UUFWS will be hosting an ICE Watch Training Session. If being a member of the ICE Watch team is a good role for you, join the training and be part of the Rapid Response Team to support our neighbors and keep our community safe.
Childcare will be provided during the 6-8 pm training. Join us early at 5:30 pm for pizza!
This training is for folks to become ICE verifiers. A good candidate for this training is someone who has the capacity to respond to texts of potential ICE presence throughout the day and to go out to verify – or not – the reported ICE presence. This includes: reliable automobile transit, flexibility in day commitments, sense of safety and comfortability in approaching vehicle and asking their drivers for their badges.
As space is limited, plan to take the training only If you know that you would be comfortable taking on this role.
There are other ways that you can help if this is not the right role for you and we will be sharing those with you soon. Read below for more information from UU Justice NC. Most importantly, don’t directly approach a suspicious situation but do report activity to the Siembra Hotline: 336-543-0353.
Guidance from UU Justice NC: United in the Fight Against Border Patrol Operations in NC
As Unitarian Universalist, we believe that no human being is illegal, and that we have the moral responsibility to powerfully contribute to the work of community safety & care. Over the past month, that has meant UU Congregations across the state hosting trainings, UUs getting trained and activated within safety patrols, supporting mutual aid funds, distributing food, speaking out at press conferences and rallies, and more.
Do not spread rumors that you may hear through word of mouth or on social media. While it may seem like assisting, sharing unverified reports of ICE or Border Patrol can cause panic and spread trained response resources thin.
Unless you have gone through a training with a partner (i.e. Siembra NC, Carolina Migrant Network, Ready the Ground, etc.) or an occupation (i.e. Public Schools), do not directly approach a suspicious situation. If you see someone you suspect may be ICE or Border Patrol, call Siembra NC Defense Hotline: 336-543-0353 (State-Wide) and they will send a trained verifier to the location.
We know that our collective safety happens through a strategic community response, coordinated by trusted partners. In this moment, we do this by following the lead of Immigrant rights organizations across the state who have been preparing long before this week’s Border Patrol and ICE operations in our state. These trusted partners include Siembra NC, Carolina Migrant Network, Muslim Women For, SEAC Village, El Pueblo, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, CIMA, FaithAction International, and others within our wider movement ecosystem.
