immigrant allies

why should i care?

1. Human Rights: Immigrants, like everyone else, deserve basic human rights, including access to safety, healthcare, education, and fair treatment. Supporting immigrants ensures that these rights are upheld and protected, no matter their immigration status.
2. Solidarity: Immigrant communities are an integral part of the social, economic, and cultural fabric of society. By being an ally, you show solidarity with those who are marginalized, standing up against systems of oppression and inequality.
3. Building Stronger Communities: Immigrant communities bring diverse perspectives, cultures, and skills. By supporting immigrants, you help create stronger, more resilient communities where everyone can contribute and thrive.
4. Social Justice: Discrimination against immigrants often intersects with other forms of inequality, including racism, sexism, and economic injustice. Being an ally to immigrants helps address broader issues of social justice, ensuring that everyone has access to the same opportunities.
5. Moral Responsibility: As global citizens, we have a moral duty to support and care for others, especially those who are vulnerable. Immigrants are often fleeing violence, poverty, or oppression, and being an ally means standing up for those who need support.
6. Advocacy for Change: By being vocal and advocating for immigrant rights, allies can help bring about policy changes that benefit immigrants and address the challenges they face, such as access to legal services, protections against deportation, and opportunities for a better life.

Ultimately, being an ally to immigrants isn’t just about helping others. It’s about working toward a more just and compassionate society where everyone, regardless of their immigration status, has the opportunity to live with dignity and respect.

how you can be an immigrant ally locally

Going with Immigrants to ICE Check-ins

• Many undocumented immigrants are required to attend regular check-ins with ICE officers, often as a condition of release while their immigration case is pending. These check-ins do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing, but they can be highly stressful, especially under policies that have led to surprise detentions and deportations.

• To support immigrants, allies have increasingly begun accompanying them to check-ins. This offers moral support and helps monitor the interaction to ensure rights are not violated. While rules vary by location, the main role of the accompanying person is to be physically present and show community backing—not to engage directly with ICE unless asked by the immigrant. Allies can also help by preparing a rapid response plan in case the individual is detained. This plan should include legal contacts, emergency information, and the location of important documents. Tools like the ICE detainee locator can assist in finding someone if they are taken into custody.

Get “Know Your Rights” Training

Undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have constitutional rights, regardless of who is president. To protect these rights, many people are attending Know Your Rights workshops to better understand what protections are available. As an ally, you can help by learning these rights and supporting others, especially during interactions with ICE.

Key actions include:

• Carrying a Know Your Rights card to show ICE officers, which asserts the right to remain silent and request an attorney. Download the card here.
• Creating safety plans for those at risk of deportation, using resources like the Family Preparedness Plan.
• Standing in solidarity during ICE raids, refusing to answer questions until an attorney is present, and offering support.
• Reporting and documenting raids, including taking photos or videos (safely), and calling hotlines like United We Dream’s: 1-844-363-1423.

Sharing this information and practicing solidarity can help protect vulnerable immigrant communities.