Dear Survivor’s who have been watching the news lately,
Every day, the news delivers another act of violence. Over the past month, many of us have watched people be murdered on our phones or TV screens, in the middle of our days. We are expected to keep going with daily tasks as usual. To keep working. To keep parenting. To keep surviving in a system that does not allow us to pause for the grief we feel for members of our communities.
Before I talk about the very real impact of ICE raids and heightened immigration enforcement, I want to say this clearly: whatever you are feeling right now makes sense. Whether it’s white-hot rage, fear, hopelessness, numbness, or a constant sense of being on edge, these are normal human responses to violence and to living in a world that feels increasingly unsafe. You are not broken for reacting this way.
Isolation is not a side effect of the ICE raids, it is the point. Fear thrives when people feel alone. Please know this: you are not alone. In this community, we will continue to show up for one another. We will continue to check in, to share information, and to care for each other as best we can (additional supportive resources listed below).
ICE raids and the escalation of immigration enforcement have deeply rooted and compounding impacts on survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
It takes immense courage, reassurance, and time for a U.S. citizen to report abuse to law enforcement. Now imagine navigating that decision as an immigrant. Whether you have documentation or not, after watching the news, after seeing what you’ve seen, would you feel safe calling the police?
Many immigrant survivors live with the constant fear that any interaction with law enforcement, courts, or social services could lead to ICE involvement. That fear can mean detention or deportation for themselves, their partners, or their family members. As a result, survivors may decide not to report abuse at all. They may avoid calling 911 even in life-threatening situations. Some may never seek an order of protection, either because it feels too risky or because they were never told it was an option.
Abusive partners understand this fear, and so they are able to exploit it. Immigration status becomes another weapon of control. An abusive partner may threaten to call ICE, to disclose someone’s status, or to withhold paperwork needed for immigration relief if the survivor seeks help, tries to leave, or reports the abuse. In the current climate, with raids unfolding in real time on the news, these threats feel more believable than ever. Make no mistake, this is coercive control, and it erodes a survivor’s sense of safety, autonomy, and agency both psychologically and physically.
As if surviving abuse were not already exhausting enough, and as if witnessing the violent deaths of real people on our screens were not already overwhelming, ICE raids can happen suddenly and in places people rely on every day: workplaces, courthouses, transportation hubs, college campuses, and libraries. This makes survivors even more afraid to leave their homes, afraid to go to work, to access supportive services, to seek community, or even to access medical care.
For many survivors, immigration enforcement becomes yet another barrier to safety, and another weapon abusers can use to keep control. This is how systems of violence reinforce one another. This is how survivors are silenced.
We say this clearly: survivors deserve safety without conditions. Support without surveillance. Care without punishment. No one should have to choose between escaping violence and risking deportation.
You matter. Your life matters. And you deserve to live free from violence, both inside your home and from the systems meant to “protect” you.
| U.S citizenship and Immigration Services- Study for the Test |
| https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/find-study-materials-and-resources/study-for-the-test |
| The civics portion of the naturalization test is an oral test. The USCIS officer will ask you up to 10 questions from the list of 100 civics test questions. You must answer 6 questions correctly to pass the civics test. |
| U.S citizenship and Immigration Services- How to apply for a Green Card |
| https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/how-to-apply-for-a-green-card |
| Immigrant Legal Resource Center |
| https://www.ilrc.org/redcards |
| The Red Cards (Know Your Rights cards) from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center are portable translations of your rights when interacting with law enforcement. -What you CAN say -What NOT to say -When you can DECLINE TO ANSWER a question |
Written by: Frankie Best
