Ever since I organized a prayer vigil seeking the safe treatment and release of a friend who was detained by ICE, I have been asked what I and others can do to help others wrongly detained.
Recent data shows more than 68,000 people were in ICE detention as of mid-December 2025, with approximately 73% lacking criminal records. These are not the ”worst of the worst” that are being detained. They are our neighbors. They too deserve to return to their positions as valued members of our communities.
Most major religious leaders in America — including the Christian denominations of the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist organizations — strongly condemn mass deportations, mistreatment of immigrants and the separation of families due to deportation.
According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a new in-depth national study found that in Florida, undocumented immigrants paid more than $1.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2022.
Mariana Blanco of the Guatemalan-Maya Center in Lake Worth Beach shared this: “Typically it is not U.S. citizens who work in farms or nurseries. They are usually immigrants with a variety of documented status. If these employees can’t find workers among the immigrant community, they will still find workers through H2A or H2B visas. They are not competing with American citizens for these jobs.”
So, if we really want to put “America First,” we need to stop the targeted profiling and wrongful detainment of our neighbors. Here are ways you can make your voice heard and take action:
Contact your representatives in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives (Congress.gov/members/find-your-member) and encourage them to assure that due process is followed in all immigration detention activities, detainees are treated humanely throughout the process and ICE agents are held responsible for any abuse or misuse of their authority.
Vote. If you are not registered to vote, register at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov/home. Research candidates to determine their status on mass deportations, and vote for those who oppose it and will hold ICE, Homeland Security and the Department of Justice accountable for just treatment of immigrants.
Share with immigrants the hotline for the Florida Rapid Response Alliance for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment (RAISE) free hotline (888-600-5762). Call this number if you see ICE in your area so they can send a legal observer. Call or text this number if you or someone you know has experienced an ICE raid or enforcement action.
Become a legal observer of immigration detentions and at rallies and protests through the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida (ACLUFL.org). Blanco and others say that videotaping immigration raids and detentions is one of the most effective tools. Having members of the community who are not part of the immigrant community present during immigration arrests has locally resulted in reduced abusive treatment of those being detained. Your observations can be used in lawsuits and other actions to combat mistreatment of detainees.
Participate in peaceful pro-democracy protests and rallies. Search online for groups organizing these events in your local area.
Distribute immigrant “due process rights cards,” often called “Red Cards,” available from immigrant advocacy groups or can be purchased online. Be sensitive when distributing the cards so not to worry someone that you are questioning their legal status. I usually say, “Here’s a card stating the rights of everyone in America in case you know someone who could use this.”
Provide volunteer and financial support to organizations working to protect the rights of immigrants and to provide humanitarian support for the families of those detained. Local organizations include the Guatemalan Maya Center (info@guatemalanmaya.org) and GRACE in the USA (GraceInTheUSA.com).
Pray and educate. If you are a believer, pray for the safe and just treatment of all immigrants. Organize an educational session for your religious, professional or community group to offer accurate information about the contributions of immigrants to our community and nation and how your members can help immigrants in our community.
If you care for all segments of our community and society as I do, taking these steps will enable you to do your part in working for the just treatment of all immigrants regardless of their legal status. After all — except those of Native American descent — we were all at one time immigrants to this country we love.
Margie Yansura, West Palm Beach
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Letter: Make your voice heard on immigrant detention
Reporting by Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
