An Urgent Message To Our Communities
In recent days, we have seen a major surge of anger and community action, both on the streets of every U.S. city and on social media. Unión del Barrio applauds the courage of our gente in standing up to resist the current attacks against our community.
During these critical times, we must prioritize the well-being of our communities while also helping grow this social movement. This is why Unión del Barrio has created a People’s Online Guide that outlines best practices for moving our struggle forward along a more strategic and safer path.
A People’s Online Guide: Online Reporting, Protests & Organization
How You Can Recognize The Veracity Of Online Information About Raids:
- Every day, there are thousands of online reports about ICE/migra raids, and most of them turn out to be false. Some of these reports come from well-intentioned people using social media to communicate what they have heard from other well-meaning people. Others come from opportunistic “influencers” trying to get attention so they can brag about how many “likes” they have. And some, of course, are posted by malicious people who want to scare our communities. We recommend you use discretion when deciding whether a report is real or false.
- The most reliable reports come from verified pages, accounts, groups, and posts you already know and trust. In our Community Patrols, we only inform the community when we have confirmation of the facts so as not to scare people without cause. Our reports come with key details:
- The precise time and place of the events (city, community, streets, etc.).
- The number of vehicles and officers present, with a description of their uniforms (color, words on the vests, etc.)
- Sometimes, we share photos or videos.
- We report if there were arrests.
- We include a phone number so you can contact us immediately.
- If you find concerning information online, but it is anonymous and sounds like an irresponsible rumor, then it is best to seek a second/third confirmation of that information from other sources unrelated to the original message. Don’t let a message that doesn’t provide details, or that sounds like an exaggeration cause a panic. At this critical time, our community doesn’t need more fear, we need more organization to express our potential power.
If You Want to Report ICE/Migra Activities:
- Sharing every rumor of ICE/migra activity may seem like a public service, but it unnecessarily promotes fear within our community. Fear keeps people locked in their homes, unable to work, attend to their families, go to classes, go to the doctor, church or, worse, unable to defend themselves or our communities. Reporting ICE/migra presence responsibly helps maintain our ability to defend ourselves. It serves as a tool for political education in our communities. Do your best to verify the information before sharing it.
- Be well informed about what agencies are out there so you can share reliable information about the presence of ICE/migra agents. You should not assume that every government vehicle is ICE/migra because they are often from other agencies. We offer you an online workshop that outlines how to best identify ICE/migra agents and their movements.
- Of course, we continue to advise everyone in our communities to be careful during this wave of ICE/migra terror. Don’t give in to fear, and follow best practices because we all need to stand up and face this terrible repression with our heads held high.
If You Plan to Attend or Organize a Protest:
- Attend protests with an organization’s name clearly posted on the announcements and flyers. An invitation to protest should also include some type of contact information to reach the organization calling for the protest. If they are organizations you already know, all the better.
- Avoid protests or similar public actions that are “anonymous/spontaneous,” meaning they do not have any name of the organization calling for the protest. Without public leadership, these types of events will likely have no viable security to protect participants. Worse yet, anonymous/ spontaneous protests can easily be manipulated or derailed. We have already seen how acts of protest can turn into chaotic events, become unnecessarily dangerous, or end up inviting police repression. At worst, an anonymous/ spontaneous event itself could be the creation of the right wingers or government agents, intended to create divisions in a growing movement like this one.
- Recently, we have seen online promotions of a one-day strike, not going to work, not buying products. Historically, a national strike has achieved transformations that were thought impossible, but it takes years of planning and commitment from hundreds of thousands of people, perhaps millions. We recognize that this idea can really show our collective labor/economic power, however a general strike is a very serious activity that requires a high level of national organization. As of February 2025, we do not have the capacity to achieve such a goal, and the focus of our movement has to be “first let’s get organized.” Our movement still needs to grow and develop a higher level of clarity, discipline, and organization.
- If you decide that you want to organize a protest or other similar event, it is best to contact a trusted organization to ask for their support or advice. This is not the time to be individualistic. The only power we have is in our unity and collectivity. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO ENSURE YOUR PROTEST IS SUCCESSFUL IS THAT YOU BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION!
- Regarding the issue of whether children and young people should continue to go to classes, it is true that the federal government has approved ICE/migra raids at our schools. It is also true that schools are typically among the safest places in our communities for children and young people. We also know that most teachers are conscientious people, and are very aware of what is happening. Nationally, many teachers are organizing to protect their students from ICE/migra activities. The Association of Raza Educators (ARE) held a special information session on how teachers can best protect their students, and it was attended by hundreds of educators from across the U.S. Of course, parents have the last word over the safety and wellbeing of their children.
Since 1981, Unión del Barrio has led campaigns to resist ICE/migra terror and police violence, organized the active self-defense of our communities, and consistently advocated for the rights of workers, mujeres, barrio youth, and prisoners. We invite you to join Unión del Barrio because change and political power can only be achieved through organization, collectivity, and unity.