Migra Watch provides a way for communities and workers to defend and support each other in the face of increased detention operations, police violence, and fascist attacks.
What Migra Watch is Designed to Do
Rumor control: Verify reports that are creating fear in the real world or through social media channels
Empower communities to be able to alert the presence of ICE, cops, and fascists, getting a rapid response of defenders
Shine a light on ICE, law enforcement operations, and fascist attacks: Our communities are safer when people know about how and when federal agents, police, and fascists are operating nearby
Keep families together: People who know both how to defend their rights and how immigration agents are operating nearby are less likely to be separated from their families
What It Is
Training workers and community residents to become the eyes and ears of the movement
Who communicate with hotline operators/dispatchers about what they see
Who, if they encounter suspected ICE, law enforcement, or fascist are able to confidently ask questions, if safe and necessary
And who, if they encounter ICE agents conducting operations, take directions from operators/dispatchers to provide greater awareness for immigrants who might be nearby
Establishing a Migra Watch program
Recruit people to be part of a coordination team
Decide on goals, roles, structure and process: Hotline schedule, hotline coordinators, shift system, recruitment and management, etc.
Sign-up people interested in becoming trained
Host verifier trainings (including role plays on interactions with ICE agents)
Host “practice runs” – simulations of ICE reports to test the ICE Watch system
Create an outreach program that educates and builds trust with immigrants face-to-face while raising awareness of the existence of a defense hotline