For too long, ICE has operated as a force of terror in our communities, ripping families apart, instilling fear in schools, workplaces, and homes, and criminalizing people simply because of where they were born. Every day, people live with the threat of raids, surveillance, and deportation, trauma that stretches across generations. We have seen the pain of parents taken from their children, workers pulled from jobs, and entire neighborhoods paralyzed by fear. This is violence, ICE agents violently assaulting people, killing people, and it is happening here and now.
But fear does not have to be the final word. We are not powerless, and we are not alone. Across the country, communities are organizing, supporting one another, and building the collective strength needed to challenge ICE’s destructive presence. Hope is not naive, it is born from shared struggle and real victories: cities that have passed sanctuary policies, legal defense funds that prevent deportations, and countless acts of solidarity that save lives each day.
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We can act right now in ways that are accessible and effective. Low-risk actions include educating ourselves and others about how ICE operates, signing petitions calling for local elected officials to divest from ICE contracts, and donating to immigrant-led mutual aid and legal defense funds. These steps build awareness and resources that sustain long-term resistance.
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For people ready to go further, medium-risk actions include joining organized know-your-rights trainings, staffing rapid response networks that support people during raids, and participating in organized protests or direct actions targeted at ICE facilities.
High-risk actions, such as engaging in civil disobedience at detention centers, offering sanctuary to people targeted for deportation, or directly disrupting enforcement operations, are powerful expressions of collective courage when done with community coordination and legal support. High-risk actions may carry legal consequences, and the safety risks are clear.
None of these are individual errands, they are collective acts of liberation. In every action we take, from conversations in our living rooms to courageous demonstrations in public spaces, we build the world we want to live in. ICE’s power is rooted in isolation and fear; our power is rooted in connection and defiance.
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Together, we can push ICE out of our communities, protect those most vulnerable, and affirm that no human being is expendable. Let’s act now, with urgency and with hope.
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Resources to Help You Take Action
Call on Elected Officials to Act
As violence from ICE continues to escalate, we must demand that our local elected officials act on their responsibility to ensure the safety, dignity, and civil liberties of all constituents. They must name the harms caused by federal actions and the deep anxiety it breeds in communities across our nation. We must demand that our local, state, and federal elected officials commit to standing with us in the face of federal overreach and violence.
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These individuals chose to become "leaders', and in that choice they have a responsibility to act.
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I've developed a series of letter templates for you to contact elected officials at your local, state, and federal levels, as well as specific federal Congressional committees that have the power to intervene. Access the Google Drive folder below. You can use these templates to write letters, emails, or use them as scripts to make phone calls to your elected officials, or even to speak/testify at city council meetings, townhalls, etc. You can download and personalize them. Here are some tips to help you if you want to make changes to the template.
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Be clear and concise Lead with your ask in the first line.
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Use “we/our community” framing to show broad support.
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Tell a human story about impact on you, the community.
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Use a confident, calm tone even when urgent. Showing emotion can be powerful, and when paired with clear and concise delivery can pack a real punch. If you plan on talking to elected officials or giving testimony, practicing can be very helpful
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Avoid insults, focus on accountability and solutions.
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Offer a concrete action they can take (vote no/yes, issue a statement, meet with advocates, etc.).
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Follow up and stay persistent: send a thank-you after responses, track their vote/actions, and check back if they go silent.
If you're not sure who represents you and how to contact them, you can find all of your elected officials at city, county, state, and federal levels at usa.gov/elected-officials If you prefer a non-government resource, BallotReady or Ballotpedia are good alternatives. Or, you can do a web search “who represents me (your city/state)”.
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Within the committee templates have included the contact information and websites for the 3 specific House committees, and two specific Senate committees. But I also recommend utilizing the House Clerk and the Secretary of the Senate as a resource.
287(g) Agreements
​​The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), authorizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.
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The Jail Enforcement Model allows ICE to identify and process undocumented people who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies.
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The Task Force Model serves as a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.
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The Tribal Task Force Model serves as a force multiplier for tribal law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight under Title 25 USC 2804.
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The Warrant Service Officer program allows ICE to train, certify and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on people in their agency’s jail.
Municipalities and Counties across the country have had 287(g) agreements for decades. This isn't new. However, in the past year, there has been an incredible increase in these agreements as states face threats from the trump administration. On January 20, 2025, trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. This order requires ICE to authorize State and local law enforcement officials, as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines are qualified and appropriate, under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the maximum extent permitted by law. Several states, have passed, or are considering, State legislation mandating law enforcement agencies enter into 287(g) agreements.
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As of January 12, 2026 2:34 pm, ICE has signed 1,318 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs covering 40 states. These include JEM agreements with 147 law enforcement agencies in 31 states, 287(g) WSO agreements with 448 law enforcement agencies in 35 states, and 287(g) TFM agreements with 723 agencies in 34 states.
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While they are not the only form of collusion between ICE and local law enforcement, the existence of a 287(g) agreement in an area sends an unmistakable message to local communities that law enforcement is targeting them. By allowing state and local law enforcement to collude with ICE, these agreements increase distrust in communities and rip families apart.
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Learn more about 287(g) agreements, find out if your city/county has one.
boycott/
confront ICE corporate collaborators
Corporations are deeply embedded in ICE’s detention, surveillance, and deportation system. Private prison companies profit from immigrant detention, while technology, data, and security firms provide the tools ICE uses to track, monitor, and target people. Consumer products like Ring cameras and other “smart” surveillance technologies can also be integrated into law enforcement networks, extending ICE’s reach into everyday neighborhoods. These partnerships are not accidental, they are business decisions that turn state violence and family separation into profit.
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Key Profiteers
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Private Prison Companies: CoreCivic and GEO Group dominate the detention market, securing lucrative contracts for building and operating facilities, benefiting from high occupancy rates and government funding for detention beds.
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Technology Firms: Companies like Palantir provide data analysis and surveillance tools used by ICE, with executives having financial ties to administration officials.
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Government Contractors: A wide range of U.S.-based businesses profit from supplying goods and services, including firearms (Quantico Tactical), lab testing (Labcorp), vehicles (Hendrick Motorsports Tech), and logistics, often through no-bid contracts.
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Because ICE relies on these corporate collaborators, public pressure can disrupt its operations. People can take action by researching and exposing companies with ICE contracts, participating in boycotts and divestment campaigns, and challenging corporations to end these harmful partnerships. Workers, consumers, investors, and community members all have leverage to demand that companies stop providing detention beds, surveillance tools, and logistical support that enable deportation and incarceration.
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And we have seen this work! Spotify is no longer running ads for ICE after a massive boycott. Activists around the country successfully pushed Avelo Airlines to stop running deportation charter flights, and workers in Minneapolis pushed a local Hilton affiliate to stop renting rooms to ICE agents.
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This article from The Nation shares suggested low-lift and high-lift companies that people can boycott or pressure to cut their contracts with ICE. This article from The Intercept names 10 companies that have made $1 million as ICE bounty hunters. The map embedded below shows the U.S. companies with active ICE contracts. The data comes from USASpending.gov, and the amounts provided are the totals for all of the companies’ currently active contracts, and the map was created by Sludge, a non-partisan non-profit project.
When we organize collectively, through coordinated pressure, public education, and solidarity with impacted communities, we can make it clear that no company should profit from fear, detention, and the tearing apart of families.
Know your rights
Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution. Help make sure everyone knows their rights.​​​
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“Red Cards” from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)- wallet-sized cards immigrants use to assert their constitutional rights.
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Resistance Cards from the Firewall Network
“Each card is a business-sized Know Your Rights guide, customized for your profession, designed to be carried in your wallet, shared with colleagues, and used when you're pressured to obey unlawful or unethical directives. Inspired by the “Red Cards” carried by immigrants, the Resistance Cards prepare professionals to say: “No. Not in my name.”
View and REport ICE activity
ICE in My Area is a website where people can view and report ICE activity in their community. It was developed by UC San Diego alumni who grew up in Los Angeles "Iceinmyarea.org was created from our desire to use the education and opportunities we've been fortunate to receive to give back to neighborhoods, friends, and families that helped us grow. Our mission is to help keep our communities informed, connected, and safe. For us, this is much more than a project, it is a way to protect and uplift the city that we admire and the neighbors we care about."
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Every report is reviewed by a real person to confirm its accuracy, making this platform one of the most reliable tools for tracking ICE activity nationwide.
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If you do report ICE activity, it is important to remember the SALUTE guidelines..
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Size/Strength: How many agents are present?
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Actions/Activities: What did you see them doing?
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Location and Direction: Where are they and where are they headed?
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Uniform/Clothes: What are they wearing? Describe as much as possible. Uniform? Plain clothes? Identifying logos, etc.
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Time: What time did the event occur?
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Equipment and Weapons: What are you able to see?
Community support and
mutual aid
Mutual aid is critical right now because it provides immediate and essential support for immigrant, and other vulnerable communities, communities facing heightened fear and threats against their safety by the federal government, including ICE. These community-led efforts address the failure of formal systems to protect vulnerable populations and build local resilience and solidarity.
Key Reasons for the Critical Role of Mutual Aid
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Meeting Basic Needs: Increased ICE presence means many immigrants and people of color may be afraid to leave their homes for work, school, or groceries, leading to financial hardship and an inability to cover essential expenses.
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Mutual aid networks provide direct assistance for:
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Rent and utility bills.
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Food, groceries, and other essentials like diapers and medication.
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Emergency assistance for families where a primary income earner has been detained.
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Providing Safety and Information: Mutual aid groups operate rapid response networks to monitor and document ICE activity in real-time, helping residents avoid encounters and understand their rights.
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Specific activities include:
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Operating 24/7 hotlines to report ICE presence.
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Organizing volunteer patrols and legal observers to document enforcement actions.
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Distributing "know your rights" information and restricted access signs for businesses and homes.
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Arranging safe transport to work or medical appointments.
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Building Community Resilience and Solidarity: By working together neighbors build trust and strong support systems that existing institutions cannot provide.
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This solidarity is essential for countering the "crime-ridden" narratives often used to justify increased enforcement and for creating a united front against actions that affect all community members.
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These networks also create collective power, shifting mindsets away from dependence on charity towards a reciprocal system where everyone has the capacity to give and receive support.
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Bridging Gaps in Official Support: When fear of deportation discourages people from seeking help from government services, police, or even hospitals, mutual aid steps in to ensure basic welfare and access to legal counsel. Healthcare facilities are no longer considered protected areas from ICE enforcement, making community-based support even more vital.
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Sustaining the Movement: Mutual aid is seen as a core part of social movements, providing the necessary care and infrastructure to sustain long-term resistance and advocacy efforts against harmful policies.
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Getting involved in mutual aid in your community is something that everyone can do. It looks many ways and by design is inclusive. You can do an internet search for "mutual aid groups in my area", or get started with Mutual Aid Hub.
More resources
Immigration Legal Services
I cannot guarantee that free or low-cost representation will be available through the sources below, but here are some places to start your search for immigration legal help:
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American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) immigration lawyer directory
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Immigrant Advocates Network’s National Immigration Legal Services Directory
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HILSC Immigrant Resource Hotline: 1-833-468-4664 (HOU-IMMI)
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Texas Immigration Law Council’s searchable portal for immigration legal service providers serving each immigration detention center in Texas
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American Gateways’ Pro Se Assistance Project: for the next clinic date and to register, call (210) 864-2917
Family Preparedness
If community members wish to prepare a special power of attorney or other legal documents to make formal arrangements for their property/finances and for the care of their children, they may wish to seek assistance from an attorney. However, the self-help resources listed below provide general information for those who will be creating these documents on their own (they are not a substitute for legal advice):
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The Appleseed Foundation’s June 2025 “Deportation Preparation Manual for Immigrant Families: Make a Plan to Protect Your Kids and Finances in the Face of Deportation” is available on their website in English and Spanish. This resource is designed to help families plan ahead to protect their children and finances in the event of detention or deportation.
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Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (TRLA) has created a preparation kit in Spanish that includes information and templates for creating a special power of attorney for care of a child.
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Texas Immigrant Alliance (TIA) has created a very similar Preparation Kit (published Feb 21, 2025) that can be downloaded in English and Spanish here. Similar to the TRLA resource, these kits contain template documents and information about creating a special power of attorney.
Additionally, here are some resources for community education regarding emergency preparedness planning:
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2-page flyers about how to create a family preparedness plan, in English and Spanish;
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6 social media graphics to share a summary of this information on Facebook and other sites (English only);
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a 6-page guide to preparing a family emergency plan, including a checklist of the documents families should gather (only available in English); and
(for those looking for a deep dive), a 197-page Deportation Preparation Manual for Immigrant Families (only available in English).