Latest news with #KnowYourRights
Fox News
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Lawmakers under fire for sharing ICE raid info, warning locals of immigration enforcement operations
As President Donald Trump and his Department of Homeland Security have ramped up enforcement of U.S. immigration law after the Biden-era deluge at the border, some Democrats have come under fire for their responses to the situation. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has held "Know Your Rights" webinars and disseminated guides to constituents concerned about ICE conducting operations in her Queens and Bronx district. "ICE raids are political tactics, and they're often intended to create fear," one proctor in an Ocasio-Cortez webinar advised. "Do not open your door," an Ocasio-Cortez-branded document read elsewhere – advising residents to demand to see ICE's judicially signed warrants. Such efforts by the "Squad" member drew the attention of Border Czar Thomas Homan, who told Fox News he had sent a letter to the Department of Justice questioning whether she may have broken the law. "At what level is that impediment [of federal law enforcement operations]?" Homan asked "Ingraham Angle" host Laura Ingraham. "If so, what are we going to do about it? . . . Maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now." At the state government level, Arizona state Sen. Analise Ortiz came under fire for her response to ICE operations. Ortiz, D-Phoenix, was accused of "doxxing" ICE by LibsOfTikTok commentator Chaya Raichik, after she reportedly posted live locations of federal agents on her Instagram page. Ortiz defended her work, comparing it to how the automotive app WAZE alerts drivers to police activity, speed traps or car crashes. She then took a jab at three Republican lawmakers she claimed had faced similar trouble in the past, quipping that they might've been "better off" using WAZE. The situation drew calls for a formal federal investigation this week from Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert. "Public servants have a duty to uphold the law and respect those who enforce it, not undermine them," Gilbert said. Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin countered in comments to Fox News Digital: "Arizona state Senator Analise Ortiz is siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals over American citizens," she said. In Georgia, a self-described socialist millennial lawmaker was lambasted earlier this year for reportedly posting a step-by-step video to Facebook advising how to avoid ICE raids. "We have seen examples of it happening in our district and around our metro area," said state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, D-Vinings. Sanchez told viewers of the video, also published by the Cobb County Voice, "Do not answer any question," and "Do not sign any documents." "We are doing everything in our power we can to protect our community, including looking at legislation that could help with this issue." Sanchez was previously one of the organizers of "Stop Cop City," a socialist activist group that made headlines for violently attempting to prevent Atlanta law enforcement from constructing a new training center. During the first Trump administration, Massachusetts state Rep. Michelle DuBois, D-Brockton, warned undocumented constituents of planned ICE operations in Plymouth County. DuBois advised people to call a 774 number that linked to a legal services group in the even they needed "immigration help." She then said she wanted to "relay" a message from a member of the "Latin community." "Please be careful on Wednesday ... ICE will be in Brockton that day. If you are undocumented, don't go out on the street. If there is a knock on the door of your house, and you don't know who it is, don't open the door, I ask you to be careful," she said. When confronted at an event by a reporter from CBS' Boston affiliate, DuBois said, "ICE is welcome to call my office" and claimed the reporter was spreading "hearsay." "Passing information along that is already all over the community not only lets the people I represent know what is happening, it lets ICE know that everyone in Brockton is aware of their intended raid if there was one," DuBois said in a statement. Neighboring Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson went to Congress to warn that the situation was "most outrageous." "It's undermining my job and every other officer in the United States," he told then-Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas.
Fox News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Providence City Council approves mailers teaching residents how to resist ICE operations
The city council in Rhode Island's capital is backing the distribution of "Know Your Rights" mailers to residents instructing them on how to deal with law enforcement amid the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. Households in Providence will receive a card in English and Spanish advising them of their constitutional rights if confronted by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It instructs residents not to open the door unless officers present a valid warrant signed by a judge. The lower portion of the card can be cut, kept in a wallet, and presented to immigration enforcement, a news release announcing the campaign states. "The Providence City Council is partnering with organizations that represent our diverse community to promote safety and inclusion in the face of fear and uncertainty that pervades our city's immigrant communities due to the reckless cruelty of the Trump administration," Council President Rachel Miller said in a statement. "For nearly 400 years, immigrants have been and continue to be vital to Providence," she added. "The Council stands together to say immigrants are welcome here and to encourage every member of our community to educate themselves about their constitutional rights and where to find help if they need it." The council worked with more than a dozen local immigrant rights and advocacy groups on the mailer. The city has spent $17,000 on the mailers, a spokesperson for the council told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Rhode Island Republican Party for comment. The mailers are in response to the Trump administration's illegal immigrant operations targeting those living in the United States illegally. Democrats have denounced the operations, arguing they separate families and put communities at risk. Los Angeles saw multiple days of riots earlier this month after ICE agents arrested multiple illegal immigrants, many with criminal records, during several operations in and around the city.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No Kings movement to protest in West Texas against Trump's national ICE raids
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — 'No Kings' protest is scheduled nationwide on Saturday, June 14, with protests in San Angelo and Abilene. The San Angelo protest is scheduled to be held at Civic League Park, 2 S Park St., and to run from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Abilene's protest is scheduled at Abilene City Hall, 555 Walnut St, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. APD: 8 people arrested, 4 officers injured after anti-ICE protest downtown According to the No Kings website, this protest is to 'reject authoritarianism- and show the world what democracy is.' No Kings is an organization whose mission is to protest non-violently the ICE deportations and what they describe as President Trump's military parade. The organization's website states, 'On June 14th, we're showing up everywhere he isn't—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings.' Hundreds of Marines mobilizing to Los Angeles Before and after June 14, No Kings is offering various Zoom calls for trainings such as Know Your Rights Training, No Kings Marshal Training and more. The San Angelo Police Department confirmed with Concho Valley Homepage that they are aware of the protest on Saturday. No Kings specifies that no weapons of any kind should be brought to the events and to 'de-escalate and act lawfully' at events as well. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
09-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
How can US cities resist Trump's mass deportation agenda? Look to Chicago
'Know Your Rights' posters, with critical information for interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officers, are all over the city of Chicago. Plastered across subways or advertised along local bus routes, the Know Your Rights campaign is a coordinated effort on the part of city officials and local immigration advocacy groups to alert individuals of their rights during interactions with Ice. The posters are evidence of Chicago's activism, long history of protecting its rich immigrant communities and resistance to attempts by previous administrations to weaken their protections. But now, as Donald Trump continues to roll out unprecedented attacks on immigrants – notably increased detentions and deportations without due process – organizers are stretched thin and scrambling to expand traditional tools used in the fight for immigrant rights to accommodate ballooning needs. 'I've been around since the beginning [in 2012], when we pivoted into doing multi-generational, anti-deportation work,' said Antonio Gutierrez, a co-founder of the immigrant advocacy group Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD). 'We have never felt as stressed out or at capacity, even during the first Trump administration.' Since he took office in January, the president has worked to fulfill campaign pledges to carry out mass deportations after promising to remove 'millions and millions of criminal aliens'. The latest figures show sharp increases in detentions and deportations after Trump expressed anger at plateauing levels earlier this year. On 3 June, Ice officers arrested more than 2,200 people, a record high. As of 23 May, nearly 49,000 people are in Ice detention, NBC News reported. In April, more than 17,200 people were deported, a 24% increase compared with last year. These figures represent the first time in Trump's tenure that deportations have outpaced those during the Biden administration. The Trump administration has also rolled out unprecedented attacks on immigrant rights. More than 200 people have been removed from the US and transported to El Salvador's notorious Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), many without any form of due process. Kilmar Ábrego García, 29, was removed from the US on 15 March and has yet to be returned despite the supreme court ordering that the US 'facilitate' his return and the Trump administration admitting that he was removed due to an 'administrative error'. 'Our perspective is that there is no law and order,' said Gutierrez of OCAD's view on the state of US immigration. They added: 'We continue to see that this current administration is going unchecked by many different things.' Compared to other cities, Chicago is better situated than most to navigate Trump's assault on immigration – a fact that Trump officials have pointed out. Following Trump's election win in November, his so-called 'border czar', Tom Homan, announced that mass deportations would begin in Chicago. Homan warned Chicago's mayor, Brandon Johnson, and other Democratic officials to 'get the hell out of the way'. But in January, Homan complained that Chicago was 'very well educated' in its ability to resist Ice agents. Johnson defended Chicago's protections for undocumented immigrants before a Republican-majority Congress. Chicago organizers have implemented a swath of strategies to resist efforts from Ice, responses rooted in collaboration between organizations that have been in place dating back to the first Trump administration. OCAD holds regular community meetings with its clients to educate on the near-daily changes in Trump's anti-immigration tactics, with meetings now occurring bimonthly. OCAD and other collaborators also oversee rapid-response groups that monitor Ice activity. As demand for services increases, volunteer interest has also surged, another tenet of Chicago's activism culture. Volunteer interest in anti-deportation efforts has increased by 300% since 2024, Gutierrez noted: there are now more than 400 volunteers working in 27 neighborhood response groups. But there's still 'definitely a strong sense of fear' among immigrants in Chicago as Trump threatens to ramp up deportations, said Gutierrez. OCAD's hotline, which handles calls for Ice sightings and other immigrant-related questions, has seen an increase from five calls a month last year to more than 100 each day in the weeks following Trump's inauguration. Now, the hotline averages about 50 calls per week. Beyond deportation, immigrants across ethnicities have expressed concern about Trump's attacks on green card holders, birthright citizenship or overall delays in visas, several advocacy groups said. Even with its robust organization efforts, Chicago immigrant advocacy groups have still faced considerable challenges. Conservative city council members attempted to change Chicago's sanctuary city status in January, allowing police to collaborate with Ice in certain circumstances; Illinois Republican state legislators have tried to implement similar laws. Such attempts have failed. Chicago has remained 'pro-immigrant for decades', said Gutierrez, a stance that is evident through the city's extensive policies protecting immigrants of all statuses and its resistance to conservative attempts to roll back progress. Back in 1985, then mayor Harold Washington signed an executive order making Chicago a sanctuary city, and neighborhoods such as Uptown, Albany Park and Little Village served as hubs for arriving immigrants of all backgrounds. Social services providers such as World Relief and Refuge One set up offices in those communities, collaborating with local landlords to secure housing for refugees. Immigrant advocates have worked for decades to limit the power of Ice in Chicago communities. In 2012, Chicago's city council passed the Welcoming City ordinance, which restricts city agencies from providing information on undocumented immigrants to Ice or inquiring about an individual's immigration status. Ice is also not allowed in Chicago public schools and school officials are not allowed to share student information, as written in the 2019 Chicago Teachers Union contract. These safeguards were reaffirmed in CTU's latest contract, which passed in April. At the state level, officials have passed laws to protect immigrant rights, said Brandon Lee, communications director at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Members of the ICIRR have previously lobbied the Illinois state legislature to enact the Trust Act, a 2017 bill which prohibits local Illinois law enforcement from carrying out immigration enforcement. Getting the Trust Act passed and subsequent additions to the law was a 'years-long campaign' with a coalition of organizations, said Grace Pai, executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago. 'There were a lot of pieces of follow-up legislation to add on additional protections that weren't passed in that first piece of legislation, but that's legislation that we're obviously really proud to have,' she said. Such laws have limited the ability for Ice to gain access to sensitive information from police collaboration, a critical tool for resistance as the Trump administration attempts to use police for immigrant detention efforts. That strategic organizing is only possible due to a statewide network of organizations that has existed for decades, said Lee. Every year, the ICIRR organizes advocacy days during the legislative session during which member organizations and their constituents lobby Illinois lawmakers. Educating constituents has remained critical for immigrant groups. A coalition of groups share resources, including translations of educational material, said Grace Chan McKibben, executive director of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC). Beyond the citywide Know Your Rights campaign, groups are often working to combat misinformation through sessions and information blasts, said McKibben, or working with non-immigration groups to make sure immigrants sign up for benefits they are eligible for, such as food assistance and healthcare services. On the policy side, groups still collaborate to lobby representatives to support pro-immigrant initiatives. Every May on Asian American Action Day, the CBCAC, Asian Americans Advancing Justice and other Chicago groups travel to Springfield, Illinois's capital, to advocate for laws including funding for immigrant-specific programming. More than 500 people joined the lobbying efforts this year, an increase from the 300 to 400 people who have attended in previous years. The ability for Chicago organizers to respond to Trump's anti-immigration rollout comes down to 'building relationships so that there's trust and care for each other', said McKibben. 'That's what's remarkable about the Chicago model of organizing. [It's about] how connected the organizations are. It takes coordination, communication and a common commitment to what is good for the group.' Still, the fight to protect immigrant rights continues, especially as Ice arrests people at record levels. Just Wednesday, Ice agents in Chicago detained at least 10 people at a routine check-in for a monitoring program, including an OCAD member. Chicago police department officers were also onsite, generating concern about the possibility of potential collaboration between the two agencies. ICIRR has asked the Illinois attorney general to investigate whether or not there were violations of the state's Trust Act. 'Yesterday was an escalation on the part of Ice, all in the name of meeting the cruelty quotas set by Trump and Stephen Miller,' said Lee. 'Everyday neighbors from across Chicagoland were apprehended, lured into a trap. This tactic Ice deployed … is now forcing families into impossible situations with no good outcomes and incredible risk.' As Chicago organizations continue to fight against Trump's immigration crackdown, activists are encouraging other cities to create their own networks of advocacy. Due process, judicial accountability and other rights are being eroded, but the strength of solidarity is not.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Do I have to give border control my phone's password? What travelers should know.
Rising reports of U.S. Customs and Border Protection searches and detainments have raised concerns among travelers about what could happen if they're stopped when trying to enter the country. CBP has long had the authority to search the contents of electronic devices to verify someone's identity or assess if they're a risk to national security. However, some immigration attorneys say such searches are becoming more frequent under the Trump Administration, and now social media profiles or being outspoken on a political issue are also under higher scrutiny. Travelers' rights against warrantless searches are weakened within 100 miles of any port of entry, so any person is subject to being questioned and their electronic devices – including phones, tablets and laptops – searched by border agents regardless of immigration status. However, travelers can still take steps to better protect their digital privacy at borders, including turning off biometrics to unlock their phones. Here's what to know. Some warrantless searches are legal: What to do if you're stopped by border control Technically, no, but what happens next depends on your immigration status. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents cannot be denied entry into the country if they refuse to hand over or unlock their devices with their passwords, according to the American Civil Liberties Union's Know Your Rights: U.S. Airports and Ports of Entry. However, CBP might seize your phone and even keep it for weeks or months. (In this case, make sure you write down the name and badge number of the officer and ask for a receipt.) However, non-citizen visa holders and tourists might be denied entry if they don't give their passwords. If you decide to unlock your phone with your password, enter it yourself instead of giving it to the agent. "They still might demand that you share it, but it's a precaution worth trying to take," according to the ACLU website. It can happen because biometrics are less secure, but it's legally murky. While the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) believes Face ID or fingerprints to lock devices should be protected under the Fifth Amendment, which protects against self-incrimination, some courts have ruled otherwise. There have also been instances when law enforcement has forced people's fingers onto their phones to unlock them, so it may also happen at borders, the EFF states on its website. An agent could simply hold your phone up and easily unlock it. The main takeaway is that biometrics are not as protected as a long password or encryption, so they're not the best idea if you're border-crossing. On an Android: Go to Settings Navigate to the Security or Privacy sections, depending on the manufacturer Look for the biometric authentication and toggle off On an iPhone: Go to Settings Search for Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode Toggle off the iPhone Unlock to disable the function. This will set your phone to needing the passcode to unlock. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Can border control use Face ID to unlock my phone? What to know
