the immigration cops are the victims. You should not expect them to help you or to arrest the feds for use of force violations. Always remember this: local and state cops called will not take your side as evidenced in the Worcester, Massachusetts kidnapping:
Video from TikTok account @masslivenews.
It is worth noting that the Department of Justice found in December of 2024 that the city of Worcester and its police department have engaged “in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights secured by the U.S. Constitution and federal law.” In other words, they like beating people. Your cops will not protect you against ICE.
The most important exercise you can do is to consider different scenarios. This what cops call training. The more you plan, the calmer and better your actions will be. I’m going to tell you how to handle this based on what I know the agents have planned and are thinking. For this piece, I want to cover two different scenarios. First let’s look at what you can do if you are alone or out with a few people and you happen upon ICE kidnapping a family like they did recently in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Let’s assume you are completely caught off guard and just happen upon this scene or it is suddenly in your neighborhood. Perhaps they are kidnapping a neighbor, and you do not already have a plan. Be aware that the feds have likely been surveilling their victims for at least a week if not longer. Beyond the feds involved in the kidnapping there are others in management watching and monitoring from afar. They will also have people assigned to film you. If you do not wish to be identified by facial recognition, consider wearing a face mask, because I promise you they will run all their video through facial recognition.
Be sure to have your camera phone on you. In case you do not know, you can swipe left on a locked phone to immediately open it to the photo/camera app. If you are not filming, keep your hands open and up to show you are not armed. Try and keep a good six to ten feet from the cops at all times. They will try and get closer to you to justify using force. I saw this tactic used a lot in the videos from Worcester and New Jersey. If you so much as touch them or are too close, the courts will allow their violence.
Focus on the victim(s) first. Ask their names and for a phone number to call to let a loved one know what is happening. Record all of this. You can make the calls after the victim(s) is led away. Ask the agents who they are with, why they are arresting this person(s) and where they are taking them. When you are asking for this information, try and remain calm. Use a strong and forceful voice. That may seem ridiculous, but cops are trained to respond to authority. When I open my mouth to agents, they know I am either former military or immigration. They stop dead in their tracks and look at me. It is called “officer presence” and is considered the first step in use of force.
Be sure to record every agent/cop there. Document their cars and plates. Read out their name tags if they have them as you record. Say the date and time and location if you can remember. Try and load videos to a cloud to secure them in case you are arrested or the cops try to delete the evidence. Immigration agents are trained to grab phones and delete evidence. Do not stand around and talk to others about who you are or what you are planing to do. I get videos all the time showing these arrests, and many are introducing themselves and talking about their groups. Be aware of what you say even if you do not see cops recording. Cops often buy cameras that look like pens. Assume they are recording everything.
When the event is over, notify the victim’s contacts. If you can, give them copies of your recordings so that they have that evidence. Post recordings on social media using hashtags to draw news reporters to your post. You can tag me or other immigration people who have followers in the press to assure it gets out.
Now let’s look at what to do if you have a group of witnesses.
First, identify individual strengths of group members. Perhaps you have an immigrant family in the neighborhood who you fear is likely to become a victim. Find an elderly neighbor who wants to help but is not quite ambulatory. The elderly neighbor is your lookout. They have the time and the ability to watch things. Exchange numbers. Be sure the family is the first person they call or text. Use a code or a word for the alert so it is fast and quick.
Identify a group member who can speak the language of the victim(s). If you do not have anyone, learn how to ask for “name” and “phone number” in their language or have this information ahead of the incident. Push comes to shove, ask in English. Most immigrants understand enough English to answer these two questions. This person should be the only person speaking to the victim. They must focus on the victim(s), what they say and do.
Try and have two people photographing or preferably videoing. They should be aware of each other and not record the same things or least not stand next to each other recording. Record from different angles. Focus on the actions of the cops, their hands. Your job is to document and ensure that documentation gets to a cloud before the cops seize it. When you feel a break in the action, stop and upload if possible.
Assign people to comfort victim’s families. If children are left behind, have a plan to take care of them. This may involve contacting other family members. So, try and get this plan nailed down before ICE comes knocking. If they have pets, assign someone to that job. If they take the whole family, be sure to lock up their homes and tend to pets.
Be prepared to bail members of your group out if they are arrested.
Lastly, assign members of the group to harass the arresting agents. These should be the loudest people in your group. They are the bravest as they are willing to say what needs to be said. I know this may sound ridiculous, but trust me on this. Cops, especially the immigration cops of ICE, CBP and Border Patrol have an Achilles’ heel or soft spot…they are incredibly self conscious about not being able to be real cops. This is why they make endless, over-the-top shorts of themselves being Rambos. That is how they see themselves and want you to see them. The reality is that these are simply bullshit public relations campaigns created by agents because they are so insecure about their manhood.
Example of the low self esteem experienced by immigration agents that causes the need to make Rambo shorts. Produced by DHS using millions of your tax dollars.
The vast majority of immigration agents cannot be regular cops because they either have criminal backgrounds, mental health problems (no psychological exams given prior to hiring) and /or have extremely low self esteem. I include myself in this critique as I fit the last two before joining. Regular cops always looked down on us immigration cops until we bought their approval through DHS. Even though they are now owned by the feds, regular cops still do not want to be seen doing some of the nasty shit these agents are doing. It is embarrassing to an FBI or DEA agent to arrest a child for not having a piece of paper. It is also embarrassing as an immigration agent to be claiming that “these people” are the “worst of the worst” when we all know they are lying.
Things to say or yell at immigration agents when you see them out with their loved ones or working on extrajudicial kidnappings:
How does it feel to be breaking your oath to the Constitution?
If they are not identifying themselves, point this out. How do we know you are real police if you have no badges or IDs?
You are obeying illegal orders.
Does it bother you that you are possibly sending this person to a foreign torture prison?
Do you enjoy arresting babies and kids?
Do your kids know you kidnap mommies and daddies for a living?
Couldn’t make it in the real police departments, huh?
SHAME!
ICE is the “worst of the worst!”
You’re following the orders of a convicted felon.
Go back to the border you wannabe cops.
And yes, the Supreme Court has ruled that cursing is protected by the First Amendment. So, have at it.
Cop culture is patriarchy driven. They take great offense when you criticize them using feminine pejorative language. Calling them pussies and bitches, especially little bitches, Trump’s bitches even, will drive them crazy. (I try and not use this language, but it is a huge trigger for them.)
If the agents/cops are of color, ask them how it feels working for the white supremacist in chief or to be rounding up their fellow Latinos or Blacks. Let them know they will be next.
Remind them that their agencies are the closest living relative to the slave patrols. Educate them about how the Border Patrol was built on old confederates and slave owners. (CBP and Border Patrol continue to celebrate the “first Border Patrol agent,” Jeff Milton. They neglect to tell you his actual name was Jefferson Davis Milton. Named after the Confederate president, he was the son of Confederate General and Governor of Florida during the Civil War. Jeff’s family owned over fifty enslaved people. After they lost the war, his father killed himself rather than accept the loss of his enslaved staff. Jeff went to Texas like many other slave owners where they had hoped to reinstitute slavery. This is where he became a Border Patrol agent. The agency celebrates Jeff Milton every year, but always leaves out this history.)
Other ways you can support immigrants that do not involve direct action with police require you to look locally. If enough of us went to immigrant restaurants, clothes stores, hired immigrant businesses, etc. that would turn into a larger movement across the country. It is no longer enough to just select one day a month and go protest. Do that, but also do it every day wherever you can. Do not support businesses who do not support immigrant communities.
Along with contacting your federal representatives, you must put pressure on your local officials to stop working with immigration agencies. From your police taking money to do immigration stops on their traffic stops or your sheriff warehousing people to send to torture concentration camps, let them know constantly that you do not approve. Go to your city council meetings and demand they stop aiding and abetting these extrajudicial kidnappings, that they stop taking money to hold people, many of whom have no criminal convictions or even charges. Protest every single ICE detention or private prison facilities like your life depends on it, because one day it will. Demand your local and state agencies do not sign 287g contracts with the feds to conduct immigration inspections. Demand your local and state cops investigate these kidnappings. Demand that your health inspectors and local officials inspect ICE facilities and demand proper permits. Demand your local and state officials investigate deaths in ICE, Border Patrol and CBP custody as they happen within their jurisdictions and they have complete authority to do so.
More than anything, find your local immigrant communities to discover how you can help them. This is extremely important. Do not make decisions for them. Ask them what they need from you. Each community is different and has different things they must consider. Remember you would not want someone making decisions for you and your family without consulting with you first.
This is not a sprint, but a marathon.
This is excellent information for groups and individuals.
Thanks Jenn, good to know all this.