Article hits home on being prepared for ICE arrest/detainment

Common Council President José G. Pérez said Milwaukee families should take away key points featured in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article published yesterday (Monday, October 27) focused on how best to be prepared in the event of a sudden arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The article, written by MJS reporter Alyssa N. Salcedo, cites recommendations put together by Milwaukee’s Voces de la Frontera.

“In my view, this article is outstanding and a must read for anyone who believes they or one of their family members could be unexpectedly stopped and detained by ICE agents,” President Pérez said. “There is no substitute for being prepared, and this article can help immensely in getting families ready to defend themselves and their rights.”

The article contained the following recommendations from Voces de la Frontera:

Establish an emergency contact and memorize important phone numbers

In the event a person is detained, family members should establish an emergency contact who can help in the event that someone is detained. This can be a loved one or an immigration attorney. Family members should memorize the number of their emergency contact and should consider memorizing the number of an emergency hotline.

Share the contacts and safety plan with your children

Parents should discuss with their children who to call in times of crisis, and should have their children memorize the phone number of a trusted adult or emergency contact.

Parents should teach their children essential information like full name spellings, birthdates, addresses and any instructions on what to do in case of an emergency, according to the organization’s safety plan checklist. Parents should keep a laminated list of emergency contacts in their child’s backpack in case they struggle to remember the number in times of crisis.

Share your information with your emergency contact

In addition to a list of phone numbers, create a document with other important information that will help an emergency contact locate a person if they are detained and pass on the right information to an attorney.

This document should be a single page containing the family member’s legal name, date of birth, country of birth and any medical needs, including medical conditions and medication lists.

If applicable, the sheet should also include the family member’s A-number, or Alien Registration Number, which is a unique identifier number assigned by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Voces recommends making a document like this for each member of the family and storing copies of each family member’s information sheet along with copies of important documents in a folder marked “privileged and confidential.”

Print copies of crucial documents, store originals

Voces recommends that families have all their documents in order, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.

Make copies of passport IDs, green cards, I-94 work authorization forms, birth certificates for themselves and their children and any other relevant forms that could be useful to an immigration attorney.

Families should order new copies of important documents if the original documents are lost. For example, if a person’s children were born in Milwaukee but their birth certificates are lost, contact the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Vital Records Office to obtain a new copy of the documents.

Once the copies are made, keep them on hand and store the originals in a safe and secure place. Keep all original documents and copies in folders marked “privileged and confidential,” and leave a set of copies with a family member or emergency contact.

(Voces de la Frontera has a full safety plan checklist containing a list of important documents or information that should be copied and shared with an emergency contact).

Plan for a power of attorney

Families should consider filling out power of attorney forms with a family member or emergency contact, for both temporary guardianship of children and to oversee personal finances.

Power of attorney forms are legal documents which allow you to choose a trusted loved one that can, for example, make payments on your behalf or care for your children in the event of an emergency.

Copies of these forms can be obtained by emailing Voces de la Frontera at VLDF@vldf.org or by visiting the Wisconsin State Law Library’s website.

Voces de la Frontera recommends notarizing the forms, which they can assist with using their in-house notaries, though this is not required for the forms to be valid.

Once the forms are filled out and signed along with your family member or emergency contact, keep the original copy together with your other important documents, and make a copy to share with the person to whom you have given power of attorney in emergencies. Also, consider sharing a copy of temporary guardianship forms with your children’s schools.

When considering giving a loved one or emergency contact power of attorney to care for children in emergencies, select someone with a legal or stable immigration status who is able to take on the responsibility.

For power of attorney, important things to consider:

• Who will care for your children if you are detained, and who has the legal authority to make decisions about their care?
• How will you stay in contact with them?
• What daily responsibilities does the person caring for them need to manage?
• What time do the children go to school? Do they need medical care? Do they have after-school activities?
• Where would you like your children to live while you’re away? Do you want them to stay in the United States or reunite with you in your country of origin?
• If your children remain in the United States, how will their basic needs be provided for — such as food, clothing and healthcare?

Prepare an emergency bag

If possible, families should consider packing an emergency bag that includes copies of important documents, any medications, emergency contact information, and a complete change of clothes and cash, if possible.

Consider storing an emergency cash fund

If possible, it is recommended to have a cash emergency fund stored in a designated spot in the home, and to share the location of the fund with a loved one or emergency contact should they need to access the money for transportation, food or any other needs.

Families should save whatever amount they deem appropriate in the fund.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.