The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday told illegal immigrants to use their rights to remain silent and to demand their free phone call if they are snared in the new deportation effort President Trump teased this week.
In California, one major immigrant-rights group called on local authorities to resist the deportation efforts.
“Our community will not coward and allow him to terrorize and raid our neighborhoods,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights.
The stern warnings came after Mr. Trump suggested “millions” of people may be targeted for deportation.
“Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in,” the president said on Twitter Monday night, a day before his official 2020 campaign kickoff.
The ACLU said it was a good time to remind migrants of their own ability to fight deportations. The civil rights group recommended people refuse to open their door to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, and to demand to see a signed judicial warrant before they are allowed to enter.
While a police warrant is usually grounds for entry, ICE’s deportation warrants are administrative documents that the ACLU said do not grant entry to a home without permission.
The ACLU also warned migrants not to lie or resist arrest — but to be prepared for abuses. The ACLU urged migrants to be prepared to document maltreatment, photograph injuries and file complaints with the agency that arrested them.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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