Editor’s note: This story, published in September, has been updated.
As fears grow over immigration enforcement, some community members want to better document the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
Comité Sin Fronteras, an arm of Voces de la Frontera, is training people to serve as “community verifiers” – who confirm or deny reports of ICE actions and document incidents when they do happen.
A key element of the project, dubbed, “La Migra Watch,” is to raise awareness about the hotline anyone can use to report possible ICE activity, said Raul Rios, an organizer with Comité.
“That is how, statewide, we can get involved and get on the ground to help each other,” Rios said.
Rumors of ICE sightings in Milwaukee in Milwaukee over the past few weeks prompted Voces De La Frontera issued a statement on Sunday.
“We’re asking for your help in stopping the spread of unverified claims, particularly about ICE being spotted in hotels and other locations. Spreading unverified rumors only causes unnecessary anxiety for our community, especially for undocumented immigrants,” it read.
They are asking residents to call 1-800-427-0213 to report ICE sightings.
In this video, Rios explains how the verification process works, and we follow a verifier after a call to the hotline is made.
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