As immigration arrests increase in Texas and across the country, you may be wondering what you can do to help if you witness U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detaining a person.
The Texas Tribune recently found that daily ICE arrests increased to 176 per day during the first six months of the Trump Administration, compared to about 85 a day during the last 18 months of former President Joe Biden’s term.
Here are some tips on what you can do to get involved:
You Can Ask Questions
United We Dream, an immigrant advocacy group, reports that if you see someone being detained by ICE agents, you can ask ICE agents questions at checkpoints, homes, on trains or buses, and in other spaces. Ask why they may be searching vehicles, or where they plan to take the people they detain. You can ask why agents are there, and who they are searching for and why. Ask for a warrant, United We Dream officials say.
You Can Record
It is legal in Texas to record interactions with law enforcement as long as you do not disrupt or impede an investigation. You can video tape an interaction and write down any badge numbers or license plate numbers you may see. U.S. citizens, according to United We Dream, have a right to observe, photograph, and videotape an interaction with agents.
It’s also best to listen if an ICE agent tells you to step back from an incident while you’re recording.
You can report the interaction you witnessed to a number of places, including LULAC, National immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, and United We Dream. This list of Rapid Response Networks across the U.S. was compiled by the National Association for Public Defense.
Become a Legal Observer
Legal observers are people who are trained by lawyers to record and observe interactions between law enforcement and the public, often at things like protests or rallies. The Austin Lawyers Guild hosts trainings periodically. You can reach out to the group online.
