Los Angeles lawyer Olu Orange launched a telephone hotline in mid-June for people looking to avoid appearing in immigration court where federal agents might detain or deport them.
Staffed by university student volunteers, the hotline has logged thousands of calls, often 10 calls a minute, from people seeking to switch their appearances from in-person to online.
Also see: ICE raids and their uncertainty scare off workers and baffle businesses
Orange said he was motivated to create the lifeline after learning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were detaining and arresting people awaiting immigration hearings. Social media posts, he said, are filled with their stories.
Last Monday, Orange assembled 17 volunteers with the USC’s Dornsife College of Letters and Arts and Sciences to answer calls and help complete and submit a “motion to change hearing format.”
With 4,000 calls handled, so far, by volunteers speaking English, Spanish and other foreign languages, Orange said he’s already helped at least 320 people obtain remote online hearings.
The hotline is one example of how people are desperate for information and tips in the face of immigration raids sweeping Southern California.
Also see: From Southern to Northern California, restaurants are on edge over ICE raids
“This is where our country is right now,” Orange said. “This is what people in our country need.”
Orange said that he’s now onboarded roughly 80 more students from USC, UCLA and UC Irvine to help take calls.
“As a Mexican American who grew up in the Latino community, this does affect me personally,” said hotline volunteer Elisa Herrera, a 25-year-old from Whittier who just finished her second-year of legal studies with UCI. “The anxiety that folks have has been growing, and it absolutely affects people wanting to come in and have their hearings online. At the same time, we’re not going to let what’s going on deter us from helping people who are going through this process set up by the government.”
The service is made possible through the Agents of Change Civil Rights Advocacy Initiative, spearheaded by Orange, the program founder. It’s also supported by Orange’s law firm, Orange Law Offices, and the National Immigration Project. Orange also runs the trial advocacy program at USC, where he teaches law classes.
The hotline can be reached at 888-462-5211.
Also see: Home Depot’s day laborer haven turns into immigration target across Southern California
Know your rights
Experts are offering myriad tips to people who may be undocumented and facing deportation or questions about their immigration status in the legal system.
If federal immigration agents appear in a public setting — a Home Depot, car wash or restaurant or even the parking lot of the Los Angeles Dodgers — those detained have certain options.
Don’t say anything: “I would advise you not to talk,” Orange said.
Mark private spaces: In San Francisco, the owner of a Mexican restaurant posted an “employees only” sign, marking certain areas of the restaurant off-limits. Since it’s not a public space, his employees should be safe, the restaurant owner told CalMatters.
Check the warrant: Agents need to show a warrant, and employees should check the name on it. They also know to try to stop the agents verbally as well as using hand gestures.
On the job site
If you’re a general contractor, the challenges are complex.
In recent months, trade groups representing homebuilders and contractors involved in public works construction — like roads and hospitals — began giving advice to their clients on what to do if immigration agents show up at a workplace.
The Associated General Contractors of America created an online resource center to help contractors navigate ICE issues. A 25-question and answer fact sheet provides guidance on how to deal with ICE agents when they show up at the workplace:
Unannounced ICE visits: The trade group says ICE may come unannounced to the workplace with a “notice of inspection” requesting an employer to produce I-9 (employment eligibility) forms within three days.
Entering non-public areas: ICE must have the employer’s consent or a search warrant signed by a federal judge. To arrest an employee, an ICE officer is only allowed into the public areas of the workplace, even if an administrative warrant is issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Can ICE interview employees: Yes, ICE may try to speak with employees, but the employer can refuse to make employees available and refer ICE to legal counsel. An employer should not be an obstacle to ICE agents outside the workplace or in public areas.
Taking records: If it is an I-9 audit, the ICE investigator cannot take the records off the property. If there is an arrest, the employer should insist on seeing the warrant and any subpoena for documents. A subpoena issued by a federal judge may allow ICE to take documents immediately.
ICE raid vs. I-9 audit. A raid happens when agents arrive unannounced at the employer’s premises and its agents surround the premises with the possibility of aerial presence supported by a helicopter or airplane. The agents enter the business with a criminal search warrant detailing what they will search and may seize. An audit is less confrontational, with agents delivering a notice of inspection, demanding the employer produce I-9 forms.
Who to call
The California Immigrant Policy Center provides a list of “rapid response networks” throughout California that can provide help as well as “know your rights” resources if approached by ICE or Border Patrol agents.
Those resources include a know-your-rights handout in eight languages to help families prepare for a possible interaction with federal agents, as well as videos in seven languages.
The Red Card Project is another initiative helping educate people about their rights when interacting with federal immigration agents. The wallet-sized card outlines key rights, like remaining silent, refusing a search and requesting a lawyer.
Several major school districts in Southern California have participated in the distribution of the cards to their students.
In recent months, the Los Angeles Unified School District distributed more than 300,000 Red Cards, said LAUSD spokesman Tom Cohen.
“Los Angeles Unified is compelled by legal and moral obligations to protect the legal and privacy rights of our students and employees, and to ensure all students’ constitutional right to a public education,” Cohen said. “We take these obligations seriously and work with our community partners to provide support and resources for our students, families, and employees.”
Santa Ana Unified School District began distributing the cards to more than 35,000 students this spring, with plans to hand out more in summer programs.
“We have not had any immigration enforcement activities at any of our schools to date. However, we are working to provide resources to families and training for staff to support our families,” SAUSD spokesman Fermin Leal said. He said that his school district holds “Know Your Rights” virtual town hall meetings every two weeks with participation from immigration lawyers, representatives from the Mexican Consulate, and local elected officials, who provide information and answer questions from the district’s parents. The next meeting is June 26.