We MUST Unmask ICE

Updated with more ideas for disrupting ICE raids. Help me brainstorm more.

For many weeks now, approximately 90% of my brain has been occupied with ICE raids. I can’t stop thinking about them. I’ll go on a long walk, planning to listen to a podcast or book, and then instead, I make voice notes with thoughts about ICE raids. And I’m not even there! I’m an ocean away! I feel so useless!

The ICE raids continue to escalate in frequency and intensity, and whenever I see footage, I just boil with anger. These men refuse to identify themselves, they show no badge or ID, they mask their faces, they don’t wear a recognizable or official uniform, they offer no authorization for what they are doing, they don’t carry warrants, they don’t know the names of the people they are taking, they wear military gear that any random person could order from Amazon.

There is no pattern to who is being taken, there is no recourse, there’s no agreed upon process that we all understand, there’s no information about where the people are being taken to, there’s no visible leadership or command structure, there’s no one in charge who can answer questions.

It’s kidnapping at gunpoint.

ICE raids are not new in America, but these are particularly heinous and fascistic:

No ID

The unwillingness to identify themselves is absolutely nuts. It’s a very big deal that they are taking people without identifying themselves, and it’s very wrong. We should all be extremely freaked out by it. Historically, our country hasn’t been great at keeping law enforcement corruption and violence in check, but our best efforts have included requiring identification. Officers show their badge and photo ID, we can ask them for their name and badge number and call the police station to confirm their identity. They are required to show their faces. We can videotape interactions and/or ask people to watch and witness, so they can identify the officers too.

We HAVE TO KNOW who is doing the enforcing or there is zero chance at accountability. If anyone can dress up as an ICE agent and they aren’t expected to show ID, that is an instant recipe for violence and corruption.

Just a couple of days ago, a MAGA man impersonating a police officer, assassinated Democrat Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark. And men who have nothing to do with ICE are dressing up as ICE vigilantes and kidnapping women in order to sexually assault them. I guarantee there are women being imprisoned in some man’s basement right this minute, who were grabbed off the street in broad daylight, while any witnesses assumed it was an official ICE raid.

We HAVE TO be able to properly and accurately identify law enforcement, and that includes ICE.

No Process

As ridiculous and overgrown as our police force is, there is an expectation of basic rules being followed during interactions with law enforcement. They can’t enter our homes without a warrant signed by a judge. If they don’t have cause for detaining us, we are free to go. They read us our rights upon arrest. We can contact a lawyer to represent us. If someone is arrested, there’s no mystery about where to find them. You can find information about an arrest at your local precinct.

With these ICE raids, there is no recognizable process being followed. There is no warrant being shown or ID being confirmed. There are no predictable steps leading up to an arrest. There is no information about where people are being detained. There is no chance to speak with a lawyer. There is no way to post bail and get out of jail. Instead of being deported, people are being imprisoned with no due process at all.

The absence of predictable process is NOT OKAY. Access to due process is a basic human right for all people. If you think to yourself: This couldn’t happen to me, because I would simply show my passport and prove I’m a citizen… Then, you’re fundamentally missing the point. Due process IS your chance to show your passport and prove you’re a citizen. Without due process, you’re just in prison forever, no matter who you are or what you’re accused of.

The lack of process in these ICE raids should have us screaming.

No Humanity

These raids make no sense. It’s clear there are number quotas attempting to be reached with no acknowledgement of humanity. People’s lives and families are being disrupted and destroyed with no thought, no compassion.

These ICE cowards kidnap employees, they kidnap legal residents, they kidnap people who are legally immigrating and diligently going to their immigration appointments, they kidnap anyone who speaks broken English, they kidnap citizens.

They’re not “catching criminals”, instead, they’re targeting tax-paying, contributing members of society. And we know this because ICE cowards show up at playgrounds, schools, hospitals, constructions sites, and immigration offices.

And because they are cowards, they show up with violence, decked out in full military gear, as they attack unarmed people.

Ideas for Disrupting ICE Raids

I think we need to share ideas on how to disrupt ICE raids. Below are a bunch I’ve seen or thought of, I hope you’ll comment with more. Some are about disrupting Proud Boys gatherings, but I think we can apply some of the same techniques to ICE:

-I saw one video where a crowd of people surrounded ICE in a parking lot and started chanting, “Shame! Shame!” The whole crowd chanted, and it seemed to kind of stun the ICE cowards.

-This man says he and his brother are dressing up like ICE, and then escorting people safely to their cars after immigration hearings.

-In some situations, it could make sense to involve additional law enforcement to gum up the works. You could call 911, but don’t mention ICE: Please help! There are 2 men with guns assaulting a woman and dragging her from her car. Come quickly!

-Forbes reports that LA Residents Are Foiling ICE Raids Using Amazon Ring’s Neighborhood Watch.

-This thread suggests organizing a brake light clinic in your community. “It’s a free, community event where volunteers repair or replace broken brake lights (& sometimes headlights or turn signals) for anyone who needs it, no questions, no strings. It’s a form of harm reduction in carceral systems: they prevent people, especially those most targeted by police, from being pulled over for bullshit, easily fixable issues that can become fines, arrests, violence, or deportation.”

-There are reports coming in that glitter is effective. Throwing a fistful of super-fine glitter marks them as ICE, and as anyone who has ever crafted knows, glitter is very hard to get rid of.

-A woman named Kate reports: USC law students have started a hotline for people to call when they have an immigration-related court hearing but don't want to show up in person for fear of being arrested/detained by ICE outside the courthouse. The students will help people complete and submit a "Motion to Change Hearing Format," which can allow someone to have a remote/online hearing instead of in-person. The hotline # is (888) 462-5211. They can help in English or Spanish.

-It sure seems men like this really respect authority, and a lot of their manly bluster is a bluff, so why not bluff right back. The person with the most confidence wins, so if you can act like the more authoritative person, perhaps you can dominate the interaction and get them to back off. This is illegal. You’re impersonating law enforcement. I’m an attorney and I’m making a citizens arrest. I’ve got a judge on the phone right now, who is demanding you make an appearance at the courthouse immediately.

-In Atlanta, a Proud Boys rally was drowned out with tubas.

-In this clip, you can see a woman using a bullhorn to drown out a Proud Boys presentation. She used the alarm-sound on the bullhorn and then just yelled at them using the bullhorn so no one could hear what they were saying. So effective!

-Related: A reader named April sent me this message with excellent ideas:

“My neighbors and I disrupted a few last week here in AZ! 1. Download screams death metal. Grab every Bluetooth speaker you own. Go to where they are and BLAST THAT SHIT at top volume. Extra points for blasting it from your car too. Make it impossible for them to communicate with one another. Fight hate with music. 2. Learn how to scream instructions in Spanish. We run/drive through the area screaming in Spanish “Stay inside! Do not answer the door! Do not do what they tell you!” 3. Link arms with your neighbors, pull out your phones and physically stand between them and the people they’re trying to nab. Having a chant ready is best. Here’s to the resistance! We have friends everywhere.”

-We may not know a lot about these guys, but we do know they don’t want to be identified, so we could do whatever we can to freak the ICE cowards out and make them think their identity could be exposed.

Record any ICE raids you encounter, and follow the ICE cowards to their vehicle. Make sure to capture their license plate on camera. Act like you’re streaming the video live, and loudly say something like: For those of you watching, please identify these men, this is their license plate number.

-Pretend you know who they are and recognize them despite their mask, with the goal of making them prove who they are: I know you! You’re that guy on Dateline who got caught trying to meetup with a 13 year old! Your name is Chad Smith!! I recognize you! Hey everyone! This guy is Chad Smith — he’s a pedophile! I saw him on TV!

Then, if he wants to prove you wrong, he has to give a name or show his ID, at which point you video the ID and say: Hey Tiktok, this is Kevin Jones, here’s his ID, please dox him asap. Let’s get him fired by the end of the day.

If ICE cowards become more and more fearful of being identified, the hope is that they will be less and less willing to work for ICE.

-Similar idea: we could accuse them of what they are accusing others of. Hey! I know you! You were in my high school. You’re from Sweden! You’re not even American. You’re illegal!! With the goal of goading them in to giving their name and exposing their identify.

-This delightful video shows a woman who is quick on her feet stealing a MAGA hat from a man’s head. I think we could try the same thing with men dressed up as ICE cowards. When possible, grab their hat or pull down their mask.

-We can assume these men are terrified of many things. They fear being different. They fear being gay. They fear being feminine. So we could talk loudly about periods and tampons. Say words like menstruation and vagina. Make them uncomfortable so they want to leave the area.

-Mock them. Gosh, are those matching vests? That’s so cute! Did you guys call each other this morning to coordinate your outfits? Was there a group chat? Did you get some good selfies in your twinner outfits? Do you want me to take a picture for you? Wow, are those authentic Dockers?

-To play on their fear of being different, we could act like they are foreigners — or worse, socialists! Pretend you can’t understand what they are saying. What kind of weird accent is that? Where are you from? You sound like a commie, are you a socialist? Irritate them. Stress them out.

-Mother Jones reports on the Scrappy Network of Volunteers Protecting Their Neighbors From ICE in Waltham, Massachusetts.

-I saw a video of a group of Proud Boys climbing in the back of a U-haul for transportation. But it’s illegal to ride in the back of a U-Haul. Someone captured the U-Haul license plate, and reported what was happening to U-haul, and now that group is banned from renting at U-Haul.

-Outright deny them. Talk fast and loud. I don’t believe you are ICE. You’re lying. You’re fake. Prove to me that you’re ICE. Show me some authorization from ICE that deputizes you by name. You’re a liar. If you’re really ICE you’ll have an email at the very least. Show me your ID so I can match your name. Prove it. Prove you’re ICE or get out of here.

They’re Not Playing by the Rules, So Neither Should We

Since they’re not following legal process or playing by the rules, we should match that energy when we’re interacting with them. What kind of non-rule following can we do to mess them up?

We need to continue to try different strategies to see what works, and then share what works widely. Please share ideas or things you’ve seen that have worked.

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That’s all for now. I hope you are well.

kisses,
Gabrielle

P.S. — Yes, I saw the awful tweet from Mike Lee. I freaking hate that guy. I’ve been posting on Threads about it, but haven’t written up an essay. 6/18 update: I just published some thoughts.