Spring Rain 5/16/2025:
ICE Hotlines, Rapid Response Networks, and Legal Observer Trainings
“Spring Rain” posts are a collection of time sensitive or unique opportunities that we should take advantage of if we can. Past spring rain posts can be viewed here.
For a more complete view of ongoing efforts, find the most recent Dandelion Repot here.
Need inspiration rather than action at this moment? Take a look at my Sunflower posts here.
This Spring Rain Includes:
“Advice from a Raindrop” a poem by Kim Stafford
Time Guide — Be involved at the level you can.
ICE Reporting Hotlines and Rapid Response Networks
Legal Observer Trainings
Being Prepared in Areas Without These Resources
A “Living” List of Resources by State
Quick emails to your representatives, using Resistbot Codes.
“Advice from a Raindrop” by Kim Stafford
You think you’re too small to make a difference? Tell me about it. You think you’re helpless, at the mercy of forces beyond your control? Been there. Think you’re doomed to disappear, just one small voice among millions? That’s no weakness, trust me. That’s your wild card, your trick, your implement. They won’t see you coming until you’re there, in their faces, shining, festive, expendable, eternal. Sure you’re small, just one small part of a storm that changes everything. That’s how you win, my friend, again and again and again.
Time Guide — Be involved at the level you can.
In this Spring Rain, I want to focus on some opportunities to help support our non-citizen community members. Some ways we can do this is by utilizing ICE Reporting Hotlines, Rapid Response Networks, and Legal Observer Trainings. We can also learn to document ICE activity safely as an individual.
These actions help document the scope, violence, and the illegality of ICE raids in our community. It can help individuals who are detained to be connected with legal representation. Additionally, it is a way to stand in solidarity and bear witness with the entirety of our community during this time.
To better serve you on this issue, I would like to break down the actions by level of involvement. Engage at the level you can, come back to this post as you have the time and bandwidth.
No Time: Read the next section on Hotlines and Rapid Response Networks below. Know your local hotline, if available. My list of local resources by state might save you time. (Many California options, other states are in-progress).
Some Time: Read the rest of this newsletter. Share it if you find it helpful. Attending a training in areas they are available, or be prepared to document ICE activity safely as an individual if needed.
More Time: As you connect with organizations that are doing this work in your community, consider supporting them regularly. They require help to serve clients, operating hotlines (especially if you are bilingual), spreading awareness, running trainings, event volunteers, and financial support. See how the organizations you are a part of can be better prepared (CCIJ has some toolkits you could start with).
ICE Reporting Hotlines and Rapid Response Networks
Currently, ICE reporting Hotlines and Rapid Response Networks (RRNs) vary greatly by community. Many communities do not yet have these resources. The ones that do vary in areas covered, times of day they are accessible, RRNs they activate, and in trainings available to the public.
Some hotlines have hundreds of trained volunteers that they can rapidly mobilize to help document ICE activity. These volunteers are sometimes called Legal Observers (read further for more on this). Other hotlines mobilize Attorneys to represent individuals detained. Some hotlines can only help track the scope and areas of ICE raids.
Because of this variability, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with what is available in your community.
Further on, you will find a link to the resources and hotlines I am aware of, but you likely will need to search for this resource in your community. If you have an organization near you that works on immigrant rights, start there.
If you have a Hotline in your community:
Save the number in your phone.
Learn how to spot ICE activity, be aware they partner with other federal agencies, and learn if law enforcement is assisting ICE in your area.
Call as soon as you have verified the activity, raids can happen as fast as 5–10 minutes.
Some organizations have the hotline number listed on business cards or posters. You can help pass them out, or display them at community events.
For additional information on RRNs, here is a 3-minute video from CCIJ, or you can read their slides on “What Are RRN And How Do They Work?” (Click on the graphic under this headline to download).
Legal Observer Training
Some areas are offering trainings to community members to respond and assist in collecting evidence when a raid is called in through a hotline. It may be called Legal Observer Training, but it may go by a different name in your area.
I was able to attend one of these trainings in my community and found it very helpful. It was also a great opportunity to connect with other people wanting to be more involved on this issue.
At its most basic purpose, these trainings are how to safely and legally gather evidence during an ICE raid. They instruct you how to do this while not being obstructive, maintaining your safety, and gathering as much useful evidence as possible. They can also connect you to the RRN to receive the evidence from you, and provide it directly to the detained individual’s legal representation.
In my area, volunteers are trained, so that when the RRN verifies ICE related activity, they can contact volunteers that live or work near that location. Ideally, the aim is to have enough volunteers that multiple people can respond, allowing us to gather more information and from different angles.
I found my local training to be very practical. If you have access to a similar training in your area, I highly recommend it. If at the end of the training you do not feel comfortable being a Legal Observer, you will have the option to opt-out of participating.
You may see some groups that are practicing non-violent obstruction of ICE activity, that is different from being a Legal Observer.
Areas Without These Resources
If you live in an area without Hotlines, RRNs, or Legal Observer Trainings, you are the first and last line of defense to document an ICE raid if you observe one in person.
Please take some time to learn how to do this legally and safely, so you can be prepared for when this opportunity arises. Here are some resources to prepare:
The California Collaborative For Immigrant Justice has a toolkit I recommend:
If you want to be an “independent” legal observer, read these sections (click on the graphic of the category to download the slides):
“Encountering ICE On The Street”
“Documenting And Reporting ICE Activity”
If you want ideas of how to prepare for specific organizations, consider reading the following:
“Encountering ICE At Work”
“Encountering ICE At A School”
“Encountering ICE At A Medical Facility”
“Encountering ICE At A Religious Institution”
If you are a non-citizen, or have a loved one who is a non-citizen, I would review these sections:
“Encountering ICE At Home”
“Family Preparedness For ICE”
“Expanded Expedited Removal”
Learn What an “ICE raid” Looks Like:
It is not actually just ICE/CBP that is participating in these raids. It is also the FBI, DEA, and ATF. Depending on your state, it may also be local law enforcement. Unfortunately, it may also be unmarked cars, with agents in plain clothing or generic uniforms.
Almost all of ICE raids happen without Judicial Warrants issued by a judicial court. It is common for ICE to present an “administrative warrant,” these can authorize a seizure or arrest, but does not authorize a search, even if signed by an “immigration judge” or “immigration court”. While they can arrest someone with an administrative warrant, they cannot use it to demand entry into a private home or into a non-public (employee-only) area of business or church. That has not stopped ICE from asserting an “administrative warrant” gives them the right to search. If you deny them entry in this circumstance, and they enter anyway, this is illegal, and you should document as much information as you can. For more information on how to tell these apart, please read this write-up from the National Immigration Law Center.
You can help distribute “Know Your Rights” Red Cards in your community.
Print your own, or order some here (Many languages available).
A “Living” List of Resources by State
I have yet to find a list of Hotlines available across the country. I have started to make a list of all publicly promoted hotlines that I am aware of, and other community resources.
At the time of publication, it has links to a Statewide Hotline for Washington, and 24 Regional Hotlines in California.
If you find a resource in your area, please share it with me so I can add it to the list. If you discover any programs that have been stopped, please let me know as well.
You can contact me by:
Replying to this newsletter if you received it by email.
Directly message me on my Substack profile,
.Email me at impnos@substack.com.
Comment it on this post (be conscious this may publicly identify where you live on your substack account).
In part, I am also developing this list to help connect over 700 members of another organization I am a part of. So anything you find will help not only the readers of this Newsletter, but hopefully many more in the future. I greatly appreciate your help!
Resistbot Emails to Representatives
Resistbot is a tool to quickly send emails to your representatives. Click the link to learn how to set up your account.
You can also use it to quickly write and send emails to your representatives, but unless you can write it in under 5 minutes, or you plan to share your code for others to use, you are better off calling.
Emails are much less effective than calling (I have seen some estimate that a call is worth 10 emails), but with Resistbot templates it is so fast it is worth doing in addition to calling.
I often will be able to send these emails while I make calls using The 5 Calls App.
Current Codes I Have Used This Week:
SIGN PIQXHS
“Stop and Investigate Trump’s Luxury Jet “Gift” from Qatar” by Rogan's List.
SIGN PMHAXV
“STOP ICE lawless abuse now. Mayor of Newark arrested.” by Mary.
SIGN PFJMNX
“No Free Pass for Lawlessness: Stop The Ban on Judges Enforcing Contempt of Court” by Rogan's List.
SIGN PMEFPL
“Oppose Confirmation of Birthright Citizenship Opponent to Federal Judgeship” by Rogan's List.
SIGN PZQFMC
“Loudly Reject Trump’s Unconstitutional Threats to Suspend Habeas Corpus” by Coleman.
Find more codes in past Spring Rain posts.
I am grateful you are here.
Thank you,
Chris