The warning that Immigration and Customs Enforcement planned to conduct raids in 10 U.S. cities came down on July 11. But no one knew exactly when, or in what numbers.
“Does ICE have the people power to go through all these audits and complete all of these raids?”said Gabriel Morales, an organizer with the New York City-based worker’s rights organization, Brandworkers United. “Who knows?”
It was Friday, July 12, and Morales was preparing the immigrant workers that Brandworkers represents for the unknown. He’d been conducting routine Know Your Rights workshops with members and their families throughout the year, but this week, Morales was having what he called “frank discussions” with the community, reminding them about the difference between an unannounced workplace raid and an I-9 audit. Either process could result in deportation, and he didn’t know which ICE would choose. “It’s ICE, and ICE is one of the least transparent institutions that we have in this country,” he said.
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