Protecting our immigrant neighbors

By Lisa Dekker

For weeks we’ve been seeing disturbing, gut-wrenching recordings of violent raids by ICE or the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), or by masked people pretending to be their legitimate agents. Nearly one million Washingtonians (1 in 7) are immigrants who make up an integral part of our communities and workforce. Many of our neighbors are people who live and work in the North Peninsula. They and their families are potentially vulnerable. How can you help? A good first step is to learn your rights and the rights of those at risk:

Your rights under federal law: A great resource is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has a link specific to immigration rights. The ACLU also has a compact, 76-page handbook, “Know Your Rights,” available for $20.

Your rights under Washington state law: Our state has the Keep Washington Working Act (KWW). Passed in 2019, it was designed “to enhance public safety, promote fairness to immigrants, and protect the privacy and civil rights of all Washington residents.” To know your rights under this law, go to the website of Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN). A list of key ways to safely document ICE activity are at the end of this article.

WAISN also has:

• A Deportation Defense Hotline to report immigration activity. 1-844-724-3737 Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m.– 6 p.m.  
• A printable information flyer: Know Your Rights with Police and Federal Immigration Authorities in WA, in both English and Spanish.

What else can I do?

• Work to ensure that Customs and Border Patrol is never called on to translate for non-English speakers.
• Help immigrant families get safely to work, school, and appointments. At each setting, accompany them to help increase their safety and awareness. 
• There is a Port Townsend Interfaith Action Coalition. Work with our Clallam faith communities and other organizations to form a similar coalition here.
• Join the local Immigration Action Group, headed up by Chair Carole Scholl. Email her at [email protected]. (Read an interview with Carole about the committee, below.) 
• Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates (JCIRA) has an excellent monthly newsletter.
• JCIRA has also published “How to Document ICE Activity” to help you to stay safe and be effective when recording an action. For an expanded version on documenting, go to Guidelines for Bystanders and Observers. 
• Donate to JCIRA and find out how far your donation can go. 

​How to Document Ice Activity

(Provided courtesy of the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network)

You have the legal right to film police and/or immigration officers if they are in a public place and if the filming does not impede the performance of their duties. Here's what you need to do:

• Stay at a safe distance. If law enforcement officers ask you to step back, step back while repeating, "I am exercising my right to record and document."
• If the officers get too close, say, "I am stepping back and have the right to record." Speak calmly in an audible voice.
• Protect video content on your phone. Make sure your phone is password protected – don't use a thumbprint or face recognition.
• Focus your recording on ICE officers. Record all the way through the incident. Narrate what you're seeing. Say the date and time.
• Do NOT go live on social media. Protect the privacy and safety of people being detained.

Interview with Carole Scholl, Immigration Action Group Chair
By Lisa Dekker

Q: What is the full name of your committee? How many members do you have?
A: The Immigrant Action Group is an ad hoc committee. There are about 20 people involved; about 12 meet monthly.

Q: Can you describe the main things your group wants to accomplish?
A: The group came together last spring as part of an initiative from Clallam County Democrats (CCD) to find ways to get involved. Since then, the group has grown to include concerned citizens from all parts of Clallam County. And, since last spring, people have started all sorts of efforts to support our immigrant neighbors, such as Alex’s [Alex Fane] work with Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocates (JCIRA) in Sequim.  We’ll be meeting soon to figure out how best to focus efforts. 

Q: For you personally, was there one incident, or experience, that led you to step up on the immigration issue? 
A: I grew up on the Tijuana border at a time when we could cross over quite easily. My town was mostly Hispanic. And I’ve spent a lot of time in Mexico and Central America. So I really feel like my neighbors are being attacked. It’s heartbreaking to see the hate.

Keep Washington Working flyer available at https://waisn.org/kww/