In the past week there have been reports of ICE raids in Marin County. On February 21, Congressman Jared Huffman (CA 2nd District) convened local educational leaders, law enforcement officials, legal aid, public defenders, and community organizations supporting immigrants. Congressman Huffman confirmed that to date, ICE activity had been limited to isolated incidents involving immigrants with known criminal activity.
During the meeting, it was agreed that Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle in collaboration with the chiefs of the local police departments—including Jeff Marozick, Chief of Marin Community College District’s Police Department—would prepare a joint statement clarifying that local police officers and deputies will not support any ICE activity in Marin County. That message will be forthcoming.
As we follow this situation closely and work with Marin County advocates, we also recognize that our College is home to students who identify as undocumented and/or who are from families of mixed legal status. While we know that our students and immigrant community are resilient, resourceful, and strong, we also understand that recent events have created a very real concern about safety.
It is important for our students, staff, and faculty to be aware of current events affecting undocumented people, and also to be supportive of the mental and emotional stress that can be heightened when ICE activity occurs. We are encouraging students to connect with faculty, staff, and psychological services (415-485-9649) for support.
In order for our community to be effective and equipped to support undocumented and immigrant students, we highly encourage faculty and staff to have information visible and accessible. This helps get the word out to promote information and safety. Know Your Rights Cards can be found in multiple languages in the Student Services Center, second floor and in various offices, including the ESL office. The card provides information about what rights every individual has should they be approached by an ICE officer. You can also access the information at https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards and http://unitedwedream.org/thank-deportation-defense-card-handy-phone/.
UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS - IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
For Legal Counsel: 1-844-878-7801
*This phone number is for free legal counsel and people are encouraged to memorize it in the event that all possessions are taken (https://www.aclunc.org).
To locate a person who is detained: https://www.ice.gov/contact/ero
*This site has information about where an individual is taken.
Please know that undocumented immigrants are being highly encouraged to fill out a Caregiver Authorization Affidavit in the case that a family member is detained or separated, especially those with young children so that care can continue if anything should happen.
What We Know for Sure
1. The CA Dream Act is safe - Cal Grants, institutional scholarships, DREAM Loans, EOPS, and the BOG Fee Waiver will all still remain intact for undocumented students.
2. CA driver's licenses for undocumented people are safe.
3. CA has the strongest protections for undocumented people of any state in the union, particularly when it comes to ICE and law enforcement, in the form of the TRUTH Act: http://www.catruthact.org/
4. California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office: http://www.cccco.edu/ResourcesforUndocumentedStudents.aspx
Know Your Rights
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) link (dealing with ICE, combating Islamaphobia, filming law enforcement, etc.) https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights
How to Fight Deportation: http://kpblawyers.blogspot.com/2016/11/how-to-fight-your-deportation.html