Let's Make Border Czar Tom Homan Mad In Every City In The Whole United States!
He was so upset that Chicago immigrants were educated in what their rights were.
Yesterday, during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Trump Border Czar Tom Homan had a wee bit of a hissy fit over the fact that immigrants in Chicago are “well-educated” and too aware of what their rights are when it comes to being arrested or detained by ICE agents.
“For instance, Chicago — very well-educated,“ Homan continued. “They‘ve been educated on how to how to defy ICE, how to hide from ICE. I‘ve seen many pamphlets from many NGOs: ‘Here‘s how you escape ICE from arresting you. Here‘s what you need to do.’
“They call it ‘Know Your Rights.’ I call it ‘how to escape arrest,’” Homan added.
Aw! How sad for him that people in my city are aware of what their rights are! It would just be so much easier for him if everyone were as ignorant about the Constitution and human rights as those who voted his boss into office.
In the interview, Homan really tried to double down on the “But they’re criminals! They’re bad guys! We’re going after the bad guys!” thing, because it’s not remotely weird for adults to talk about “bad guys” like they’re Power Rangers or some shit. Although, he did admit that there were collateral arrests of people who hadn’t actually done any crime — the Supreme Court has affirmed that simply being in the country without documentation is a civil matter, not a criminal one. Then, when Collins asked if they will also be going after undocumented immigrants without criminal records, he confirmed that they would be doing that.
Because, to be clear, they want to inure people to the visuals now when it’s “the bad guys” so they’ll tolerate it more later when it’s not.
To be clear, we don’t actually know how many of these arrests so far have actually been of people with criminal records. We do know that ICE targeted 260 people in Chicago this weekend and that only seven of them had actual open warrants out on them. We know that one of the people taken was a guy in Waukegan who had a drug conviction back in 2005.
He’s not wrong about the “well-educated” part though. Not only are our public officials and non-profit workers putting out “Know Your Rights” info, but I see practically every person I know here sharing this information regularly online. I’ve seen flyers up in my neighborhood. And clearly, if Homan is frustrated, it’s working! It’s obviously not preventing all arrests — so far, an estimated 100 people have been arrested and detained — but it’s surely preventing some of them, given that they had targeted 260 and Homan literally went on TV to whine about it.
While it’s definitely easier to protect our immigrant friends and neighbors in a sanctuary city where the police are barred from assisting ICE agents, it’s important to remember that undocumented immigrants everywhere do have certain rights in this country, whether Trump and friends like that or not. If they’ve been here more than two years or are an asylum seeker, they have the right to due process, they have the right to legal counsel (and for a lawyer to be appointed to represent them if they cannot afford it), and they have the right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure. Undocumented children also have the right to education if they are here, as per the Supreme Court’s 1982 decision in Plyler v. Doe.
There are lots of Know Your Rights resources that anyone, regardless of where they live, can share online or out in their own neighborhoods.
Via City of Chicago:
If you believe you are witnessing ICE activity, please call ICIRR’s 24-Hour Family Support Hotline at 1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693) to report it.
If you find yourself interacting with an ICE officer in any location including your workplace, or out in the community, remember that you:
- Have the right to remain silent when questioned or arrested by immigration officers
- Should remain calm and keep your hands where the officer can see themDO NOT: discuss your immigration or citizenship status with the police, immigration agents, or other officials.
- sign anything you do not understand. You should state that you wish to speak with an attorney.If an officer knocks on your door at home: Do NOT open the door. Teach your children not to open the door.
- ICE officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your home. ICE “warrants” are not signed by judges; they are ICE forms signed by ICE officers and they do not grant authority to enter your home without your consentIf you are outdoors and think you see immigration officers nearby: Move to a safe indoor space
- If you are a U.S. citizen and feel safe to do so, record the activity with your phone or write down any relevant information about what you witness, ALWAYS being careful to not interfere or otherwise obstruct the operationDO NOT Post unverified information on social media
- Interfere with the investigation or otherwise put yourself in harm’s way
This is a good starting point, though there is a lot more information about how undocumented immigrants can protect themselves, both in this packet and elsewhere.
Other cities are doing some awesome things as well in this regard. LA schools just started handing out Know Your Rights cards to schoolchildren, which is admittedly one of those uplifting news stories that is also a horrific condemnation of our society. It would be great if children didn’t have to worry about things like that, but here we are!
What would be ideal (other than calling this nonsense off), would be if people knew their rights in every city, town, unincorporated area in the country. It shouldn’t just be Chicago that is “too well-educated” when it comes to this stuff. Tom Homan should constantly be shaking his fist in the air and crying “Foiled again! And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you pesky kids who know your constitutional rights!”
PREVIOUSLY ON WONKETTE!
ROTFLMAO
BREAKING: ICE just announced it is pausing the hotline where people can call to report undocumented immigrants because 90% of the calls are from
people reporting Elon Musk.
https://bsky.app/profile/theunionthug.bsky.social/post/3lgtlesmocc2q
The school district in my city just issued guidance to all schools here that ICE is not to be allowed in our buildings without "judicial authorization" -- meaning warrants. And no access to student records without the same. We ain't rollin' over for the Gestapo.