ACRS, APIC stand with immigrants targeted by ICE raids, urge all to ‘Know Your Rights’
Nationwide raids to arrest thousands of members of undocumented immigrant families for deportation were scheduled to begin over the weekend in 10 major cities across the U.S.: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco. These raids, conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, could also include “collateral” deportations – arrests of immigrants who happen to be at the scene, even though they were not originally targeted in the raid.
These latest actions by ICE are an abhorrent continuation of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies, which seeks to deport millions of undocumented migrants living in the United States and block future arrival of asylum seekers. It is also an apparent attempt to diminish the political power of cities and regions where many immigrants and minorities live, thrive and contribute to their communities.
While no cities in Washington state were included in last weekend’s raids, Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) and the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition (APIC) condemn these raids and policies, which treat immigrants like criminals, create waves of fear in communities and cruelly separate families. ACRS and APIC, along with the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), urge members of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) and other immigrant communities to know their legal rights and the rights of others.
“Every person should understand they have rights, no matter what their immigration status is,” said ACRS Executive Director Michael Byun.
Residents in the targeted cities who are concerned about these raids should contact the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s local rapid response hotlines. Several agencies, both locally and nationally, provide multi-lingual resources to help people understand their rights. Washington state residents specifically should contact the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN), which provides similar localized resources.
Resources links:
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network
