Moving from protesting ICE to resisting ICE

Since last Wednesday, when ICE agents killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, we have seen tens of thousands of people take to the streets demanding justice and in many cases calling for ICE to be abolished.

It is always encouraging to see people push back against state repression, which right now for many people is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There are many mainstream groups like 50501 and Indivisible that are also protesting ICE. And while I support people focusing on ICE and making demands against that government agency I believe we need to be more strategic with our actions.

ICE doesn’t really care if hold a sign outside their office, at the airport or at major intersections in any given town. What ICE doesn’t want to see happen is for the public to directly interfere with their desire to apprehend, arrest and detain undocumented immigrants. As a longtime participant with GR Rapid Response to ICE I have seen first hand how ICE agents are frustrated when people make it difficult for them to do what the federal government wants them to do.

Now, imagine if the tens of thousands of people who protested ICE, held signs, hosted rallies/vigils and made statements condemning the ICE murder of Renee Good had redirected their energy in a strategic way, in a way that would directly benefit the very people that ICE is targeting – undocumented immigrants.

• Imagine if people protesting ICE would build relationships with undocumented immigrants, then listen to what they want, so that they could keep themselves and their families safe.
• Imagine if people responded to calls for direct intervention when ICE attempts to kidnap undocumented immigrants in Kent County.
• Imagine if every immigrant who has an appointment at the ISAP office or immigration court was accompanied by allies that would reduce the chance of being taken b y ICE.
• Imagine if there were teams of people doing patrols in neighborhoods where immigrants live/work and where immigrants have told us that they have seen ICE operating.
• Imagine if there were faith communities, community centers, non-profits and other entities that would declare themselves as sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants.
• Imagine if families that were directly impacted by ICE violence were supported by the community with transportation, material aid, financial aid and legal support for those being detained.
• Imagine if there was an organized campaign to get local government bodies to adopt sanctuary policies that would make it harder for ICE to arrest and detain immigrants.

Guess what??? You don’t have to imagine the things listed here above, since this is what Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE are already doing on a daily basis. Both of these groups are strategically resisting ICE and expanding the number of people and organizations that want to move beyond protesting ICE to concretely resisting ICE, primarily by making it harder for ICE to kidnap and detain undocumented immigrants in Kent County.

This type of work is strategic, but it is also not operating in a reactionary manner. Yes, the ICE murder of Renee Good was brutal, but ICE has killed primarily undocumented immigrants since they were created in 2003 and they have been terrorizing millions of immigrants over the past 23 years by arresting them, detaining them and deporting them. These acts of violence have created tremendous financial and social hardship for millions of immigrants, all of which have also been traumatized by these experiences, especially immigrant children.

If you want to be part of this work, part of resisting ICE in Kent County, then support the work of Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE. Take one of the monthly trainings that GR Rapid Response to ICE offers. If you are unsure about how best to be involved in this work, just ask GR Rapid Response to ICE by sending an Email info@grrapidresponsetoice.org or come and talk with them at the Melt ICE concert on February 15th.