Skip navigation

LEA EN ESPAÑOL (CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS!)

For too long, the U.S has failed to be a good neighbor fueling displacement through military interventions, economic warfare and sanctions that harm everyday people in countries like Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Instead of being a good neighbor, the U.S criminalizes those fleeing these conditions. We refuse to let our neighbors be terrorized! 

As a feminist, anti-war organization committed to peace and justice, CODEPINK stands against the criminalization and deportation of immigrants. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids tear families apart, instill fear in communities, and uphold policies rooted in racism and xenophobia. These policies are not isolated, they are directly tied to U.S foreign policy and economic sanctions that destabilize Latin America, forcing people to migrate in search of safety and dignity.

This toolkit provides the resources needed to resist ICE raids, protect immigrant neighbors, and take action against deportation policies.


Index

  1. Know your rights
  2. Build community defense network.
  3. Take direct action against deportation policies
  4. Shift the narrative and expose ICE’s brutality
  5. Take Action With CODEPINK!
  6. Remember, you are not alone!
  7. Share your story 

Build community defense networks

Emergency Response: Protect your neighbors by setting up a rapid response network!

  • Before a possible ICE encounter:
    - Create your emergency plan: Fill out your emergency plan and place it in a folder labeled “privileged and confidential" and give it to a trusted person.
    - Keep copies of important documents in a safe place (birth certificate, medical records, etc)
    - Do not carry your passport: ICE can use it to speed up deportation
  • Create a Community Alert System
    - Use WhatsApp, Signal, or SMS group chats for real-time ICE alerts.
    - Train neighbors to mobilize within minutes.
    - Start a list of pro-bono immigration lawyers that are willing to provide services for people being detained.
  • Assign Roles
    - Legal Observers – Document raids and collect evidence.
    - Media Contact – Alert local journalists & social media networks.
    - Family Support – Ensure impacted families get legal & financial help.

  • ICE Watch: How to Respond to an ICE Sighting
    If you see ICE in your community, follow these steps:
    - Verify: Is it actually ICE? (Look for badges that say “POLICE ICE.”)
    - Alert Your Network: Send a text or voice note. Example: “ICE spotted at [Location] at [Time]. [Offer any additional details such as number of officers seen, etc.] Be ready to respond!”
    - Document: Safely record videos, take pictures, and note details.
    - Support the Person: Remind them of their rights, help connect them with legal aid.

  • Support Bail & Legal Defense Funds
    - Detention = profit. ICE detention is inhumane and expensive. Start or contribute to a local bond fund.

Shape the Narrative:

ICE is not “law enforcement”; they are a state-funded terror squad. Use framing that centers immigrant dignity and exposes ICE brutality.

Spread the Word!

  • Want to understand why people are fleeing their countries?

Watch and share this video: Women Displaced: Central American Migration made in the USA, produced by CODEPINK. Use this knowledge to counter anti-immigrant rhetoric and expose the real causes of migration

Download Social Media Graphic

Click to Tweet

or Copy and Paste: ICE isn’t about safety — it’s about tearing families apart & criminalizing people displaced by US foreign policy. No one should be criminalized for seeking dignity. It’s time to defund ICE, end economic warfare, & demand justice! @codepink https://www.codepink.org/latam_ice 


Remember, you are not alone.

Living under the threat of deportation, detention and violence creates deep emotional wounds. The system is designed to break our spirits, but we are stronger together. Fear is their weapon. Solidarity is ours!

  • Stay connected with friends and family. Isolation makes fear worse.
  • Practice grounding techniques to manage anxiety like breathing exercises, mindfulness or journaling.
  • Organize community gatherings where people can share and support each other.
  • Create check-in systems with neighbors or friends.
  • Allow space for rest, art, joy and moments of peace.

More actions: 

Know your rights

For Individuals facing ICE encounters: All people in the United States, regardless of their immigration status, have certain rights and protection under the U.S. Constitution:

  1. Stay silent: You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status.
  2. Do not open the door: ICE cannot enter your home without a judicial warrant (signed by a judge). Ask to see it by slipping it under the door or through a window.
  3. Do not sign anything: If detained, do not sign papers without a lawyer. You have the right to legal counsel.
  4. Refuse searches: You do not have to consent to a search of yourself, your car, or your home.
  5. Ask for a lawyer: If detained, say you want a lawyer and do not sign anything.
  6. Record and report: If safe, record ICE encounters and share with trusted organizations.

Download and print this card 

For Allies Witnessing ICE Raids:

  • Observe & document: Film from a safe distance. Record badge numbers, locations, and officer behavior.
  • Ask for a warrant: If ICE is entering a home, ask to see a judicial warrant.
  • Assert rights loudly: Do not interfere physically but shout out the person’s rights so they know how to respond.
  • Report the raid: Call hotlines & immigrant defense groups immediately.

Make ICE Unwelcome

Demand Your City Cut Ties With ICE – Call your mayor, city council, and police department to demand:

  • No local cooperation with ICE!
  • No sharing of data with ICE!

Turn Your Neighborhood Into an ICE-Free Zone

  • Encourage churches, businesses, and schools to declare themselves safe spaces for immigrants.

Use Sample letter for Schools


Take Action With CODEPINK!

ICE is part of the war machine that profits from violence, displacement and economic devastation. U.S. sanctions create the very migration crisis that ICE then punishes. Let’s build a world without cages, borders, and deportations.

    👉🏾 Print and post these posters in your community to open dialogue and build community! 

  • Post them in your window, or hand them out among your community members!
  • Hang them in local businesses, libraries, and places of worship.
  • Bring them to rallies and protests.
  • Use them for direct action campaigns against ICE.
  • Post on social media and tag @CODEPINK (X) or @codepinkalert (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok).

    👉🏾 Host a teach-in about immigrant justice.
    👉🏾 Organize protests against companies profiting from ICE.

Banning and criminalizing people will build more hate and make the U.S. and the world a less safe place; this will separate families, create division, and grow wars. Our ideals and principles are of peace and justice. We work for our rights and the rights of the most vulnerable. It is time to pick which side we are on and be brave together.

Encourage your community to print and post these messages loud and clear: ICE has no place in our neighborhoods!

Download Poster


Share your story

Share your experiences, tips, stories or anything you want to get off your chest. Whether it's advice that could help someone else, a moment of resilience or simply a reflection on what it feels like to leave under the threat of deportation. 

We will map these stories to show the collective strength of our communities. This is a safe space. No names will be shared.

Why share?

  • Help others prepare and stay safe
  • Connect with a larger movement resisting ICE and state violence
  • Release what weighs on you in a space for solidarity and healing.
  • Your words can inspire, educate and build power!

Submit your story here

ICE National Raid Hotlines:
  • National Lawyers Guild:  1-844- 363-1423
  • United We Dream: To report a raid call 1-844-363-1423. Or send a text message to 877877. 
  • LatinoJustice PRLDEF: Legal advice and referrals in Spanish and English for Latinxs: 800-328-2322.
  • Immigrant Defense Project Hotline: for people or families of those facing in detention and/or facing deportation, (212) 725-6422
  • National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) National Immigration Detention Hotline: 385-212-4842 or [email protected] 
  • Central American Refugee Center (CARECEN): 1-516-489-8330.
  • CASA’s Raid Tip Hotline: 1-888-214-6016 to report any ICE activity.

Check out regional Rapid Response Network HotlinesKNOW YOUR RIGHTS! ICE Raids Rapid Response Toolkit