Jeff Richardson became involved with the immigrant community in Northern Kentucky during the first Trump administration. It was in response to an ICE raid, he said, in which 30-40 people were detained.
He joined with neighbors in a town hall at Holy Spirit in Newport to figure out what to do.
“It was like a tornado went through the community,” Richardson said. “That was 40 breadwinners that were suddenly detained. They work. Their families don’t know what to do. There were no pro bono attorneys in Northern Kentucky at that time. There still aren’t.”
Now, as President Donald Trump’s administration moves forward with plans for mass deportations across the country, Richardson and others across the region are again coming together to make sure those who could be impacted locally know their rights.
As offers of help have also poured in, organizations are conducting basic education sessions on the different types of immigration status and ways citizens can help their neighbors. More in-depth training in legal observation and related issues are also underway.
Richardson said during the first Trump administration, he came to the conclusion that there were several nonprofits who could provide food or rent assistance but nothing was available to help immigrants afford bonds or legal representation or to navigate the legal system. He began a nonprofit to raise funds to help immigrant families get their legal due process.
His group is part of the Immigrant Dignity Coalition, a subcommittee of a larger Cincinnati-based organization, Ignite Peace. He helped form the emergency assistance coalition with another local advocate, JoAnn Schwartz, because he wanted to focus on Northern Kentucky.
“Most of the organizations that are building this are in Cincinnati,” Richardson said. “They are not going to neglect us, but they are not going to prioritize us. Their mandates are mostly Cincinnati-based. So we formed this to make sure to extend what best practices are being developed into Kentucky, and to make sure that Kentucky has the same opportunities for trainings in the region.”
Right now, he and Schwartz are doing what they can, sending out emails to invite Northern Kentuckians to the webinars and other trainings, but the plan is to expand to offer information and training to schools, churches and other groups across the region.
Know your rights efforts
Nationally, the Immigration Legal Resource Center works to improve immigration law and policy, expand the number of legal services providers knowledgeable in immigration laws and advance immigrant rights. The organization has joined others in the Know Your Rights movement, informing immigrants of their rights under the Constitution.
The resource center provides downloadable “red cards” in English, Spanish and 14 other languages listing basic immigrant rights and giving instruction on what to do if immigration agents show up at the door.
Designed to be printed on red business-card size stock, people are encouraged to download the files from their website, print and distribute them. Larger quantities of red cards have been available on their site, but due to high demand, people are encouraged to print their own.
Members of the Northern Kentucky Immigrant Emergency Assistance coalition purchased and distributed thousands of the red cards to volunteers who have dropped them off in restaurants, retail outlets and public places throughout the community. Schwartz and Richardson formed the coalition to be able to respond quickly to raids and other threats.
“I received my cards on Friday and by Sunday night mine were gone,” Schwartz said. “Jeff received 2,000 last week. We are having our volunteers go to stores, any Latino businesses, restaurants, anywhere.”
Volunteers spoke with immigrants working in restaurant kitchens, warehouses and other job sites and encouraged them to take a few cards and give them to family, friends and neighbors. Schwartz said cards were distributed to families at recent Martin Luther King events and at area churches.
“I had one person come up to me who said, ‘I’ve got a small building construction company. I would like some for my workers,’” Schwartz said.
The front of the card comes in any of the languages. In English, it reads:
You have constitutional rights.
- DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.
- DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.
- DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.
- If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.
- GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.
On the flip side, in English, the card addresses the agent, stating that the holder knows their rights and refuses permission to enter their home without a warrant signed by a judge.
Helping people be prepared
Samantha Searls is the program director at Ignite Peace, formerly known as the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center. The organization, which includes several faith-based partners, educates and advocates for peace, justice and nonviolence. The group coordinates immigrant justice activities through the Immigrant Dignity Coalition.
Searls gives “Immigration 101” presentations for those unfamiliar with the many different forms of immigration and levels of status within the system.
“Right now, we are in a situation of being very alert but looking at things that people can control,” Searls said. “We are talking to communities about the power that they have to protect themselves against this attack on immigrant families. Part of that is empowering families to put together emergency preparedness plans so that if something happens to their family, there’s a community behind them that knows a little bit about what they’re going through, so they’re not alone.”
She listed some of the steps families can take to be prepared, including gathering important documents, making sure they have a lawyer, making a plan with friends and family, and, if they have children, making sure someone has a power of attorney to take care of them.
The purpose of this is, of course, to be prepared, but also knowing what to do helps give people confidence and clarity.
“We don’t want folks to forget that they do have some power in this situation, and so we’re trying to educate people about their rights, so that way, they’re not taken advantage of by people who aim to arrest, detain and deport them,” Searls said. “But instead, they can stand up for themselves in this moment where society says they have no power, but that’s not true.”
The important thing, she said, is for people to know they are not alone.
“It’s really important for folks to make connections in the community, whether that’s with a faith community or a social service organization or even some well-meaning neighbors,” Searls said. “Because if something happens to you, someone needs to know about it so they can help. There’s a tendency to be overcome by fear. We need to harness that fear into positive actions.”
For more information on immigrant rights in our community, go to the Ignite Peace website or their Facebook page. The organization’s Immigrant Justice webpage connects to the work of the Immigrant Dignity Coalition. For red cards and information on a national scale, see the Immigration Legal Resource Center.