There’s a lot of shit going on in the world right now. It can feel overwhelming to figure out what to do, how to help, or even make sense of things. In trying to answer these for myself, I found some tactical things that we can do. These are things I’ve done or am doing, and as I find more, I’ll update this post. I hope it provides some focus as we navigate through these unprecedented times.

Education and care

These tactical things are based on two things—educating yourself and taking care of yourself and others. One of the most powerful tools in understanding wtf is going on is educating yourself on your rights, how processes work, and how systems work against people. Knowledge really is power and most systems are banking on people not knowing.

Taking care of yourself is critical to your own self preservation. We all deal with things in different ways, so what some do may not work as well for you. Identify things that give you some peace, clear your head, or make you feel recharged. For me, I turned off a lot of push notifications about the news and I’m on a 24-48 hour delay with the news cycle.

1. Encountering ICE

All these steps are here to prep you for the worst-case scenario. If you feel like your chances of encountering ICE or being detained by them are low, we need allies to look out for those who are at risk. Hopefully, you don’t have to use any of these things, but if you do, you’re ready.

  1. Know your rights. There are a lot of guides out there, but this one by the Asian Law Caucus is pretty concise.
  2. Find your local rapid response team hotline. Add this number in your phone contacts and favorite it. The scope of rapid response networks or teams varies; some of them document the encounter, provide legal support, or arrive onsite to document and ensure proper procedures are followed. Here’s a list by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), but you might want to double check or search on your own. Some keywords to use in your search include: immigration rapid response team + [your city, area, etc.]
  3. Find a lawyer’s contact info. If you don’t already have a lawyer, find the contact info for one. The Immigration Advocates Network has an extensive list, or you can ask a friend for a referral.
  4. Create a note on your phone with emergency info and share it with family and close friends. Include the names and phone numbers of your lawyer, local rapid response team hotlines, and childcare. Share this note with family and close friends. They can use this in case you or they need assistance.
  5. Take a photo of your passport ID page and other important docs and favorite it. If you’re detained, you may not have access to your phone, but it can’t hurt to have these photos just in case.
  6. Make a plan in case you encounter ICE. Maybe ICE won’t enter your house, but what if you’re somewhere and they show up? What will you do? What will you do if they detain you? Talk through your steps with your friends and family so everyone’s on the same page.

Why this matters

  • We need community members to help however they can. Shit gets scary and people can freeze or panic. Having community members around to support and act (e.g., call a rapid response network) can be extremely helpful!
  • U.S. Citizens aren’t immune from being detained by ICE. There are plenty of cases where U.S. Citizens are arrested by ICE.
  • U.S. Citizens who are born in the U.S. can still be deported. I couldn’t tell how frequently this happens, but I found a few instances where it’s happened.

2. Call your U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators

Your congressional representatives are there to serve you! Calling them to tell them you support, disagree, or don’t know their stance is one way to make an impact. This is something very easy to do—even if you’re introverted like me!

Why this matters

  • Even if you and your representative have the same political views, it’s not safe to assume they’ll have the same stance.
  • Their staffers tally the data to help give the representative a sense of their constituents’ sentiment. Public opinion matters!

3. Create an emergency kit and “go bag”

If you don’t have either of these by now, you really should get these together. This isn’t me saying this as a doomsday prepper. The reality is many of us live in areas affected by extreme weather events created from climate change. There are several in-depth resources (which can get very overwhelming), but for some easy, quick wins:

  • Sign up for alerts on your phone or download apps. Online, you can search your city or county name + “emergency alerts” to find out what services are available. The Red Cross and FEMA have apps that can send alerts and warnings, too. For wildfires, my favorite app is Watch Duty (because it’s quick and accurate).
  • When creating your emergency kit and “go bag,” order everything online, rather than rummage through your house or wander aimlessly around a store.
  • Spend 30-minute segments knocking off tasks (e.g., downloading apps, getting copies of documents, etc.).
  • Use a scanning mobile app to capture copies of your important docs—Google Drive has a scanning option.

4. Choose where you spend your money

So much of our society revolves around money. When enough people choose to spend their money elsewhere, that collective impact can be felt.

5. Check in with your friends

It’s so easy to feel like you’ve kept in touch with your friends, but scrolling through your social media feeds to see what they’re up to doesn’t really count. We’re all going through a lot, and I’m sure your friends would appreciate hearing from you. A simple text to say “hello” can really make a difference.

Why this matters

  • Not hearing from a friend doesn't mean they're OK. It could mean they're curled up in a ball, riddled with anxiety.
  • Some people might even feel isolated, thinking that they're the only ones feeling the way they do.

What else can we do?

If I missed anything simple that people can do, please let me know! Ping me on LinkedIn.