Protect yourself:

Know your Rights:

• When talking to peace officers, you do NOT have to answer questions about your name, country of origin, documented status or how you arrived in Montana. 

• When driving you ONLY have to provide a driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/documents/red_card-self_srv-english.pdf

 

Resources in multiple Languages:

https://www.ilrc.org/red-cards-tarjetas-rojas

 

Protect Others:

 

Direct Action Nationally:

Reach out to communities you know who want to assist in these efforts. Connect to a nation-wide network or some of our Montana advocacy groups. 

Resources for someone who may be targeted by ICE: https://www.informedimmigrant.com/resources/know-your-rights/

Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) began actions in 1986: https://www.chirla.org/

Direct Action in Montana:

If you are a part of a faith community, see if they are interested in Sacred Resistance. https://foundryumc.org/sacredresistance

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yFKpzuO1UQm5-NVWVd-Jz89i7Af3dftSj616OdQ5pyA/edittab=t.0#heading=h.mrdtqc6bj1w7

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Third Act statement on attacks on immigrants. 

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How we got to this point:

IIRIRA passed in 1996

25 years later, a reflection https://www.vera.org/news/25-years-of-iirira-shows-immigration-law-gone-wrong

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Support:

• International Rescue Committee-Missoula, MT https://www.rescue.org/united-states/missoula-mt

• Soft Landing, Missoula, MT- https://softlandingmissoula.org/

• Billings, MT-Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains  https://www.lfsrm.org/Immigration-Legal-Services

• Billings, MT-Nations to Neighbors  https://nationstoneighborsmontana.org/

Oppose:

• Contact your Congressional Delegation: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

• Oppose 287(g) agreements across Montana (overview of 287(g)s)- https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/287g-program-immigration#:~:text=Section%20287(g)%20of%20the%20INA%20allows%20the%20Department%20of,functions%20of%20federal%20immigration%20agents.

• Letter-https://dailymontanan.com/2025/01/24/yellowstone-county-chairman-offers-metrapark-as-detaining-facility-for-immigration-crackdown/

• KULR8 coverage of First Congregational’s protest art-  https://www.kulr8.com/news/billings-church-protests-metrapark-proposal-with-emotional-exhibit/article_bdb274b0-e426-11ef-8ec5-f783a597612c.html

• Yellowstone County Commissioner already offered MetraPark as a detention center. Make a public comment here https://www.yellowstonecountymt.gov/commissioners/Calendar/

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Talk to your mayor or city council

 

Take care of yourself:

• Create joy, peace, art or community, whatever lifts your spirits. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Take the action you can, then hand it off to another and rest. We’re all in this together. 

 

Mental Health resources-

• General resources: https://unitedwedream.org/our-work/undocuhealth-wellness/

• Rest is Radical: https://unitedwedream.org/resources/resilience-community-care-toolkit/

 

Mental Health Services Providers:

• Montana-https://dphhs.mt.gov/BHDD/mentalhealthservices/index

• National (including Languages other than English) https://unitedwedream.org/our-work/undocuhealth-wellness/mental-health-directory/