Seeking Safety is Not a Crime

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They blame immigrants so you won't blame billionaires.

~ Working Families Party

This toolkit includes:

1. Myths & Misconceptions

2. Terms

3. Interviews

4. Safety Resources

5. Action Steps

6. The Propaganda Factor

Myths & Misconceptions

Myth: Undocumented immigrants increase crime.

A study found that undocumented immigrants are arrested at less than half the rate of native-born U.S. citizens for violent and drug crimes and a quarter the rate of native-born citizens for property crime. The study was conducted by the National Institute of Justice and examined data from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Research shows that welcoming immigrants into American communities not only decreases crime, but can actually strengthen public safety. Using data sourced form the FBI and the U. S. Census Bureau in all 50 states, it was found that higher immigrant populations are not associated with higher crime rates which aligns with a wealth of prior research on this topic.

Myth: Latinx people are the only group affected by ICE deportations and abuses.

This groundbreaking report found that black migrants are subject to harm at disproportionately higher rates than non-Black migrants while in the custody of ICE. This report uses nearly 17,000 call records from FFI’s National Immigration Detention Hotline which illustrates the pervasive and systemic anti-Black racism inherent to immigration detention. 28% of all abuse-related reports made to the FFI hotline come from Black migrants, despite accounting for only only 6% of the total ICE detention population.

Myth: Immigration & Customs Enforcement Facilities are not committing human rights violations.

This article summarizes a report released July 15, 2026 that exposes the human rights abuses taking place in ICE detention centers. Human Rights Watch, American Civil Liberties Union, and other human rights advocacy groups have found that ICE detention centers are consistently committing human rights violations. Detainees have recounted being denied necessary medical care, forced to live in filthy conditions, fed inedible meals, prevented from contacting their lawyers or family members, and assaulted by staff. The inhumane living conditions have included descriptions of bathrooms covered in feces, flooded housing units, lack of soap or other basic hygiene supplies, and being held indoors for weeks without access to recreation, sunlight or fresh air.

Terms

ICE: Immigration & Customs Enforcement is federal law enforcement agency that was founded in 2004.

Ruses: When ICE agents go to homes and the community to arrest non-citizens, it’s common for them to lie about who they are and what they want from the individuals they encounter. The lies are called “ruses.” Ruses are an officially sanctioned ICE policy, taught to new agents at the ICE Training Academy.

Interviews

Using interviews, this article tells the stories of 10 people who have experienced the U.S. immigration system firsthand. Their stories expose the inhumanity of the current system, the need for legal protections for more people, and their desire to live safely and with dignity. This page has story excerpts, but they can be expanded to read the full version.

An educational resource about ruses that include anonymous reports from individuals who were lied to by ICE.

Safety Resources

Website offering infographics, booklets, and flyers that teach immigrants (and allies) how to prepare and respond to ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) in multiple settings.

An extensive resource for creating a step-by-step family preparedness plan. This toolkit goes into detail about different childcare options available in case of an absent parent, how to find trusted immigration services in your community, and how to prepare to assert your constitutional rights in the presence of an immigration officer.

Extended know your rights handout. Includes what immigrant families can do now, everyone's rights during an ICE raid, and what allies can do during an immigration raid.

Five animated videos that explain how to prepare for and safely defend your rights during encounters with ICE. Available in eight languages.

Action Steps

Printable red cards ("know your rights" cards) available in 59 languages to distribute to community members. You can get these printed at your local public library with a library card. This page includes guidance on how to print and use these cards.

Multimedia Resource toolkit for documenting ICE. This project offers a deep dive into how to safely, ethically, and effectively film abuses against immigrants from ICE agents, Border Patrol, and others through in-person trainings, tip sheets, case studies, videos, and more.

https://5calls.org/all/ - This website makes it simple to contact your representatives. After setting your location, it provides you with the contact information of your representatives, background/context information on the topic, and a script you can use. Scroll to the immigration section to speak up against ICE camps being built in your state, speak up to support temporary protected status extension for Haitians, demand the unmasking of ICE agents, and more.

https://indivisible.org/groups | Indivisible is a movement of more than a million members taking consistent action to resist the GOPs agenda, elect local champions, and fight for progressive policies. Input your zipcode and find groups near you to join!

https://resist.bot/ | Resistbot is a chatbot that turns your texts into faxes, postal mail, or emails to your representatives in minutes.

MoveOn is a community of grassroots activits around the country mobilizing for progressive change. The website shows multiple ways to get involved, including a map that shows upcoming events.

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The Propaganda Factor

An analysis of social media content on twitter shows how the manipulation of image content and context online is used for anti-immigrant propaganda.