Janice Stockman and Judy Davidson are members of several Brattleboro groups committed to standing up for the civil rights of our immigrants and refugees and protesting the violent tactics of ICE.
Up until now, protests here in Brattleboro have been peaceful and nonviolent - and even joyful because of the music and singing provided by Dan DeWalt's Resistance Band and Becky Graber's Good Trouble Chorus.
However, if ICE comes to town and tries to deport immigrants, the atmosphere will likely change quickly and dramatically.
We are writing this because we are not only committed to standing up for, and with, our new neighbors, but also because we are concerned about the potential for people to get hurt or killed. We are community members working with local activist groups but write this as two individuals speaking for ourselves who are concerned about everyone's safety.
Here are some guidelines for protestors who are observing an ICE detention or a neighborhood search and want to remain nonviolent and don't want to be arrested.
• Stay at a physical distance of about 8 feet from ICE.
• Avoid screaming, spitting, swearing, or rushing agents.
• Don't touch ICE vehicles or police cars. These behaviors can escalate ICE to use even more aggressive behavior. We want to support the person being detained, not make ICE treat them more violently or cause us to be arrested.
• Yell loudly to the detainee, ask their name, and remind them and fellow bystanders that the detainee has the right to remain silent and the right to call a lawyer. You can use the emergency number of Vermont Migrant Justice (802-881-7229) to let them know a person is being detained and give information on where the person is being detained, when it took place, and a description of what is happening.
• Make sure your phone is fully charged when you leave home. You are allowed to use your phone to film and document the behavior of ICE; however, be sure to be at a distance, and turn off facial and fingerprint authentication, which give ICE access to your phone if it is confiscated. Use a passcode instead. You don't want your phone confiscated by ICE as they have software that can open your phone and mine your data.
• You can use a whistle to let people know that ICE is close by or detaining someone. Blow three short whistles when ICE is in the area or three long whistles when there is an active detention.
• Wear an N95 mask or other face protection.
• Avoid wearing necklaces, long hair, or scarves that ICE could use to pull you or drag you.
• Avoid wearing products that use petroleum jelly or other oils that can trap the chemicals in tear gas.
• Write the name of a trusted person to call or a lawyer's name on your arm in case you are arrested.
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We feel it's important that if you want to be part of a rapid response to ICE in Brattleboro that you get training in being a constitutional observer to exercise your rights safely.
• The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) presentation is highly recommended.
• The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)'s Know Your Rights page offers important resources.
• Vermont Migrant Justice and The Root Social Justice Center have done trainings in Vermont and are coordinating ready response teams and are local resources.
• The Handbook for Constitutional Observers. A constitutional observer is one who observes and documents law enforcement interactions, informs individuals about civil rights and due process, and shares support resources. This manual from the Immigrant Defense Network tells you how.
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