In a climate of terror, local organizers are working to defend their communities against escalating ICE raids. As one witness to a recent neighborhood raid explained: “Masked men are taking our neighbors. It shakes me up in a way because my maternal uncle was a Holocaust survivor. The idea of sticking up for the people around you—it’s just really important.”
Baltimore is a “welcoming city,” which means [that] city police do not assist with raids, though a confusing array of federal agencies, including ICE, the FBI, and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) have been observed apprehending people. The Baltimore City Council recently voted to allot $2 million for immigrant services and legal defense.
Baltimore is one of many cities where people are expressing their opposition to the cruel and unnecessary policies of the current administration. The work ranges from holding rallies, to showing up to witness and oppose deportations, to pressuring electeds to support immigrants, to mutual aid funds set up to help the families of those deported.
In a grim time, this is how we defend our collective humanity.