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To carry out President Donald Trump’s mission to deport millions of immigrants under the largest deportation plan in U.S. history, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has conducted widespread raids in cities around the country.
Unless you live under a rock, you have been hearing the rumors of increased immigration enforcement activity throughout South Florida over the last week. From anonymous Facebook comments to blurry TikTok videos of Florida Highway Patrol troopers and unmarked vehicles pulling over landscaping trucks to posts on the Ring Neighbors app, people have flooded social media this week to report possible sightings of federal immigration agents detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
As these raids can happen at any moment, here is what you should do in the event a loved one is detained by ICE.
Tracking Down Your Family Member
ICE will provide an arrestee with a nine-digit alien registration number (A-number) that can be used by loved ones to track down where they are being held. The A-number can be found on any documents from the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services if the person previously submitted an immigration application. A detainee can also be located by searching their country of origin, date of birth, and full legal name on the ICE locator portal, which provides information about where a person is being held.
Legal Help
Undocumented immigrants have the right to consult with a lawyer. Detainees can request a list of free or low-cost legal options. Most detainees have the right to request a court hearing before an immigration judge to apply for relief from removal. Those with expedited removal orders, aggravated felony offenses, outstanding removal orders, or prior deportations are not eligible for a hearing.
Legal representatives are permitted to visit their clients seven days a week. They can also request video conference meetings or confidential legal phone calls with their clients.
Visitation
If you are looking for information about someone detained at a facility, be sure to have the person’s biological information handy, like first, last, and hyphenated names, any aliases they may use, and their date and country of birth. Detainees cannot receive incoming phone calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave a message, you must call the facility, leave the detainee’s full name, A-number, and your name and number.
All family and other social visits are non-contact. Adult visitors must present a valid government-issued identification card to enter the facility.
On their assigned weekend, detainees are allotted one 45-minute visit session. A maximum of two visitors, including minor children, are permitted per detainee.
Krome North Service Processing Center
While friends and family visits are offered seven days a week, detainees are entitled to one weekly visit, not to exceed an hour.
Gather Documents, Report Raids
Keep a copy of your immigration documents with someone you trust. Collect any previously filed immigration applications, police reports, probable cause affidavits, charging, and sentencing documents. Be sure to write down any information about the raid, including the officers involved, where it happened, what transpired, and any other important information.
There are hotlines dedicated to reporting raids. The Florida Immigrant Coalition offers a hotline at 1-888-600-5762. You can also report a raid and any immigration activity in the area to United We Dream at 1-844-363-1423.
