After more reading, it looks like the best advice for now to those whose only crime is living here without citizenship papers is to avoid being with anyone who may be suspected of a separate crime. The current ICE directive does not call for deportation without a hearing of those who have been here 2+ years UNLESS nabbed in the process of arresting a criminal. Obviously employment sweeps that result in one wanted guy at a workplace of 100 could justify detaining all undocumented people on the premises, by that standard.
I doubt if there will be a lot of sympathy if ICE is just grabbing actual criminals or suspects, but if it goes beyond that, we will be needed.
We must keep our heads on a swivel, as the coaches say. The attacks are coming from all sides. But there is little doubt that the main rush is coming under the anti-immigrant banner. In various forms. I agree, Marc, that we all are going to be called upon to become personally involved in the defense of the people who live as our neighbors and work, usually invisibly, to make our economic machine run. Four years ago we called many of these people “essential workers,” and didn’t scrutinize paperwork. Now they are declared literally Enemies of the State. Well, no.
I await direction from those more trained in immigration law and practice than I, but my advice to undocumented friends is to move at least for now away from any known address, preferably not with a relative. Frankly, I don’t know if that’s good advice or not. But it seems that in the early stages they will be going for the low-hanging fruit, the easy captures, numbers.
But yes, nonviolent civil disobedience seems like a tactic that will be called for. I’m sure we can count on that Detroit preacher who purported to channel MLK at the inauguration to be on the line with us.
After more reading, it looks like the best advice for now to those whose only crime is living here without citizenship papers is to avoid being with anyone who may be suspected of a separate crime. The current ICE directive does not call for deportation without a hearing of those who have been here 2+ years UNLESS nabbed in the process of arresting a criminal. Obviously employment sweeps that result in one wanted guy at a workplace of 100 could justify detaining all undocumented people on the premises, by that standard.
I doubt if there will be a lot of sympathy if ICE is just grabbing actual criminals or suspects, but if it goes beyond that, we will be needed.
We must keep our heads on a swivel, as the coaches say. The attacks are coming from all sides. But there is little doubt that the main rush is coming under the anti-immigrant banner. In various forms. I agree, Marc, that we all are going to be called upon to become personally involved in the defense of the people who live as our neighbors and work, usually invisibly, to make our economic machine run. Four years ago we called many of these people “essential workers,” and didn’t scrutinize paperwork. Now they are declared literally Enemies of the State. Well, no.
I await direction from those more trained in immigration law and practice than I, but my advice to undocumented friends is to move at least for now away from any known address, preferably not with a relative. Frankly, I don’t know if that’s good advice or not. But it seems that in the early stages they will be going for the low-hanging fruit, the easy captures, numbers.
But yes, nonviolent civil disobedience seems like a tactic that will be called for. I’m sure we can count on that Detroit preacher who purported to channel MLK at the inauguration to be on the line with us.