Editor’s Note: This article is being published in Spanish simultaneously and doesn’t carry a byline because numerous people contributed to it.
“The world will not be destroyed by evil people but by good people who do nothing to stop it.” Bangambiki Habyarimana, The Great Pearl of Wisdom.
Injustice festers and grows when it remains in the dark. When we remain silent or look the other way, we only create the conditions for further injustice. One group here in Colorado, the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORNN), has shown great organizational capacity organizing 1200+ volunteers around the state to be dispatchers, confirmers, legal observers, and docuTeams to make sure injustice in Colorado is well documented. To volunteer and get trained to document ICE activities and kidnappings in your community go to:
https://www.coloradorapidresponsenetwork.com/ get-involved
If you witness ICE (includes HSI, ERO, USBP; and potentially FBI, ATF, DEA, as well as local law enforcement and Interagency Task Force Officers assisting) in your community you should:
Report: Call CORNN’s 24-hour a day switchboard: 844-864-8341. Tell the volunteer operator precisely where you are seeing the ICE activity (address, business, cross streets, mile markers, etc.). Tell them what you are seeing. Numbers of agents, their uniforms, their vehicles, number of vehicles. If people have been kidnapped or not, and if so how many.
Their dispatcher will then notify confirmers. (You could be one! If you volunteer!)
Document: You have the right to document ICE activity or any police action on public property. You are legally authorized to film law enforcement in Colorado provided you are not interfering with the action. And you most likely have a cell phone.
It is wise to announce loudly that you are filming the activity but are not trying to interfere with their action. This serves to notify law enforcement that you are aware of your rights. You can also document from a safe distance if you don’t feel safe.
While there are people at risk of violence film that, you can film evidence after the fact. Once the activity is over film street signs nearby business, license plates, and verbally sign off with the time and date. Keep the narration to a minimum, focus on getting the shots and angles that documents factually what happened.
If law enforcement asks you to step back, take a big step back, and reiterate that you are “just documenting not interfering,” and continue to film.
Gather Information: Ask agents/officers for their names or business cards, and which agency they are with if they are in plainclothes.
Ask if they have a warrant, especially in light of the recent federal ruling (see page 2).
If they say “yes,” ask to see the warrant. ICE frequently uses “administrative warrants” which are not legally binding, unlike a “judicial Warrant” (issued and signed by a judge). You can ask to see the warrant but it is unlikely that the ICE agent will show you it.
If they say “no,” ask on what ‘probable cause,’ is the victim being kidnapped.
ICE should have a judicial warrant before opening the door to someone’s house or their car.
Try to get the victim’s name if possible. “Como te Llamas?” (what is your name?) This information will help families and lawyers locate and act swiftly to help the victim.
Inform: Tell the detainee their rights. You may need to yell these out loudly because if you are too close agents may accuse you of interfering.
“Pídele (peedaylay) la orden de arresto al agente” (‘Ask the agent for the arrest warrant’.)-
“Tienes el derecho de guardar silencio. No les hables.” (‘You have the right to remain silent. Don’t talk to them’).
“No firmes nada antes de consultar con tu abogado”.- (‘Don’t sign anything before consulting an attorney’).
Make the Data Count: Don’t take all that data you collected and throw it on social media, we are not doing this for the ‘gram. With any luck trained Confirmers will have arrived, and you can pass the videos, pictures and/or notes you wrote down to them. In the rural western slope with large distances and the speed at which some of these kidnappings happen, they might not arrive until everything is over, or at all. If no one arrives, call the CORNN hotline again, 844-864-834, and they will get the data from you and it into the system.
Jumping in and filming injustice can be intimidating, but documenting injustice has a proven track record of getting results. Please consider donating and/or volunteering with CORNN (or SWRNN in the Four Corners area.) Please share the CORRN Hotline number 844-864-8341, on your socials, the network only works if the people call in and report ICE kidnappings in their communities. Document injustice wherever you see it.
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