How to Protect Kids From ICE  ## Metadata - Author: [[We Can Do Hard Things]] - Full Title: How to Protect Kids From ICE - Category: #podcasts - URL: https://share.snipd.com/episode/f2c72bf5-6b34-4c39-97f5-0b232a2e4c98 ## Document Notes ## Highlights - **The Freedom Fleet Metaphor** - Glennon frames activism as joining a 'Freedom Fleet' of causes led by trusted captains and crew. - The movement grows by making activism irresistible through love, joy, and coalition-building. Transcript: Glennon Doyle And I want to be careful to say, please don't blame this next part on Michelle Alexander. This next cheesy metaphor is just mine. Okay. All right. So I want you to picture the river of love and freedom and justice. And now picture that there is a fleet of ships on the river. Okay. This is the freedom fleet. And the ships in this fleet have many different names. We've got a ship called Healthcare for All. We've got LGBTQ rights. We've got Black liberation. We've got Protect Higher Ed. We've got Free Palestine. We've got Immigration Justice, Reproductive Freedom, Protect the Planet. We've got beautiful ship after beautiful ship on and on in this fleet. Every American right now is a freedom fleeter, a dam builder, or a shore stander. To join the freedom fleet, this is what we do. We identify a cause tied to collective liberation, and we find a captain of that cause, a person who has been in this fight day in and day out, not just in dumpster fire years, but all the Time. We ask permission to come aboard. Then we become a humble deckhand, we trust our captains, we trust our fellow crew members, and we get to work. But the thing is, not just that we work, but how we work, okay? Our goal as freedom fleeters is to gain so much power that we break through that dam once again. And the only way we do that is if we get as many shorestanders as possible into our ships. Because most of America is made up of shorestanders, right? And so to get them in the fleet, we in the fleet must become what Tony Cade Bambara called the irresistible revolution. We become irresistible when in our ship we not only educate and organize and protest and boycott, but we also laugh and dance and hug and love each other well. When other ships in the fleet come near, we love them well too. We don't yell at them for being in a different ship. We need them in their ship and they need us in ours. So we remember many ships, one fleet. All our freedom fleet ships are heading in the same direction to collective liberation. So the only thing we yell at other ships is hell yes, keep going. Do you need any snacks? And when shorestanders do jump in because we're so irresistible, when they become new crew members, we welcome them with patience and love and celebration. We don't yell at them for not knowing things that we just learned six minutes ago. Because when we and the ships finally embody the love of the river, no dam will stop us. ([Time 0:06:42](https://share.snipd.com/snip/4f11c81f-80cc-46ac-91ea-8e5d133ff741)) - **Systemic Targeting Of Children** - The administration is targeting immigrant children via raids, detention, and procedural obstacles that delay reunification. - Children face faster court dockets, longer detention, and new requirements that function as family separation by other means. Transcript: Lillian Aponte Miranda We go. Thanks, Glennon. And I'm just going to say it as plainly as I can. We are here because this administration is targeting immigrant children. And we are seeing this in the Florence Project, on the work that we do on the ground, and so are the sister organizations around the country who do this work day in and day out. And here is what's happening. And some of you are also seeing this in your own communities, with your own eyes, in your own neighborhoods. What we are seeing are ICE raids that are targeting immigrant families and are tearing children apart from their parents and their caretakers and their loved ones. What happens in situations where in an ICE raid, a parent or a caretaker may be apprehended by ICE and taken is that a child may be left behind and you may be wondering, well, what happens To that child? What we're seeing on the ground is that for some children, they are being placed back in immigration shelter detention. There is a system of immigration shelter detention systems across the country. And if a child is left alone and is rendered essentially unaccompanied by virtue of their parent or ego guardian being taken and they're in removal proceedings, they are placed back Into an immigration shelter detention system. And what happens to a child when they're placed in an immigration shelter detention system is that they face the immigration system essentially alone. And they are faced without having the security of a loved one or a trusted adult to help navigate that for them. Second thing that we are seeing is that children who are in shelter immigration detention are spending longer and longer periods of time in detention and that their reunification With parents or family members who are here in the United States is being delayed. So that means that children are spending months and months and months in detention. So when the child is placed in a shelter immigration detention center, they have a right to be reunified and placed in the least restrictive setting. But what is happening is that this administration is creating new requirements that essentially are functioning as a form of family separation by other means. And what that looks like is requiring potential family members who could receive a child to submit to really, you know, sometimes undoable and impossible requirements, like being Able to get a state-issued ID or being able to show a particular form of proof of income or even being subject to a DNA test. And so what that looks like in reality are children who are alone in immigration detention centers who have a potential parent or family member here in the community with whom they have The right to be reunified. And what these new requirements are doing is that they are essentially systematically creating obstacles for children to be with their loved ones and their families. And then the third thing that we are seeing is that for children who are in immigration shelter detention centers and who are there alone, they are being essentially fast tracked through Their court immigration processes. So when a child is in an immigration shelter detention center, they are required to go to court and to, in a sense, answer to a charge of being here without authorization. And they have a claim and they have a right to a meaningful day in court. But what's happening right now is that court is being sped up. And so children are being forced to go to court without the ability to even understand what's happening, without being able to find meaningful representation. And so something that's really important for people to know is that there is no public defender system for people who face immigration removal proceedings, deportation. So that means that if someone can't essentially afford an attorney, they may be left to face immigration court. And that can be a one-year child, that can be a two-year child, that can be a five-year child. And so what's happening right now is that the decades-long legal funding that had been there in order to be able to provide this type of support and advocacy and assistance to children In court has essentially been nearly terminated and continues to be under threat. And so what that means is that what children face is sitting at a courtroom, in a table, by themselves, going up against a trained government prosecutor, facing the full force of the U.S. Government alone. That is what that would look like. ([Time 0:22:38](https://share.snipd.com/snip/31dd51fb-8b34-4b88-8570-22fcbe1458c6)) - **Juan's Journey For Survival** - Lillian shared Juan's story: a nine-year-old sent after his grandfather was kidnapped and threatened. - The child's memory of chips and water shows the human cost behind migration choices. Transcript: Lillian Aponte Miranda And I remember the first time I met Juan, he walked into our office. He was wearing a Spider-Man shirt. And we walked to one of the rooms where we were going to talk. And when I asked him what had happened, the first thing he said to me was, well, I just, I cried, I cried, and I cried when I said bye to my grandfather. And he had bought me chips and water. And here's how that happened. Juan lived in Guatemala with his siblings, and he's part of an indigenous community in Guatemala. And the family was struggling to have enough food to eat. And they were living in community with the parents and the grandparents of the children. And the parents made the really difficult decision to journey to the United States in order to be able to provide just basic nourishment for their children back home. And the children remained in the care of their grandparents. And the grandparents were receiving help and assistance from the parents who were here in the United States. And then one day, the grandfather was kidnapped and extorted for money because there was the idea that the grandfather had some money to give and that he was receiving money. And in the process of being kidnapped, he was physically, seriously harmed and disfigured, and the lives of his grandchildren were threatened. And so he made the very difficult and for him impossible decision to send his nine-year grandson along with his two barely older sisters and to say goodbye and to do that with the very Small luxury that was available to them, which was to buy ships and water. And that's what Juan remembered. And that was the first thing he told me when I asked him what had happened. ([Time 0:33:22](https://share.snipd.com/snip/fd45b11a-49d8-4639-ae5b-f0e20bbc4fb2)) - **Legal Paths Are Narrow And Under Attack** - Legal pathways to enter the U.S. are limited, complex, and slow, and the administration is actively blocking or undermining them. - Attacks on asylum access and court processes are part of a broader effort to bypass established legal protections. Transcript: Lillian Aponte Miranda So the first thing I want to say just to ground us is that there are limited ways that individuals, that people, that children and families can have authorized entry into the United States, And they're often complex and they take years to complete. And so very generally speaking, that can look like applying for a specific visa category, or that can look like applying for a humanitarian form of protection, like refugee status From your home country or asylum, if you're here because you fear persecution in your home country, feel danger to your life. And what's happening right now is that this administration is disrupting or even attempting wholesale to eliminate existing pathways in our legal system right now that offer people That process. And they are also targeting people who are complying with the process that has been requiring them. So let me give you some examples of that. So people have a right to seek asylum under a legal system. And that's the right of a person to seek refuge, to seek safety, because they are facing persecution elsewhere. And both our domestic U.S. Law and international human rights law protects the right of people to be able to seek asylum. And it's often a crucial lifeline for people, for children and for families, because they're fleeing, oftentimes, life-threatening violence and harm. And this administration has sought to prevent asylum seekers from accessing the asylum process through what has now been found by a federal court to be an unlawful shutdown of asylum Processing our southern border. We were organizational plaintiffs in the lawsuit that challenged this. And so we have to really take a look at the fact that there is an intentional and directed assault on even the pathways that exist right now. And then what we're also seeing is that people who are complying with the processes that have been required of them are being targeted. And that looks like people being arrested at courthouses when they're actually showing up for their immigration court hearings. That looks like people being arrested at their ICE check-ins when they're following the requirements for reporting to ICE. And that looks like people being coerced into leaving the country when they have a right to a fair day in court for their claim of being able to stay here to be properly and meaningfully Adjudicated. And this comes back to the point that Shaina was making, which is that this is a blatant and intentional attack on the constitutional process that's afforded to all in our country. And so when we talk about legality and what is happening right now is that it's being, in a sense, turned on its head. And what's happening is that the administration is bypassing our legal system. And so I just want to make sure that we understand and see that, and that that's happening right now and the ways in which it's happening. And I also want to say that we are not beholden to what is our immigration legal system. And we have both the capacity and the ability to reimagine an immigration legal system that takes us a point of departure, a humane process of migration, immigration, border management, And reception. We are capable of that. And so part of the task ahead of us too at a moment like this is to reimagine potentially what a different path looks like moving forward. ([Time 0:39:51](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6439b4aa-36a2-4502-b545-2819870e2f05)) - **Children Forced To Represent Themselves** - Glennon attended a Transcript: Glennon Doyle Yeah, it's interesting, even though there's many, many articles we can read about this right now, even though this is just factually happening, there are still people again and again Who say, this is an exaggeration. This isn't really happening. This is hyperbole. It is not hyperbole. I went to court in Arizona recently to one of these rocket dockets where they're trying to speed children through. I think the question, why aren't they doing this legally is a good question. It's just pointed in the wrong direction. We need to ask the administration why they're not doing this legally because these families and children have a right to asylum. They are going through the process, and it is the administration who is disappearing people and not following due process. I saw in court a docket. There were maybe 10 children, maybe 12 children at that docket. All of them were under the age of 14. I saw a two or three-year boy be brought in, be sat down at a table, just a courtroom like you see in TV. Very intimidating. Rows of seats with two tables, one with a Homeland Security lawyer, a big judge behind a seat with a robe, a court reporter. And then at the next table, the lawyer was at one table. At the other table was a two to three-year little boy, no lawyer. When I was there, it was a moment where we were lucky enough that there was a friend of court sitting near him to kind of reach her hands out and kind of help. The little boy had earphones on because he didn't even speak the language being spoken in the court. The judge asked him repeatedly if he understood why he was there, if he understood deportation process, if he had a lawyer. The little boy just listened, shook his head. I saw then the judge at the end frustratedly said, you need to get yourself a lawyer. They took the three-year out. I saw a little group of three children. The little girl looked like she was about six. She has two little brothers with her. She tried to lead her own hearing. She was trying to keep her two-year brother focused. And it's like she understood that they needed to pay attention. They were getting it translated. One thing I'll never forget is just watching it all just in shock. And the court reporter was a woman. She kept leaving and coming back. And I felt very frustrated with her. I didn't understand why she kept leaving in the middle of this. It turned out she was leaving to go cry in the waiting room because she couldn't believe what was happening in that courtroom. She couldn't look at these children in the eye and continue. I kept thinking about how everyone had their humanity shut down. There's no way that a human being in that judge's body could look at this and be present with the cruelty. So he dissociated by telling children that they should pay attention and that they just didn't understand and that they should get themselves lawyers. The court reporter dissociated by leaving the room. It was just unbelievable. But yeah, I saw it with my own eyes. The children are being required to represent themselves without any support, any love. They don't know where their families are. They don't know where they are. And also they have been alone in the detention center. So that's another thing to note that without this funding, there are no advocates in the detention center. ([Time 0:45:18](https://share.snipd.com/snip/1f1d8807-9d76-4255-bd81-6d80b1d6d03d)) - **Become A Courtroom Witness** - Join the Witness for Justice initiative to observe immigration court proceedings and document due-process violations. - Report what you witness via social media, op-eds, or letters to Congress to amplify accountability. Transcript: Shaina Aber And these are public tribunals. They must be public tribunals. And I am calling on you today to help us in a new initiative that we're partnering with organizations throughout the country on called Witness for Justice. I'm calling on you to join us in the courthouses in your communities. People who are trying to see their immigration cases through must not be disappeared. You can bear witness to what is happening in the courts. And so we're really excited to introduce Witness for Justice, which is this national initiative currently in development at Acacia rooted in the powerful mission of ensuring that No immigration court operates without public oversight. Witness for Justice is building a volunteer-powered movement. We're seeking to promote public accountability and transparency in the immigration courts, raise awareness about the lack of judicial independence among immigration adjudicators, Document due process violations, and the politicization of proceedings. And we're seeking to amplify the stories, the voices of court observers to bring visibility and strength to these critical issues. ([Time 0:50:51](https://share.snipd.com/snip/e354e7f1-4589-4edd-bcd4-2fd7f6d43bc4)) - **Activate Locally With Your Gifts** - Learn, follow local immigrant-rights groups, and respond to calls to action like funding restoration for child legal services. - Use your gifts—art, writing, fundraising, family conversations—to raise awareness and support affected families. Transcript: Lillian Aponte Miranda The first thing that you can do is learn and stay informed and you are doing it right now. You did that. You're doing that today. And in the vein of continuing to learn and stay informed, please follow us. Please follow Acacia. Please follow your local immigrant rights organization in your own state. And we will send resources so that you can actually locate your immigrant rights organization and that you can learn also about what's happening in your own locality. Another thing that you can do is answer and activate around calls to action. I know we have a call to action right now and Acacia has been leading this along with sister organizations to call our representatives and let them know that we need and want a restoration Of the funding that is required and critical for children to be able to receive the legal services that they need to have a fair process and day in court. And we also want to encourage all of you to look at your own gifts and talents, to look at what is yours and has been given to you as your own gift, as your own talent, as part of your own privilege, And to use that to contribute to this moment in time. And so if you are an artist, do art. If you are a writer, write. Use your voice and write. Write an op-ed. Put your voice into the space. If you are someone who has a facility to build community around even a small fundraiser in your community, a big sale, do it. It all matters. It all absolutely counts. And it's not even just a process of, you know, obviously creating a sense of support and funding, but it's the people you're bringing together and what you are able to do in that moment To communicate with them and to raise awareness as well. Have your own family meetings. Have your own family meetings. I know this is such a difficult topic sometimes to raise, especially among our sacred spaces of family and even with our own loved ones and even among our friends. But we want to say, do it, do it, have your own family meetings. And we're also going to provide resources to you on what are these kinds of questions that we just talked about today and how to have these family meetings and conversations yourselves. If you are someone who is inclined to read and know more about the lived experience, obviously, of immigrant children. And you even are encouraged to maybe even put together an opportunity for reading a book. I recommend Solito, who is written by Javier Zamora and is based on his own lived experience coming to the United States as an unaccompanied child. And so I think what is really important for us to all take away is that there is something that is ours to do each and every single one of ours to do. And it's important right now that you ask yourself, what is that for you? What is that for you? And so we're going to keep coming and showing up and being community with all of you and creating and moving opportunities forward for all of us to collectively activate. And you are empowered. You are empowered to think about what that looks like for you and your own community right now. And so please feel supported. Please feel supported in that. ([Time 0:54:23](https://share.snipd.com/snip/34316d12-e786-44da-a643-3388223600c8)) - **Practical Community Support Ideas** - Host or join local events like school registration drives and accompaniment efforts so families can access services safely. - Hold family meetings and use recommended reading (e.g., Solito) to build empathy and community conversations. Transcript: Lillian Aponte Miranda Another thing that you can do is answer and activate around calls to action. I know we have a call to action right now and Acacia has been leading this along with sister organizations to call our representatives and let them know that we need and want a restoration Of the funding that is required and critical for children to be able to receive the legal services that they need to have a fair process and day in court. And we also want to encourage all of you to look at your own gifts and talents, to look at what is yours and has been given to you as your own gift, as your own talent, as part of your own privilege, And to use that to contribute to this moment in time. And so if you are an artist, do art. If you are a writer, write. Use your voice and write. Write an op-ed. Put your voice into the space. If you are someone who has a facility to build community around even a small fundraiser in your community, a big sale, do it. It all matters. It all absolutely counts. And it's not even just a process of, you know, obviously creating a sense of support and funding, but it's the people you're bringing together and what you are able to do in that moment To communicate with them and to raise awareness as well. ([Time 0:54:51](https://share.snipd.com/snip/1950c735-fb66-410d-864c-090b92513b7c))