Deportation Defense

Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network is continuously developing systems to track ICE activity, alert affected communities, and mobilize resistance.

The Trump administration is threatening our communities, spreading fear as ICE hunts people in their homes and on the streets. As a state, we have lacked the tools and resources to report and respond to attacks in a coordinated effort. Now Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network has developed the technical means to track ICE activity, alert affected communities, and mobilize resistance. We are deploying networks of volunteers to protect immigrants and refugees at local and state levels.

The rapid-response system includes:

• A hotline to receive reports from the field of ICE and other immigration enforcement activity.

• A mobile app to communicate with the hotline and text alert system. (In development as of January 2018)

• Volunteers around the state to staff the hotline, receive calls, verify incidents, and send out text alerts.

• A text alert system that people can subscribe to that sends text-message notifications of verified ICE activity.

• Networks of rapid-response volunteers around the state to physically go to verified incidents, bear witness and support those targeted.

To volunteer for any of these efforts, please contact the Rapid Response Coordinators – at info@waisn.org

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Hotline

1-844-RAID-REP (1-844-724-3737)

The hotline is a key resource for helping community members report ICE activity in their communities. Calling it triggers efforts by rapid-response volunteers to verify and document the raid or other situation. If ICE activity can be verified, rapid responders are dispatched to the scene to assist with community self-defense against deportations. The hotline also serves to connect family members who have had a loved one detained to services and to dispense Know Your Rights information.

The hotline is staffed by volunteers responding to calls on shifts. Bi-lingual English and Spanish speakers are needed, as well as on-call interpreters for other languages.

In the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, the hotline helped us report an ICE raid in progress and mobilize Rapid Response volunteers and Lawyers to stop the raid from happening!

The Director of ICE said that they plan to increase workplace immigration enforcement by 4 to 5 times in 2018 so it is very important that our hotline is staffed and people are trained.

We are looking for bilingual English/Spanish volunteers to take regular volunteer shifts as well as bilingual volunteers in a bunch of additional languages to be on call. To register your interest, please fill out this form. Both organizations and individuals are welcome.

Text-Message Alert System

Text “ICE” or “Migra” to 509-300-4959

The WAISN text-message alert system sends out SMS text notifications about ICE activity in Washington. You can choose to receive alerts in English and Spanish.

Rapid-Responder Teams

WAISN is organizing teams of volunteers around the state to support our neighbors and friends in the event of an ICE raid or related community emergency. When an incident has been reported to the hotline and verified, and text messages go out, we want to provide a physical response by physically showing up, bearing witness, and recording exactly what happens.

We are seeking people in many communities who are willing to organize in this way to keep our communities safe. We will provide training and support.

Building A Deportation Defense Teams

Our communities will not be intimidated by the threats of an administration that only spends their entire day attempting to terrorize us! Our network has grown to over 150 organizations, and we all understand that not one single organization could do this alone. Our power comes from our solidarity and being able to trust that we all are working to uplift our communities and strengthening our defense lines.

As we all know the reality of massive operations taking place is logistically impossible, but they will have tear targets for sure. This is how we see this potential threats having some form of feasible approach:

ICE HOTSPOTS FOR IMMIGRATION ACTIVITY

• increased of work place audits & raids

• increased immigration activity at courthouses

• people with prior deportation orders, convictions or charges that may end you up in the system.

• collateral of folks who they encounter during operations, specially in large apartment complexes.