What to do if you see a raid

If you see someone being stopped by immigration officers, and your legal status does not put you at risk, it is recommended that you:

• Have a friendly chat with the person being stopped. Make sure that people know they don’t have to answer any questions, and they can leave (if they’re not under arrest). If they want to leave, walk away with them.
• Film ICE officers and police. If someone is being detailed, check with them first, or if that’s not possible, be sure to only film the officers. This may be useful in making a claim in the event of an unlawful stop or arrest. Record the lapel numbers of officers if you can.
• Flag to bystanders. Tell people around you what’s happening. Call your friends. Tweet @AntiRaids or your local anti-raids group.
• Follow our flyer. Attempt to pass on a phone number (from our flyer) to the person being stopped.

If you want to refer to their guidance when speaking to Immigration Officers, everything can be found in the Home Office Enforcement Visits guidance (formerly, chapter 31 UKBA Operational Enforcement Manual).

And some FAQs, from our experience:

What if the person being stopped by ICE agents doesn’t trust me?

This can happen! Immigration officers are meant to tell people their rights (e.g. that they don’t have to answer questions) themselves before stopping them, but obviously they rarely do. A few suggestions if the person doubts you:

• Advise them to ask the officer if what you’re saying is true. Filming when asking this clarification can be helpful.
• Hand them a physical copy of the flyer. People can trust written things more than spoken things (if they can read English).

What if it’s police stopping people, not ICE (immigration) agents?

This is becoming more and more common e.g. targeting delivery riders. We’re pulling together specific advice on this situation.