Immigrant & Protest Rights:

Protest sign that reads "Fight Today For A Better Tomorrow"

Last year, before the exchange of executive power to President Donald Trump, our magazine put out a list of resources to help you, our community, navigate these times. We are back with a refreshed list of immigration resources and resources for protesters. As Dr. King stated, "A riot is the language of the unheard." 

Immigration Resources:

• National Immigrant Justice Center

  • The center offers a catalog of services and can specifically assist immigrants detained by the Department of Homeland Security/Immigration in the Midwest. 

• Immigrant Defenders Law Center

  • Immigrant Defenders Law Center is Southern California’s largest non-profit that offers free legal representation to those facing deportation. In addition to legal representation, the organization also offers legal education and connections to social services. 

• National Immigrant Law Center

  • The National Immigrant Law Center offers a multilingual guide on knowing your rights if you are arrested or detained by Immigration. It also lays out a guide for friends and family on what to do next and how to find loved ones who are being held at detention centers. 

• Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta

  • The organization offers legal services to immigrant communities in Georgia. 

This is not an extensive list, so please check back periodically for added resources. 

Protesters Know Your Rights:

*courtesy of the American Civil Liberties Union*

Your rights

• Your rights are strongest in what are known as “traditional public forums,” such as streets, sidewalks, and parks. You also likely have the right to speak out on other public property, like plazas in front of government buildings, as long as you are not blocking access to the government building or interfering with other purposes the property was designed for.

• Private property owners can set rules for speech on their property. The government may not restrict your speech if it is taking place on your own property or with the consent of the property owner.

• Counterprotesters also have free speech rights. Police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Police are permitted to keep antagonistic groups separated, but should allow them to be within sight and sound of one another.

• When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. On private property, the owner may set rules related to photography or video.

• You don’t need a permit to march in the streets or on sidewalks, as long as marchers don’t obstruct car or pedestrian traffic. If you don't have a permit, police officers can ask you to move to the side of a street or sidewalk to let others pass or for safety reasons.

I want to take pictures or shoot video at a protest.

Your rights

• When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything in plain view, including federal buildings and the police. (On private property, the owner may set rules about photography or video.)

• Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they delete data under any circumstances. However, they may order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations.

• If you are videotaping, be aware that there is an important legal distinction between a visual photographic record (fully protected) and the audio portion of a videotape, which some states have tried to regulate under state wiretapping laws.

For more information on what to do in other scenarios, please visit aclu.org. 

Protest Gear Checklist:

1. Milk for tear gas 

2. Write down your emergency contact numbers somewhere on your body in Sharpie 

3. Comfortable shoes and clothing

4. Eye protection (you can opt for goggles) 

5. Portable phone charger