"On Thursday, I ended my day on daycare patrol as the windchill crept close to 25 degrees below zero. The patrols began after ICE appeared at my son's daycare two weeks ago; that same day, a daycare worker for the same provider was taken by agents at a nearby location while trying to get in to work. During my recent patrol, ICE agents were spotted in the neighborhood, as they nearly always are, but everybody made it out of the building safely."
"As I write this, a helicopter is circling over my neighborhood, as happens most days now. My phone is pinging near constantly with alerts from Signal groups that exist to defend and support our community. A friend texted to ask how concerned we should be that the president will invoke the Insurrection Act and send the military into our city; my husband just learned that workers at a nearby small business were taken by the government;"
ICE presence prompted organized daycare patrols after agents appeared at a local daycare and a daycare worker was arrested. Agents and a circling helicopter are now a near-daily reality. Community communication relies on Signal groups that coordinate defense and support and share urgent alerts. Residents fear door knocks from federal agents and limit leaving homes, prompting discreet delivery of food and essentials. Support for immigrant-owned businesses has increased, yet many remain closed. Schools closed for two days while teachers shifted to virtual learning because of nearby immigration enforcement activity. Neighbors report license-plate tracking and detentions of workers at nearby businesses.
Read at Slate Magazine
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