Why Black Folks Need To Remain Alert To New Powers ICE Agents Have Been Granted

The start of the year has been a blizzard of ICE agents causing havoc across the nation and in the Twin Cities, especially. With the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the arrests of independent journalists Don Lemon, Georgia Fort and two more Black leaders, the battle between ICE agents and American citizens is becoming increasingly terrifying. If you haven’t been paying attention to what is going on, it is time to start, because ICE agents have just been granted a power that could put all American citizens at risk.

The situation for Black citizens in particular is about to get scarier. The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort already raised concerns about an attack on First Amendment rights and sent chills down the spine as it played out a history that Black folks know all too well. The situation calls on Black folks to be aware of what is happening around them. Kristian A. Smith, the pastor and leader of the digital faith community The Faith Community, just laid out the reasons why.

In a recent YouTube short, Smith raised the alarm about a power ICE agents were granted by the Supreme Court, which will allow them to conduct warrantless arrests.

“The Supreme Court ruled that ICE can conduct warrantless searches while looking for undocumented immigrants. Basically, giving them the permission to racially profile with zero accountability,” Smith said.

And Smith is right. On Jan. 22, AP reported that an internal memo had been sent to ICE agents to give them “sweeping power” to enter someone’s home without needing a judge’s warrant. The memo has also been given to ICE officers in training as a guideline on how they should conduct searches. This is in contrast to older training materials, which contradict the memo, according to AP.

Now, as Smith says in his video, some Black folks might not think these rules have anything to do with them since ICE agents have mostly been targeting the Latino community, but here is where things start to get really scary…

Smith noted that Haitian Americans could be the next deportation targets for ICE agents due to the Trump administration’s lawsuit to end the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for Haitian Americans beginning Feb. 3. This program allows those from countries deemed unsafe to live and work within the United States.

However, according to the BBC, there has been a temporary block on the revocation of TPS for Haitian Americans following a recent ruling by federal judge Ana Reyes. But the lawsuit challenging the TPS scheme is still going through proceedings in federal courts and could put us all at risk if it passes. Haitian Americans, as Smith notes in his video, look like any other Black American, from the color of their skin to the sound of their accents, which could give ICE the power to begin racial profiling.

“Haitians are Black Americans,” Smith stated. “Same skin. Same accent in many cases. Can you see where this is going? Here’s the equation: ICE can racially profile, plus they’re hunting Black immigrants who look just like us, equals all Black people are more vulnerable.”

If the Trump administration succeeds in its lawsuit against the scheme, it could also put thousands of people from Cameroon, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Nepal, Venezuela and more at risk of deportation, according to AP.

Speaking about what Black people could do to help push back against the threat of ICE, Smith listed three major things.

“Number one, if ICE approaches you, stay calm, comply and show ID. I know it’s unjust. It’s enraging. We shouldn’t have to do it. But this is about survival.”

The pastor then emphasized the importance of community.

“Organize now. Connect with neighbors, especially in areas where there’s a high population of Haitian immigrants, like Massachusetts, Florida and New York. Create text chains to alert each other when ICE is spotted. Three: Get involved locally and register to vote.”

Continuing, Smith further explained that resistance requires strategy and communication, which is why it is more important than ever to be there for your community.

“If you’re serious about any kind of resistance, it requires a coordination strategy and numbers. Don’t sacrifice yourself for nothing. We need you alive and connected.”