BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Solidarity was the message as demonstrators protested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement here in Buffalo and across the country on Wednesday.
More than two dozen people gathered outside the ICE Buffalo Field Office on Delaware Avenue on Wednesday evening. They told 7 News that they were there to show support for the people of Minneapolis, where two people have died since the Department of Homeland Security ramped up immigration enforcement.
“We need to support the people in Minneapolis because they've been doing this for weeks now," said Lettia Milito. "I almost didn't come because the weather is not so great, but I figured I could come for an hour if they've been doing it for weeks. So, I just want them to know that other people in this country are out here supporting them.”
“The guys with ICE and CBP are wearing masks. They're not well-trained. They're heavily armed, and they're very aggressive," said Neal Kreher. "They're not professional, and we don't want these guys coming into our city. We don't want them in any cities. This is the United States of America, for goodness's sake."
WATCH: Anti-ICE protesters gather outside Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Buffalo
This was the second protest that was held outside of the Buffalo Field Office in the last few weeks.
Earlier this month, there was a demonstration that was sparked by the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. You can watch our previous report below and find more information here.
BUFFALO IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY SAYS ICE RAIDS ARE HAPPENING DAILY IN WNY
Immigration raids are happening daily in Western New York, according to a Buffalo immigration attorney who is advising clients on how to protect themselves if Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers come to their homes.
Alex Gutierrez, a Buffalo immigration attorney, said the current enforcement actions are targeting everyone indiscriminately.
"So, they're basically throwing everybody in jail and it's not lawful," Gutierrez said.
Given ongoing ICE raids and protest actions in Minneapolis, Gutierrez said "no one is safe" at this point. He told 7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley that the Bangladesh community and refugees from Guinea and the Republic of Congo have been hit particularly hard in the Buffalo region.
Gutierrez explained that people with pending immigration applications are especially vulnerable because they must provide their addresses to immigration authorities.
"The individual who has a pending application with immigration is at a disadvantage because they are required to notify immigration of their address, so the officers know exactly where this person is," Gutierrez explained. "They also will arrest them when they come in for previously scheduled check-ins with ICE."
WATCH: Buffalo immigration attorney says ICE raids are happening daily in WNY
If immigration officers come to someone's home, Gutierrez advises staying calm and knowing your rights.
"Recommendation would be to stay calm. Don't run or argue with the officers; they are required to have a warrant to enter your home -- so you don't need to open the door for them," said Gutierrez.
The immigration attorney said he tells his clients to create safety plans, identify emergency contacts and memorize phone numbers because officers will confiscate cell phones during arrests.
For parents, Gutierrez recommended providing schools and daycares with emergency contact information for child pickup.
"If you have children, provide that child's school or the daycare with an emergency contact to pick up your child because we have seen they are now targeting school because they know the parents will be dropping off their kids there and arresting the parents after they drop off the child," Gutierrez said.
The attorney also advised the following if approached by ICE officers:
- Don’t argue with them
- Don’t resist or fight with them, even if you think your rights have been violated
- Keep your hands where they can see them
- Don't lie about your status or provide false documents to them
- If you are in your car, at an ICE traffic stop, make sure they identify themselves to you
“They will just smash the windows, and we have had cases of people that they just said 'you either come out of the car with us now or we are going to yank you out of the car,' after smashing the windows and they just leave the cars abandoned in the middle of the street,” Gutierrez described.
The attorney said he has several clients at the overcrowded Batavia detention center, but some are now being transferred out of Western New York, cutting them off from legal help and their families.
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