'It's Never Been This Bad'

"Since immigration-enforcement agents began their descent on Chicago, acting with seemingly unprecedented speed and ferocity, Evelyn Vargas and her colleagues at Organized Communities Against Deportation have been in a frenzy. They help run an emergency hotline that refers people who have been detained to immigration lawyers and directs their families to support services such as food pantries, emergency housing, and mental-health care. (On a single day last week, it took 800 calls.)"

"To protect themselves and their work, they also keep their office location private and have started to ban phones, laptops, and other devices from meetings. No notes are allowed, except those taken by lawyers, about people who could be targeted by ICE. People interested in joining the group require an invitation and may be asked to participate after attending three meetings, but only if their references check out."

Organized Communities Against Deportation runs an emergency hotline that refers detained individuals to immigration lawyers and connects families with food pantries, emergency housing, and mental-health care, handling hundreds of calls in a single day. A team of 35 rapid responders films arrests and aims for at least two responders to arrive within ten minutes while training emphasizes observing without intervening. The group shares footage with elected officials and lawyers but does not post videos online. Members have faced physical assaults, pepper-spraying, car surveillance, and temporary detentions. Security measures include banning devices at meetings, keeping office locations private, and invitation-only membership with reference checks.

Read at The Atlantic