SF Boswell

"O-M-A-N? "Oh man" that's what you sound like actually hahaha. Anyway, we can't help."

Okay so here's what happened at immigration court today. Starting a new thread.

When we got to 26 Federal Plaza, about ten ICE agents were completely surrounding two courtrooms and two waiting rooms. Like a phalanx of ICE that people had to walk through to see a judge.

1/?

That's a day in immigration court, as a volunteer. That's what it's like.

Most of the press stopped covering most immigration courts, but - like Minneapolis - it's all still happening.

Every day in immigration court is its own quiet armageddon for hundreds of people.

And now I've spent about an hour doing followup on the "normal" non-detention cases we heard today.

Most of that is just trying, in any way possible, to get people into free legal clinics. To try to mitigate the life-ruining harm of immigration court that *isn't* a detention.

12/?

Anyway, that's it. Technically. ICE left, and no one else was taken.

Spent another hour watching the immigration court destroy people's lives the normal way, walking people out, getting them information.

11/?

And so I'm going through security and joking with the guards and being the most pleasant version of myself even after watching ICE drag a woman down the hallway

and even as I'm terrified I won't get upstairs fast enough to help other people

10/?

The worst part is that right afterwards, right when we'd gotten the info to the right people, I had to go right back into court.

Because ICE was still there, and we were worried they might try to take a french-speaking family.

9/?

I was behind her in court for 15 minutes. I saw her laughing with other volunteers.

And then ICE disappeared her down a hallway and we were running. Running, running, running to get her information to the people who could help.

8/?

In the waiting room, two other volunteers talk to the respondents. They're laughing, chatting, getting their info. ICE is outside. We get ready to walk them out. 

The man leaves safely with two volunteers.

ICE grabs the woman. It's violent.

I don't even know how to describe it.

7/?

It becomes obvious that ICE is targeting someone in courtroom #2.

I go take notes. I'm sitting behind two people - a man and woman. I assume the man is the target (they usually arrest men). When the judge lets them go, we walk out to the waiting room.

6/

At some point, a man and a lawyer walk out of courtroom #1. ICE rushes around them; a couple observers follow. I am sure this is the detention.

An elevator opens; I walk in and motion the lawyer and her client inside.

ICE doesn't follow. Just intimidation. (Fuckers)

But it's not over.

5/?

One of the volunteers eventually snuck into courtroom #1, following a man she'd met in a waiting room. He was terrified and needed someone with him.

4/?

Oh, also we were told we couldn't go into one of the courtrooms (courtroom #1).

For about an hour, I was basically stationed outside, standing next to two ICE agents and a member of the press, craning my neck to hear people's ID info read out in court in case they were the ones taken.

3/?

There were about 50-60 people there to see a judge. 10 ICE agents. 7-8 members of the press.

And four volunteers.

You can imagine how stressful it is, when you *know* ICE is planning to detain someone, and you just don't have the volunteer manpower to cover 2 courtrooms and 2 waiting rooms.

2/?

Okay so here's what happened at immigration court today. Starting a new thread.

When we got to 26 Federal Plaza, about ten ICE agents were completely surrounding two courtrooms and two waiting rooms. Like a phalanx of ICE that people had to walk through to see a judge.

1/?

How to win in November

Finally back from immigration court after like... six hours. Will recap later, but yeah - that fucking sucked. That really fucking sucked, man.

12/?

I will see these ICE agents hauled up in court before I die.

Detention today at immigration court. Ten minutes ago.

Nine ICE agents for one woman.

11/?

Going to try something I haven't before - a thread recapping a morning immigration court accompaniment shift

Tomorrow is my regular volunteering date for immigration court in NYC; I'm theoretically in court from 8am to 12pm

1/?

Genuinely the worst feeling in immigration court is when you *know* ICE is targeting someone but you don't know how to get to them

10/?

Security is following me around so I'm hiding in the women's bathroom. 🤣🤣🤣

9/?

Ten ICE agents surrounding two Courtrooms and two waiting rooms. Probably 40-50 people waiting up see a judge. ICE probably wants to detain someone but we just have to guess at who and hope we can get their info

8/

Fix your hearts or die.

7am and I'm in the subway en route to immigration court. No emergencies in the night (except the ones that await us at court). We're a smaller group today so I'm hoping the chaos is minimal.

7/?

My wakeup time for immigration court is 5:45, so I'm going to bed now, and hoping for no more emergencies in the night. See you tomorrow!

6/

An hour ago, my group got two emergency requests for accompaniment to immigration court for tomorrow morning.

Because the requests were so last minute, we couldn't find volunteers to pair with these neighbors, so we're going to improvise on the ground.
5/?

*My* immigration court volunteering starts around 4pm on Tuesday, when I print out all our handouts, and make sure everyone on shift is in the same groupchat. We also needed one more french speaker - there was just one for two buildings - so I found someone and got them up to speed.

4/?

Our goal is responding to detentions - and then to help as many people as possible, in any way possible. That might mean going into court with them; it might mean walking them out while ICE hangs around; it might mean helping them find free legal resources. We don't know until we're in.

3/?

When we're in immigration court, we're going in with very little info. We don't know whether ICE will be there; we don't know who the respondents are; we don't know what the judges will do. Most of the people we meet in court are pro se - they have no lawyers. Many are asylum seekers.

2/?