SAN FRANCISCO — Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) condemns the ongoing threat of the Trump administration’s plan for massive raids to deport “millions” and advises community members to access legal and other resources available through CAA and its partners.
“This is a part of orchestrated attacks against undocumented families, asylum seekers, and Muslim communities and our community recognizes that we must work together to fight family separation and unjust immigration policies,” states Amy Lin, CAA Immigrant Rights Program Manager.
Cynthia Choi, Co-Executive Director at CAA adds, “We want community members to know that they can contact CAA for accurate information about immigration policy and to get connected with legal and other safety net resources.”
As a member of the San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network (SFILEN), CAA encourages community members in need of free immigration legal services and resources to contact SFILEN. Community members should know that they have constitutional rights should they interact with immigration enforcement including:
- Right to remain silent. Individuals are not required to share identifying information about themselves. We encourage community members to remain in silence to avoid making way for collateral arrests.
- Right to deny any unlawful searches. Searches by enforcement officers should be accompanied by proper documentation and conducted in truthful manner.
- Right to due process. Individuals facing detention are legally entitled to attorney representation and to phone their loved ones.
CAA also advises preparedness and advises that families should have an emergency plan that includes copies of important identity documents, emergency contacts, and power of attorney forms, and to store this plan with a trusted family member or friend.
Individuals may call the Rapid Response Hotline at (415) 200-1548 to report or verify information related to ICE activities. The Rapid Response Hotline is 24/7, and available in multiple languages. For general inquiries related to immigration and community resource referrals, CAA Immigration Hotline is available in both Chinese and English at (415) 761-3222. California state law prohibits San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), or any other local law enforcement officers throughout the state are prohibited from cooperating with ICE agents solely for immigration enforcement purposes.
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Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) is a community-based civil rights organization in San Francisco. Our mission is to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial injustice.
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