UPDATE: ICE Conducting Raids In NYC This Sunday, July 14

UPDATE: The ICE raids that were expected two weeks ago were postponed. Instead, they will be taking place this Sunday, July 14. Stay safe and know your rights (we provided them below).

BROOKLYN – The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be conducting raids, arresting, and deporting undocumented immigrants who have received deportation orders, in ten major U.S cities this Sunday, including New York City, Washington Post reported today. If you’re in danger, remember to not open your door. If you know someone who is in danger, please let them know what is happening.

This comes after earlier this week President Donald Trump tweeted, “ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in. Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people.”

“… long before they get to our Southern Border. Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement. The only ones who won’t do anything are the Democrats in Congress. They must vote to get rid of the loopholes, and fix asylum! If so, Border Crisis will end quickly!”

According to Borough President Eric Adams, “The planned ICE raid this Sunday will threaten immigrant communities throughout our city.”

“Upholding public safety should be paramount, but separating families does nothing to make us safer – it just diminishes us in the eyes of the world,” he told Bklyner. “Fortunately, Albany just passed a bill we advocated for to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. We need greater measures to protect immigrant New Yorkers and ensure we are allocating law enforcement resources more efficiently and effectively.”

Brooklyn is not a borough hidden to ICE. In 2017, three ICE agents dressed in plain clothes arrested four men outside Brooklyn Criminal Court. Also the same year, there were 11 raids in Bushwick and Ridgewood. Earlier this year, Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office released an analysis on ICE raids in NYC which showed that deportations by ICE officers in NYC increased by 150 percent between the final year of the Obama Administration and the first full fiscal year of the Trump Administration.

“Each day this administration places itself on the wrong side of history. Let’s be clear: undocumented New Yorkers are part of the fabric of our city,” Stringer told Bklyner. “And these actions are only designed to make Washington feel tough – not to make us any safer.”

“They are also further proof that even in a sanctuary city like New York, the escalation of ICE raids is very real and they are intended to intimidate undocumented New Yorkers into invisibility,” he continued. “It violates everything we believe in, plain and simple. We must remain vigilant and unified in our response to protect our friends and neighbors from unjust detention and harassment.”

NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson criticized Trump and said NYC was a sanctuary city.

“It is shameful that the Trump administration continues to use ICE as a weaponized rogue agency for the purpose of frightening and separating immigrant families,” Johnson told Bklyner. “New York is proud to be a sanctuary city and we are proud to connect those in need of legal immigration services. Here in New York City, we know diversity is our greatest strength and we will do everything we can to protect immigrant families.”

Council Member Carlos Menchaca, who is also the chair of the Immigration Committee, strongly advised seeking legal assistance if in danger and criticized Trump.

“New Yorkers, remember you have rights! Donald Trump is using his rogue agency ICE to score political points with his supporters as he launches his re-election campaign. We will stand up and fight back,” Menchaca told Bklyner. “If you encounter interaction with federal immigration enforcement agents, seek legal assistance. For legal assistance, please call the NYS Office of New Americans Immigration Hotline at 1 (800)-566-7636 or view our directory of low-cost immigration service providers.”

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) echoed the sentiments and urged people to call their attorneys.

“In a cruel continuation of the Trump administration’s harsh and sweeping immigration enforcement regime, the news of these coming raids shows the administration is relying on scare tactics to terrorize our immigrant communities and punish asylum-seekers,” Tracy Lawson from BDS said. “The administration’s alleged targets are families who have orders of removal and missed court dates, but it is very common for people who were released to have not gotten notice of hearings, which is required for due process. These are people who have valid claims to stay, but will not be able to pursue them.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) provides the following tips if you believe you are in danger:

Police or ICE are at my home

How to reduce risk to yourself:

• Stay calm and keep the door closed. Opening the door does not give them permission to come inside, but it is safer to speak to ICE through the door.

What to do when the police or ICE arrive:

• Ask if they are immigration agents and what they are there for.
• Ask the agent or officer to show you a badge or identification through the window or peephole.
• Ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge. If they say they do, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can inspect it.
• Don’t lie or produce any false documents. Don’t sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.
• Do not open your door unless ICE shows you a judicial search or arrest warrant naming a person in your residence and/or areas to be searched at your address. If they don’t produce a warrant, keep the door closed. State: “I do not consent to your entry.”
• If agents force their way in, do not resist. If you wish to exercise your rights, state: “I do not consent to your entry or to your search of these premises. I am exercising my right to remain silent. I wish to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.”
• If you are on probation with a search condition, law enforcement is allowed to enter your home.

Your rights:

• You have the right to remain silent, even if the officer has a warrant.
• You do not have to let police or immigration agents into your home unless they have certain kinds of warrants.
• If the police have an arrest warrant, they are legally allowed to enter the home of the person on the warrant if they believe that person is inside. But a warrant of removal/deportation (Form I-205) does not allow officers to enter a home without consent.

I’ve been stopped by police or ICE

How to reduce risk to yourself:

• Stay calm and do not resist or obstruct the agents or officers.
• Do not lie or give false documents.
• Prepare yourself and your family in case you are arrested.
• Memorize the phone numbers of your family and your lawyer.
• Make emergency plans if you have children or take medication.

Your rights:

• You have the right to remain silent. If you wish to exercise that right, say so out loud.
• You do not have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings, but police may pat down your clothing if they suspect a weapon.
• If you are arrested by police, you have the right to a government-appointed lawyer.
• If you are detained by ICE, you have the right to consult with a lawyer, but the government is not required to provide one for you. You can ask for a list of free or low-cost alternatives.
• You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, whether you are a U.S. citizen, or how you entered the country. (Separate rules apply at international borders and airports and for individuals on certain nonimmigrant visas, including tourists and business travelers.)

What to do if you are arrested or detained:

• Say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don’t give any explanations or excuses. Don’t say anything, sign anything, or make any decisions without a lawyer.
• If you have been arrested by the police, you have the right to make a local phone call. The police cannot listen if you call a lawyer.
• If you have been detained by ICE, you have the right to contact your consulate or have an officer inform the consulate of your detention.
• Remember your immigration number (“A” number) and give it to your family. It will help family members locate you.
• Keep a copy of your immigration documents with someone you trust.
• If you are a non-citizen: Ask your lawyer about the effect of a criminal conviction or plea on your immigration status. Don’t discuss your immigration status with anyone but your lawyer. While you are in jail, an immigration agent may visit you. Do not answer questions or sign anything before talking to a lawyer. Read all the papers fully. If you do not understand or cannot read the papers, tell the officer you need an interpreter.

If you believe your rights were violated:

• Write down everything you remember, including officers’ badges and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, and any other details. Get the contact information for witnesses.
• If you’re injured, seek medical attention immediately and take photographs of your injuries.
• File a written complaint with the agency’s internal affairs division or civilian complaint board. In most cases, you can file a complaint anonymously if you wish.

I need a lawyer

Your rights:

• If you are arrested by the police, you have the right to a government-appointed lawyer and should ask for one immediately.
• If arrested, you have the right to a private phone call within a reasonable time of your arrest, and police may not listen to the call if it is made to a lawyer.
• If you are detained by ICE or Border Patrol, you have the right to hire a lawyer, but the government does not have to provide one for you. Ask for a list of free or low-cost alternatives.
• If you are detained, you have the right to call a lawyer or your family, and you have the right to be visited by a lawyer in detention. You have the right to have your attorney with you at any hearing before an immigration judge.

For more information and resources, visit ACLU.