As I wrote about various forms of direct action, many of the examples were older. Those are not our only examples.
There are people doing things right now. They can also inspire us, and act as cautionary tales.
Sometimes they are both, as in the case of Barbara Stone, a 71-year old citizen acting as an observer who was roughed up and detained by ICE:
She was doing something good and legal, so that should not have happened, yet it did.
You need to be prepared for that.
I have seen some suggestions that are illegal; I am not recommending that, but sometimes it may be worth it. It makes sense to go in with eyes wide open.
I liked this guide from Vista Criminal Law:
https://vistacriminallaw.com/helping-with-ice/
For example, that legal distinction between announcing ICE versus loudly asking "Why is ICE here?" can be important. Yes, it seems to come down to semantics, but legal cases are full of those.
Speaking of legal advice, I don't recommend using thumb or facial ID on your phone:
https://legalclarity.org/can-cops-force-you-to-unlock-your-phone-with-your-face/
Also, on my way to the ICE raids took kit, put out by the Immigrant Defense Project, I found this at The Hub: https://communityresourcehub.org/resource/call-your-sheriff/
How much your sheriff wants to cooperate with ICE is probably already determined, but they will come up for re-election. Also, even if they already have grave concerns about the humanity and legality, hearing from the public and knowing what level of support they have can be important.
Maybe as part of the call, reference this tidbit:
Only 40% approve of his immigration policies; 55% think he has gone too far.
Trumpers are loud, but there are more of us. We need to give voice to that.
At least part of that feedback might be about trying to get accuracy. A quick search comes up with an article about there not really being any ICE raids in the area and that the rumors can be really damaging. However, if you try and figure out what happened with that winery worker, you find two more taken in a "targeted ICE raid".
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/ice-raid-rumors-can-be-really-damaging-in-oregon
https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/newberg-vineyard-workers-ice-arrests-salinas-06122025/
Maybe Newberg isn't local?
There may be some reasonable feedback to give on news coverage, and yes, setting up information networks can be really helpful.
So back to the toolkit, it is largely about rights, but it's important to know those.
https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/
In fact, a lot of fighting fascism -- regarding ICE and other areas -- is working to get people to have better information. That means spreading good information, having resources so that people can find the information that they need in a timely manner, and fighting mis- and dis- information. There are some good tips at CrimethInc:
https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/11/eight-things-you-can-do-to-stop-ice
Notice that there are also suggestions of mutual aid. There are people afraid to go to work and school, they may need money or food. They may need rides because they are more vulnerable out walking or at a bus stop.
Maybe they need a ride to the food bank.
Remember also that you may not have to be the one who acts as the observer; maybe they need a babysitter. Maybe someone needs a backup plan for their children in case something happens to them.
There are definitely vulnerable people who could use someone looking out for them.
If you do not already have a relationship with anyone, suddenly offering help could be viewed with suspicion. Nonetheless, if you are concerned, checking with local organizations and seeing what they need and recommend is a good start.
Some that I have looked at do not seem to be saying a lot (they may have good reasons for that), but you can at least find some resources at https://www.latnet.org/immigration-resources.
If none of these feel like the right way for you to participate, that doesn't mean there isn't something.
There are a lot of different needs here in this worst timeline.
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