"Know Your Rights" Training Draws 1,000 participants as Denverites Rally for Immigrant Protections
More than 1,000 Denverites attended a “Know Your Rights” training Monday night.
Photos and story by Giles Clasen
More than 1,000 individuals packed Shorter Community AME church Monday night for immigrant rights training.
The event, hosted by the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation, taught individuals to legally assert their rights if ICE or other law enforcement comes knocking.
The training started with a video of the Trump Administration's "Border Czar" admitting on CNN that ICE has been slowed or even stopped when immigrants know their rights.
The crowd cheered as Tom Homan said in the video, "They’ve been educated how to defy ICE, on how to hide from ICE. They call it ‘Know Your Rights.’ I call it how to escape from ICE."
Juan David Garza told those in attendance, "They rely on people not knowing their rights. So, what we're going to do is arm ourselves with knowledge."
Juan David Garza, with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, told the standing-room-only crowd that simply knowing one's rights when interacting with law enforcement is a powerful protection.
"[ICE] breaks the law consistently," Garza said during the training. "They rely on people not knowing their rights. So, what we're going to do is arm ourselves with knowledge."
Attendees took posters and cards to share immigrant rights with the community.
The presentation focused on four key actions individuals can take to protect themselves from an ICE search and seizure. Each action is grounded in the rights given to citizens and immigrants in the US Constitution.
1. Individuals do not need to open the door to ICE. Opening the door could be accepted by the courts as consenting to a search.
2. Individuals have the right to request to see a search warrant by sliding it through under the door or through a window without opening the door. The presentation also explained the difference between a warrant signed by a judge and an administrative warrant that is not signed by a judge and does not offer ICE the same power to search an establishment.
3. If ICE or other law enforcement do not have a warrant signed by a judge then individuals can deny the officers a search.
4. If ICE has only an administrative warrant then individuals can deny ICE the power to search or raid a location.
Micki Taylor took notes during the training.
The presenters also repeatedly encouraged individuals to use their rights to remain silent and request an attorney.
The hosts provided "know your rights cards" to be shared with others and posters in Spanish and English.
"These trainings are important because there's this lie about our immigrant community that they are the source of crime and are stealing jobs. It is being spread by the very people who are responsible for this. The billionaire class of people who have gutted our unions and our social safety nets and have outsourced our jobs," said Eliza Lucero, an organizer with the PSL.
She added that communities across the United States are facing real problems including the high cost of food and housing and low-paying jobs that don't keep up with the cost of living.
Those wanting to show their support for Denver's immigrants can participate in a rally at the State Capitol on February 8th at 2 pm.
The two groups plan to host the same training each Monday at different sites as long as there is demand. The details for upcoming events will be published on the PSL and CIRC social media pages and through the telegram channel t.me/fightbackco.
Moira Casados Cassidy handed out flyers for Saturday’s immigration rally at the Colorado State Capitol.