We need to be sure that everyone in NH knows their rights, everyone in our community, Immigrants and Citizens alike!
ACLU NH has a great page and is a great resource for NH-specific information!
There are a number of specific areas and situations where you need to protect yourself and know your rights!
If you have a direct interaction with Immigration Control & Enforcement. This is not just important to folks with documentation status issues, they are stopping and detaining others, especially those in the BIPOC community.
- Law enforcement asks about my immigration status
- I’ve been stopped by police or ICE
- Police or ICE are at my home
If you have children and have a risk of being detained, there is some planning and paperwork you should do. Who will pick up your kids from school? what forms do you need to provide to the school to allow others to pick up your kids? Who will have guardianship if something happens to you? If you work in a School, Kindergarten, Preschool or Daycare can you mention this to those that may need to know?
If you are seeking asylum or are working on changing your documentation status and need a lawyer where do you go?
- I need a lawyer
- I’ve been detained near the border by Border Patrol
- I was stopped by police, ICE, or Border Patrol while in transit
- I am detained while my immigration case is underway
- I’ve been arrested and need to challenge a deportation order
There is also special training for Bystander training, what can you do if you witness a situation between enforcement and a community member without getting yourself in trouble or making the situation worse for the individual?
If you would like to work with others to respond when there is an incident around a community member being targeted. There are folks in NH working on this, the best group to reach out to is Granite State Organizing Project (GSOP). Groups are organized in different communities in NH. In addition to this work GSOP facilitates the Immigrant Solidarity Network, that meets monthly and holds a vigil at the Local Ice office at the Norris Cotton Federal Building, 275 Chestnut St, Manchester, NH 03101, on the First Tuesday of each month at 9 am, join us to support immigrants, this is a common time that community members are asked to come in for ICE appointments. The intent is to show support and provide information to appointment attendees. This is followed by the monthly Immigrant Solidarity Network meeting.
There are two types of Bystander Training:
– Organized response or Witness Bystander training.
– For the average person.
There is also training for Schools, Churches, Hospitals and other employers, These trainings are unique to each area. The organizations should be planning and communicating with their members, attendees or employees to explain what they should do in response to Federal Law Enforcement coming to their locations. Where are Federal Law Enforcement officers allowed to go? Etc.
A Toolkit for Organizations Responding to Mass Worksite Immigration Raids
There can also be training for individuals who’s employer doesn’t offer these trainings so that people know what they can and can’t do. One area that comes up is what is a “Private Area” for any of these locations vs. Public Areas.
For all of these trainings and for other questions contact Granite State Organizing Project. (603) 668-8250 gsopstaff@granitestateorganizing.org
also you can contact info@aclu-nh.org for legal and other questions.
Other Sources of Information.
National Immigration Law Center: Know Your Rights
Immigrant Legal Resource Center
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Project Home, a pro immigrant group in the Keene/Cheshire County area has created the following repository of links and information around know your rights. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1noIAt9arzdKO4mRQH97UIYRWnaNGq7IQ?usp=drive_link
