Local organization follows ICE raids to inform immigrants of rights
With deportation raids underway in the United States , many have their eyes on Denver. But they’re also real in Colorado Springs with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers targeting criminals and people ordered by a judge to leave the country.
ICE raids don’t only bring fear, they also bring misinformation on who is targeted by the raids.
Sunday, a local church hosted a training aimed at teaching volunteers how to track, verify and document ice raids in immigrant communities.
As a volunteer with the Colorado Springs Rapid Response Network, Hannah Martin knows not everyone she encounters is lucky enough to have security or comfort when they go out for even the simplest of tasks.
“I’ll never be able to understand that fear of knowing my children may not even know I would come back,” she said.
Martin is one of 60 volunteers trained to respond to ICE activity in the Pikes Peak Region. She’s trained by organizers like Siena Mann.
“We receive concerns of ICE activity or suspected ICE activity all of the state of Colorado and Wyoming. We send out trained volunteers to see what’s going on. That helps us both dispel rumors and get accurate information out on what’s happening and provide support in case of ICE detention,” Mann said.
The latest meeting took place Sunday inside one of four sanctuary churches in Colorado Springs. It came days after President Donald Trump said federal officials would begin the large-scale deportations. Even though Colorado Springs is not one of ten cities on the list, the uneasiness is emerging.
“We’ve gotten around 30 calls the last 30 days of people reporting any suspicious activity. It could be that a van is driving around their neighborhood, it could be anything. We send people out whenever we get a call,” Mann said.
The Rapid Response Network’s goal is to help teach immigrants about the rights they have.
“It’s valuable to speak to that fear and try to alleviate it just by knowing you can be confident in knowing you’re rights and being prepared when it does happen knowing there’s people to support you,” Martin said.
Colorado Springs is not a sanctuary city, but Pueblo is. Pueblo is one of 13 sanctuary counties in Colorado.
To get involved with the Colorado Rapid Response Network, visit their Facebook here and their website here.
If you see an ICE raid happening anywhere in the Pikes Peak region, volunteers ask you to call their hotline at 844-866-8341.
