On January 30, the Jewish Family Service advised undocumented and temporary protected status (TPS) students and employees through a presentation and Q&A. Jewish Family Service is an organization that offers free legal advice through the Dreamers Resource Office.
The event, “Know Your Rights,” took place at the Cross-Cultural Center at U-Hour. Most physical resources, such as worksheets and a “Know Your Rights” card, were offered in English and Spanish, while the presentation was conducted in English.
Carlos Gonzalez Dives, Assistant Director of the Cross-Cultural Center, shared his thoughts on the fear members of the CSUSM community are experiencing surrounding deportation and their, or a loved one’s, immigration status.
“[The Cross-Cultural Center] is a place where students can come for comfort, not just for resources, but [to become educated] on social issues,” Dives says.
Dives wants the Cross-Cultural Center to provide students with everything they need to be informed about.
Your Rights
Marisa Garcia Perez, a Lead Program Coordinator from Jewish Family Service, presented at the Know Your Rights event.
Perez commented on threats towards the undocumented community.
“It’s important more than ever to remember your rights and exercise your rights,” Perez says, “Share resources… and come together as a community.”
In her presentation, Perez highlighted two constitutional rights all people living in America can exercise.
5th Amendment – This includes the right to remain silent. This means one does not have to speak if they don’t want to.
Exercising this right can look like:
- I am going to remain silent. I want to talk to a lawyer.
- I wish to not speak to you.
- Staying silent
4th Amendment – This is the right to privacy in one’s own home and to be protected against unreasonable searches and seizures. This means law enforcement cannot search a person’s home or belongings without a warrant signed by a judge.
Exercising this right can look like:
- Documenting an unreasonable search or seizure with photography and video
- Telling ICE agents attempting to enter your home to slip the warrant under the door or show it through the window
- Checking if the document is a legitimate search warrant and signed by a judge
Jewish Family Service shared that valid search warrants will have the names and addresses of the properties of the people law enforcement can search. ICE agents may show an arrest warrant signed by ICE which often looks like a letter. This document is only the right to arrest, not the right to enter a home.
The Bounds of Law Enforcement
Police are legally allowed to lie, bluff, and intimidate while investigating. The Jewish Family Service says this can look like, “You’re not in trouble. We’re only interested in another incident.”
The 100-mile border zone is an area where ICE and federal immigration officers have the right to stop people.
Drivers can encounter Border Patrol within 100 miles of the U.S. border:
- At checkpoints
- While driving
- At temporary checkpoints
(Saturn Salama)
At checkpoints, there may be cameras installed and border patrol agents who have the ability to ask passengers about their status.
NEW from the Trump Administration
The Trump administration is currently discussing expansions on what ICE agents have the right to do.
The Laken Riley Act was the first bill President Trump signed into law. This bill will require federal officials to detain any migrant arrested or charged with crimes such as burglary, theft, shoplifting, or assaulting a police officer.