DENVER — As the Trump administration heads back to the White House next month, the incoming President’s promises of mass deportation are raising fears in immigrant communities. But a coalition of immigrant rights groups in Colorado is banding together to help these communities prepare by getting to know their rights.
“The threat of separating families is there,” said Jordan Garcia, an Immigrant Ally Organizing Director with the American Friends Service Committee’s Coloradans For Immigrant Rights program.
But there’s power in learning your rights, and those of your neighbors. No matter what your immigration status is, Garcia said all Coloradans are invited to learn, get involved and take action together.
Usually, that starts with “Know Your Rights” trainings, which teach about the constitutional rights shared by all people living in the United States, whether you are a citizen or not.
You can watch or read trainings like this online, attend a scheduled training in-person or even request to have a trainer come to your community.
Know Your Rights trainings walk you through basic rights like the right to a translator and legal representation. Under the 5th Amendment, you have a right to remain silent. Under the 4th Amendment, you are protected from search and seizure.
That’s why Garcia said it’s important to know the differences between warrants signed by a judge, and those that aren’t.
For a search warrant to be valid, it must be signed by a judge and have your correct name and address on it.
“If a warrant is signed by an immigration officer, you do not have to let that person have access to your person or your property, your car, nothing like that,” he said.
If you’re unsure whether you need to give a law enforcement official access to your home, car or workplace, Garcia said there is a 24/7 hotline available to help.
The Colorado Rapid Response Network, formed by a coalition of Colorado immigrant rights groups in 2017, takes calls at 844-864-8341 and offers advice on its Facebook page.
“If you are in a panic and you're looking at a warrant, you can compare it to this website [or call the hotline], and it will help you,” he said.
In Colorado, immigrants also have additional rights and protections, Garcia said. For example, in Colorado, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cannot make arrests in or around any courthouse, and probation officers cannot share information with ICE. Additionally, Colorado police departments cannot hold someone for ICE beyond their release date or arrest someone based solely on their immigration status. It is also illegal, under Colorado law, to threaten to report someone’s immigration status as a form of extortion.
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Another way immigrant families can protect themselves is by putting together a “Family Preparedness Packet,” Garcia said.
These packets of documents “help people understand what they need to know in an emergency, but also to help them feel more prepared and bolstered, so that they can know what their rights are and stand by them,” he said.
Family Preparedness Packets centralize all of the important documents needed in the case of an immigration arrest or deportation, such as emergency contacts, medical and school records, birth certificates and ID cards. Immigrant rights groups across the country offer many guides and explainers to help families make their own packets.
Immigrant communities may also find help through their local government. For example, the City & County of Denver's Immigrant & Refugee Affairs division offers a city guide in multiple languages to help immigrant communities understand the services available.
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In the new year, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition in partnership with other local groups will be releasing an updated guide and offering more trainings.
For now, Garcia said the best way to put fears aside is to come together.
“People in Colorado care about immigrants and want to protect immigrants," he said. "Come out to some of these trainings and get trained. Be part of the process. Get involved with your community. Take action together."
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