A few days ago, we had a discussion with our teenager about what to do if ICE stops him. We told him to follow instructions and not to resist or run away. Hopefully, ICE won’t wrestle him to the ground. He only has a school ID on him. We had to have this talk because I saw a picture of ICE detaining 5-year-old Liam Ramos. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. ICE already detained thousands of children in Trump’s second term. Anyone who doesn’t look white should prepare their family for an encounter with ICE because they are using racial profiling. ICE is surging in Minnesota now, but I read Oregon is next. I expect ICE goons to flood the streets of Portland at some point. We’ll find our son and get him out if ICE kidnaps him. This is complete bullshit because he was born in the hospital 2 blocks away. But that’s the reality of life in the United States today.
Image of Liam Ramos in detention.
Next, we talked about what to do if ICE detains both Mrs. RB40 and me. We have a list of people he can call for help on the whiteboard in case we disappear. He can also call some of his friends who live nearby to see if they can help. ICE taking both of us in is a long shot. Mrs. RB40 is law-abiding and she’ll comply with instructions. However, ICE likes to detain people first and release them later. They are probably putting all detainees in a list for future extermination or something like that. But who knows? They might let Mrs. RB40 go because she sounds “American.”
A more likely scenario would be ICE stopping me when I’m out by myself. There is no way I will carry my U.S. passport to run errands around town. Screw that. This is Portland, not Nazi Germany. U.S. citizens are not legally required to carry proof of citizenship to go about their daily lives.
In Minnesota, ICE set up checkpoints, grabbed minorities from grocery stores and restaurants, went door to door without warrants, and randomly snatched people off the street. I expect ICE will use the same playbook when they surge in Portland. An encounter seems inevitable. Being a U.S. citizen is no protection. ICE already killed 2 U.S. citizens and detained many non-white legal residents and citizens. I’ll comply to minimize any injury. However, it seems they enjoy brutalizing minorities so we’ll see how it goes.
My strategy when ICE stops me
- Take out my phone and start recording.
- Say, “I’m a U.S. citizen. I am not required to carry a passport to run errands. You have no jurisdiction to detain me. I have the right to remain silent. I do not consent to a search.”
- Hand over a ”know your rights” card. My lawyer’s info is on the back.
- Hand over my driver’s license. It isn’t the REAL ID version, but I heard ICE doesn’t care anyway.
They may detain me after this. I’ll comply and won’t resist. I don’t mind spending a few hours or days in a cell. They can waste their time with me if they want. Go ahead and put me on your list.
Our strategy when ICE knocks on our door
- Do not open the door.
- Take out our phones and start recording.
- Ask if they have a warrant through the doorbell camera. Tell them they are being recorded.
- Tell them to slide the warrant under the door.
- Slide my “know your rights” card to them under the door.
- If they force their way in. Do not resist and state, “I do not consent to this search. I’m a U.S. citizen. You are here illegally.” Remain silent after that.
When I see ICE in my neighborhood
- Start recording.
- Call PIRC to report ICE presence. (Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition). 1-888-622-1510.
- Blow a whistle. I don’t have one yet. I’ll order a box of whistles to hand out.
- Stay at least 10-15 feet out of their way.
This could happen to me
ICE marched a US citizen out of his house in his underwear. They forced their way into his house without a warrant and refused to look at his identification. ICE drove him to the middle of nowhere, made him get out of the car, photographed him, and then released him back at home after they confirmed he was a U.S. citizen. Pretty soon, you might see me in the news.
In summary, I’m ready for an encounter with ICE. I’ll comply and do my best to keep my mouth shut and avoid injury. If they want to waste their time with me, I’m fine with that. I’m retired. I don’t have anything better to do anyway. If they violate my constitutional rights, my lawyer will sue.
Trump’s approval rating on immigration is around 39%. It’s astonishing that so many people still support ICE. I guess if it doesn’t affect them personally, they’re fine with the persecution of legal residents and U.S. citizens. Maybe they think violating minorities’ constitutional rights is the price we should be willing to pay. Or maybe they believe all the lies from Kristie Noem and other Trump cronies. I’m comfortable with cutting those people out of my life.
I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to rehearse legal scripts before running errands or teach my kid how to survive an encounter with federal agents. I want to walk my neighborhood, raise my family, and enjoy my retirement without fear. But that’s not the country we’re living in right now.
I won’t carry my U.S. passport, because I refuse to normalize this. I’ll know my rights, I’ll document everything, and I’ll protect my family however I can. If that means patrolling my neighborhood, blowing a whistle, or showing up at protests instead of enjoying a relaxing retirement, so be it.
This isn’t who we’re supposed to be. And until it changes, I’m not going to pretend that it’s normal.
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