An estimated 722 persons were arrested by immigration enforcement officers during their 22-day search of neighborhoods throughout the Los Angeles area between June 1 and June 10.
It has been challenging for families and immigrant support organizations to track down detainees.
Sometimes we haven’t been able to locate their family member for 72 hours, and when we do, they’re in the [Adelanto Detention Center], said Flor Melendrez, executive director of the nonprofit labor advocacy organization CLEAN Carwash Worker Center.
Occasionally, it’s too late, and the detainee is calling from Tijuana or Ciudad Jurez, where they were deported within 72 hours.
After 18 years of representing workers in the car wash industry, CLEAN has recently refocused its efforts to assist families in locating individuals who were abducted during a raid and directing them to legal and other resources.
It is devastating when the kids inquire whether we will bring their parents home and we are unable to even reply with their whereabouts. Melendrez uttered those words.
If an immigrant enforcement agent arrests and detains a relative, you should take the following actions right away:
Reach out to these organizations for help
Contact immigrant advocacy organizations if your loved one was held by immigration enforcement. These organizations can offer information, resources (including food and financial aid), referrals, and, in certain situations, direct support.
According to the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, a network of local rapid reaction hotlines has been set up to record immigration enforcement actions and assist in connecting individuals impacted to legal services and other forms of assistance.
The California Immigrant Policy Center and the ACLU Southern California have offered the following local rapid response hotline numbers:
Gather important documents and personal information
Obtain the following crucial documentation pertaining to the family member who is being held, either before or after you have called for assistance:
In order for you or your legal counsel to find your loved one who is in custody, you will also need to collect the following personal information:
Your options when searching for legal representation
Pro bono lawyers and a network of groups are working to support people who have been arrested, but because to the great need, it might be difficult to get help right away.
Public Counsel, a nonprofit public interest law practice, is currently prioritizing cases based on urgent need due to the huge demand for legal assistance. As a result, they frequently only accept bail cases or assist in finding a detained individual.
Families who need assistance with their immigration status but have not been impacted by immigration enforcement should seek legal counsel immediately and start the immigration process in case they are later detained, Public Counsel cautioned.
You have the following choices for legal assistance:
The American Immigration Lawyers Association’s online locate tool is another way to look for an immigration attorney.
How to recognize a fraudulent immigration lawyer:
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers attempt to trick immigrants into believing they are attorneys by posing as notaries, notaries public, accountants, or consultants.
In the United States, a notario or notary public is not an attorney or lacks legal expertise, unlike in Latin American countries.
How to avoid falling for the scam:
By looking up a lawyer on the State Bar of California website and seeing if they currently hold a valid license, you may confirm their legitimacy.
How to locate your detained family member
According to Public Counsel, if your relative is arrested in Los Angeles, they will probably be taken to the federal detention facility in downtown Los Angeles, also known as B-18, which is situated at 320 Aliso St.
Public Counsel advises calling the detention facility at (213) 830-4900 or (213) 830-7911 and giving the operator your relative’s A-Number.
Additionally, you can attempt to locate your family by calling (866) 347-2423 or using the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE Detainee Locator System online. However, be advised that immigration officials frequently do not offer detainee information over the phone, and their online data may not be updated on a regular basis.
You must give the detainee’s A-Number and country of birth, or their full name, country, and date of birth, whether you call or utilize the ICE web locator.
You can get in touch with the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest to the location where your family member was picked up if you are unable to find them using this method.
In California, there are three field offices:
Getting in touch with the consulate of their nation is another way to find your jailed family.
The local consular offices and phone numbers are listed here.
Immediate food assistance resources
Families impacted by recent immigration enforcement are being provided with free grocery and essential delivery services by a number of groups.
For the most recent details on the availability of resources, visit the organization’s websites and social media pages:
