Hampton Roads Stands with Immigrants - Community Event in Norfolk

Hampton Roads Stands with Immigrants - Event in Norfolk

Last Sunday, on March 23rd, over 150 members of the community, both immigrants and allies, gathered at Luna Maya in Norfolk to show solidarity with newcomers and stand against the unprecedented attacks on the rights and safety of our immigrant neighbors. This event was organized by RISC (the Refugee & Immigrant Solidarity Coalition) in collaboration with the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations as well as the Latinx Law Students Association and the Immigration Law and Service Society at William & Mary Law School. Several advocates and community leaders gave presentations during the event. 

Attendees heard from Alejandro, a local high schooler and the leader of RISC, who talked about his personal connection to the cause, why he got involved, and the background behind RISC. He also talked about the importance of standing with the immigrant community given the widespread demonization of immigrants and the increase in inhumane and indiscriminate raids by ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement); he emphasized that advocates have the ability and power to resist this xenophobic agenda. 

Then, law students belonging to the Latinx Law Students Association and the Immigration Law and Service Society gave a ‘Know Your Rights’ presentation explaining what to do if someone is approached by ICE at their home or in public, and what rights we all have as people living in the U.S. The students also showed examples of valid warrants signed by a judge which allow ICE to enter a home and DHS administrative warrants which do not give ICE legal authority to enter your home. Additionally, the presenters talked about what immigrants should do to prepare for emergencies. This information is crucial for both immigrants and non-immigrants who were encouraged to share this information on to immigrant friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers.

Attendees then heard from Millie, a local immigration paralegal and indigenous Guatemalan. She gave a presentation outlining the constitutional rights that immigrant advocates have, including the freedom of speech, freedom from retaliation, the right to film ICE agents, and the right to remain silent. She also explained what to do if you are arrested as a protester, and other legal considerations for people to stay safe while advocating for the immigrant community, such as keeping a safe distance from ICE operations and not encouraging people to run. Lastly, she talked about what advocates can do when ICE raids target the local community; she mentioned her personal experience with ICE raids in Mississippi that devastated the community.

Alejandro returned to the microphone to discuss the 757 Rapid Response Network, a new initiative started by RISC to protect the local immigrant community from ICE raids that routinely intimidate entire communities, tear families apart, violate human rights, and indiscriminately target people of color—even those with legal status. He discussed what to do if you see ICE and how to responsibly report ICE activity. He then outlined the main activities of the Rapid Response Network: distributing ‘Know your Rights’ information to at-risk communities, being on the ground at ICE raids to document human rights violations, and providing direct support to those impacted by raids. He also highlighted some stories of innocent people detained by ICE, such as a 10-year-old girl with U.S. citizenship who was battling brain cancer; it is clear that the mass deportation efforts are not about targeting criminals and the rhetoric demonizing immigrants as criminals or terrorists is blatantly false. You can read more about our Rapid Response Network here.

Attendees heard from Beatriz Amberman, who has been advocating for human rights for over 4 decades and is the chair and a founding member of the Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations. Beatriz discussed what business owners should do to protect immigrant workers and ensure that their rights are respected. She also talked about the importance of standing with the Latino community during these difficult times.

Beatriz Amberman, Chair and Founding Member of VACOLAO

RISC was honored to hear from Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi, who talked about his personal connection to the immigrant cause as an Iranian-American. As a progressive and a believer in justice for all, he also made clear that he stands with the local immigrant community.

Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney

Luisa, representing the Tidewater Solidarity Bail Fund, announced their need for donations, and Robert Bracknell, a local attorney and professor at the College of William and Mary, stressed the importance of having a lawyer, for immigration or other issues, that you can call in case of an emergenct.

Lastly, Alejandro mentioned Hampton Roads Refugee Relief (HR3), a local nonprofit that provides essential services and resources to immigrants in need, as well as a RISC initiative to collect diapers for HR3. Attendees were also notified that RISC plans to start an advocacy campaign for immigrant students in Virginia Beach. 

After the presentations were finished, ‘Know Your Rights’ fliers, red cards, emergency preparedness handouts, and information for immigrant advocates were available for all. Please email us if you need these materials for your community. Also, please email us if you would like a copy of the slideshow shared during the presentation.

Please stay tuned for future RISC events (follow us on Instagram or sign up for our newsletter below), and fill out our volunteer form if you are interested in becoming a volunteer and helping us with educational events to support immigrants!