On January 16, 2025 we attended a “Know Your Rights and ICE Watch Training” alongside Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, State Senators Graciela Guzmán, Karina Villa and Omar Aquino, State Representative Lilian Jímenez, Cook County Commissioner Anthony Quezada, and Alderpeople Carlos Rosa, Jessie Fuentes, and Ruth Cruz. This one-hour introductory training covered a range of topics, including a “now Your Rights 101” and a “ICE/Migra Watch 101,” followed by a question and answer period, and closing with Next Steps.
The “Know Your Rights 101” began with an overview of the rights provided to immigrants by the state of Illinois. State law is directed by the Way Forward Act, which in 2021 amended the TRUST Act and VOICES Act to provide additional protections. The TRUST Act generally prohibits local law enforcement in Illinois from participating in immigration enforcement. The VOICES Act provides procedural protections for immigrants victimized by violent crime or human trafficking who have assisted law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting certain types of crimes. The State’s Attorney, Kwame Raoul, is a strong supporter of these protections and will be an ally in maintaining these protections at the state level.
We then discussed our Chicago “Welcoming City Ordinance” which, in addition to state law, provides additional local sanctuary protections by prohibiting the Chicago Police Department (CPD) from collaborating with federal immigration investigations under any conditions. You can learn more at Chicago’s Welcoming City resources page by clicking here.
Lastly, we went over our Constitutional Rights. These rights apply to all people, regardless of immigration status, within the United States whether at home, or in your workplace. These include:
- The right to refuse entry to your home or workplace.
- The right to refuse searches without a warrant. You have the right to see a warrant before you open your door. You can ask for it to be slipped under the doc through a mail slot, or put against a window.
- The right to remain silent.
- The right to refuse to sign documents.
- The right to refuse to give information about immigration status, place of birth, criminal history, and your family’s whereabouts.
If you are detained by immigration enforcement, do not lie or give false information. If friends, family, or neighbors are nearby, provide them with your “A number.” As you are being detained you have the following rights:
- You have the right to ask for medical care and childcare needs
- You must give your name and date of birth, but only to CPD officers
- You do not have to give your passport or other ID
- It is okay to speak your native language
The most important lesson is to remain calm through interactions with any enforcement official. This is very challenging because we can expect immigration officials to try to intimidate or to escalate the situation by making you upset. Don’t make sudden movements, remember your rights, and if you need support you can reach out to the ICIRR Family Support Hotline: 1-855-435-7693. The hotline staff can serve callers in English, Spanish, Polish, and Korean. The hotline can share more information about:
- Immigrant Family Support Program (ICIRR’s financial support program)
- Report ICE activity/Support to locate someone in ICE custody.
- Connect with an immigration attorney
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
- Healthcare resources for immigrants and refugees
- Public charge updates
- Workplace rights, issues, or safety for immigrants
In our “ICE/Migra Watch 101” we covered a brief history of the practice of forming community watch groups to observe the ways that law enforcement interact with people in the community. The practice emerged from the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and has since been adapted by immigrant rights activists to accommodate the specific needs of protecting neighbors from harmful interactions with immigration officials. The main purposes of Migra Watching are to observe and record ICE activity and tactics, engage with impacted people by sharing rights or collecting information to support them after detention, and to document the interaction. There are many details to this practice and form of collective organization that will be covered in future trainings for those interested in being involved in this work.
We learned how to identify the various immigration enforcement agencies, their specific roles and tactics, and what their uniforms look like. It is important to remember that immigration enforcement officers will wear vests or uniforms that identify them first as “police” in bold letters, with their agency name smaller or discretely displayed. There are also instances where they will not be wearing their uniform. Their goal is to impersonate a police officer so that you will speak to them. It is important to always practice your constitutional rights. It is also important to remember that we cannot prevent federal agencies from operating in our neighborhoods. We have many strong protections as Illinois residents in Chicago, but federal agencies still have access to our neighborhoods, public spaces, and workplaces. Again, remember your rights, and if you need support you can reach out to the ICIRR Family Support Hotline: 1-855-435-7693.
The training team has prepared a folder of resources that you can access by clicking here. Additionally, you can get involved: bit.ly/nwsdefense and stay informed: bit.ly/nwsresources.