With ICE surpassing 10,000 detentions in just five days, as reported by the New York Times, immigration attorney Wilfredo Allen III —son of Willy Allen— provides a practical and urgent guide on how to respond if an agent detains you.
The pace of arrests doubled the previous average of 1,000 per day, reaching the new target set by the White House of 2,000 arrests daily, with a peak of 2,400 arrests in a single Saturday.
Allen III does not sugarcoat the situation: "The problem is that ICE does not respect human rights. There are plenty of reports about ICE detaining citizens, detaining residents. They have done everything possible to detain people at will. It's a horrible tragedy in this country."
In light of that reality, the lawyer offers three concrete recommendations for protection.
If you are detained while accompanied, the person with you should act immediately: "Call a lawyer. Reach out to someone who can ensure that they will speak to someone to help you. That's the most important thing," Allen III points out.
If you have an appointment with ICE, don't go alone. Allen advises bringing someone to wait in the car. "If you don't come out, they should call a lawyer to try to help you."
The third recommendation is the most emphatic: ideally, one should attend any appointment with ICE accompanied by an attorney. "When possible, absolutely. We go to ICE almost every day with our clients and with people who hire us to go with them. It is very important."
The lawyer warns that this escalation of ICE arrests is part of a deliberate strategy. "It's all a very aggressive strategy to detain and try to deport as many people as possible while they still have the power to do so."
After the leadership change in the Department of Homeland Security —with the departure of Kristi Noem and Gregory Bovino and the arrival of Markwayne Mullin—, ICE adopted more discreet tactics: fewer dramatic raids and more arrests during traffic stops and within the offices during supervision appointments.
In Miami, the situation is particularly critical. The fires in the Everglades forced the transfer of detainees from the Krome center to other facilities, and Allen III warns that ICE is now looking to "fill those beds again."
In the midst of this situation, the lawyer highlighted an unexpected legal victory: on July 2, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that requires at least one bond hearing to be offered to those who have been in ICE custody for more than 90 days.
"Just yesterday, there was a very important decision in the fifth circuit that, to my surprise, was in our favor," said Allen III, who acknowledged that the measure does not resolve everything but represents a step forward. "Something is better than nothing at the end of the day, but at least it shows that the issue is changing a bit and that things are gradually shifting more in our favor."
The decision of the Fifth Circuit directly applies to the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, where the right to a bail hearing was previously not recognized after prolonged periods of detention, and sets a significant precedent for thousands of immigrants who remain detained without having appeared before a judge.
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