New Orleans Resists ICE Invasion

Despite widespread surveillance and a Louisiana law that criminalizes obstruction of ICE with 5 years of hard labor in state prison, the communities still came together and did the right thing to protect their neighbors. We can learn from each other and adopt the tactics that work.

Louisiana has organized caravans who follow ICE around and record everything they do. Everyone has their whistles that they blow when they see ICE. They're holding Know Your Rights training sessions for protesters and for immigrants. They've established local mutual aid networks (formed after hurricane Katrina) to help people get food and medical care. They established a hotline where people can report ICE activity. The legal aid and immigration attorneys are burned out because of the work load, but they're doing the best they can under the circumstances.

We need to have these exact same efforts in every community across the nation. I think these days everyone has a phone with a camera, so recording ICE activity is something everyone can do if you're unable to volunteer for any of the other activities. The hotlines especially need more people to volunteer who are bilingual.

Here's more reporting on what they're doing in The Big Easy.