How To Start An ICE Watch Group In Your Community

Thank you to ICE Out of Garden Grove for contributing this guest article!

In a typical day, we have a small area set up with groceries and supplies for anyone to drop by. We welcome ALL our neighbors, including the jornaleros, unhoused folks, and volunteers in the area.

Good places to establish a presence include outside your local Home Depot or carwash.

What type of supplies do we distribute? Popular asks include:

• coffee
• canned soup
• fruit (apples and oranges)
• sunflower seeds
• peanuts
• tuna
• instant rice (like Ben’s rice)
• beans
• Some hubs do hardboiled eggs, others do full burritos; we focus on grocery distribution. Spend some time figuring out what works best for your neighborhood!

Our group practices a mutual aid model, meaning we prioritize autonomy and agency as well as solidarity and relationship-building.

There are NO restrictions on who can share at our hub, and we prioritize knowledge over panic. We share what we know and admit we aren’t experts or saviors.

What to Do in the Event of a Raid

• You have the right to take photos and video of ICE in public spaces. Observe from a few feet away and do not interfere. If necessary, state your right to document. Focus on filming the agents, not the individuals being detained.
• Post-raid, ensure the perimeter is cleared, send SALUTE info to your local rapid response network.
• Attempt to identify those taken: What were they wearing? What was their vehicle? Ask if other folks knew them.
• Save unedited footage and do not share the brutalization of our communities without consent from families.
• Prioritize care over information gathering.