ICE is now actively engaging in their terrorism in King County, surrounding counties, and our state. It is only a matter of time before they come onto our island. This is a very frightening thought for all of us. They purport to only go after people who have committed crimes and are  in the US illegally. However, with what we have seen in Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, and now Minneapolis, we know that is not the case. People of every race, legal status, and walk of life have been detained, beaten, and terrorized. And, now they have murdered two bystanders — Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

So, how do we prepare? How do we react? What can we do to keep Vashon families and our community safe? While we cannot PREVENT ICE from coming to Vashon, we can PREPARE ourselves to safely and legally make their visit as uncomfortable as possible, while not making the situation worse for our more vulnerable friends and neighbors.

Read on for resources, ways you can get involved, and how to take ACTION – both right NOW and in the future.

Get Training

Knowledge is power, practice makes our community safer. Community members who are not at risk of deportation are encouraged to get training on safely documenting ICE interactions, non-violence, de-escalation and more, so that any actions you take do not unintentionally harm those we are in solidarity with.

1) WAISN (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network) Know Your Rights

Check here for ongoing Know Your Rights trainings online

2) WAISN (Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network) Rapid Response

Check here for ongoing Rapid Response trainings online

3) States at the Core ICE Watch/Community Defense Training

Check here for ongoing ICE Watch/Community Defense trainings online

Put WAISN’s ICE reporting hotline in your phone: 1-844-724-3737

Rumors spread like wildfire on Vashon, spreading panic. DHS (Department of Homeland Security) often rides the ferries and visits Vashon, doing ferry security. It is important to be aware of who is riding the ferries, but please be mindful of these visits and learn how to tell the difference.

If you think you see ICE, please do the following immediately:

1) Document:
• How many cars? What do the cars look like/are they marked?
• How many officers? Are they wearing identification (DHS, ICE, Police etc.) Are they masked?
• Where/When did you see them?
• Are they actively arresting someone?
• Take photos if possible — this is very helpful!

2) DO NOT POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, instead …

3) CALL WAISN’s Deportation Hotline and report what you have seen. They will activate a rapid response team if necessary:

1-844-724-3737

Help Create ICE Emergency Whistle Kits

Whistles have been shown to be an effective community communication tool in cities across the country. Help create kits and 4th ammendment info packets here on Vashon.

Fill out this form to get involved.

Interested in getting whistle kits out into the community, but have more money than time? Sponsor some kits! 

Participating in creating whistle kits is free and (like everything in Indivisible Vashon) an all-volunteer affair. But whistle kits cost money, and we welcome any donations to get more kits out across the island.

Visit our donation page and put “whistle kits” in the Venmo memo area.

Join our Immigrant/Refugee Rights team!

Indivisible Vashon’s Immigrant/Refugee Rights group has specialized teams including:

• Accompaniment
• Rapid Response
• Fundraising
• Court Watchers
• Business 4th amendment education/Whistle Kits
• School district liasons/outreach/tutors, and more!

Contact Jenna for information on getting involved.