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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must detain 75 people per day for deportation. Utah does not have a detention center.
Isaias Cambridge, a volunteer with Comunidades Unidas, a nonprofit organization, highlighted vital constitutional details during the “Know your Rights” event organized by Native Indigenous Student Union on Feb. 18.
After his grandfather’s death, Cambridge has been following in his footsteps by dedicating his life to fighting for others. Cambridge is aware of the risk migrant communities face and the potential change his work can generate in others.
“If Utah had a detention center, the number of detained people would increase per day,” Cambridge said.
Those detained by ICE in Utah are transferred to nearby states like Nevada, Colorado, and Washington.
Detainees in other states must seek legal help within those states. For example, if someone is transferred from Utah to Nevada, they must hire an attorney in Nevada to get a legal defense.
“Our goal is to stop those interactions; how do we do that? First, we should identify the strategies that ICE uses, and those they have used before,” Cambridge said.
If an ICE agent approaches someone, the agent must have proper documentation, including the person’s correct name, their actual address, and the legible signature of a judge.
Constitutional rights
Cambridge emphasized two amendments related to constitutional rights, the fourth and fifth amendments.
Fourth Amendment
ICE can check personal documents if a person does not have their legal paperwork in order.
“I do not give you permission to look in my things,” is a phrase that detainee could use to invoke the Fourth Amendment.
Cambridge explained that detainees should say these statements aloud in English because ICE could use it as evidence in court that the detainee did not know the language.
Fifth Amendment
A detained person could be in danger of incriminating themselves and being sent back to their country. If they sign a paper without understanding it, they might agree to leave.
Cambridge referred to the Fifth Amendment when explaining that you should not speak or sign anything when being detained.
The detainee must also check where the document is from. It must come from the Utah District Court. To check, the detainee should look at the top center of the signed document. If the logo from the court is not present, the document may not be valid.
Red cards
Red cards have essential information in more than 19 languages. While getting legal advising is recommended, the red cards tell people what to do if ICE detains them.
- Do not open the door.
- Do not sign anything.
- Remain silent.
- Ask to speak to an attorney and/or consultant.
Cambridge also highlighted the possibility that someone with American citizenship can help by recording what’s happening and saying aloud their rights. The person recording should be at least 10 feet from the detained person, or it could be considered intervention.
Dream Center and its support to community
Brenda Santoyo, daughter of migrant parents and manager of the Dream Center, talked about her dedication to the Dream Center. For Santoyo, although there are limitations in the juridical area, the actual situation can be managed through information tools that empower the community.
The Dream Center, which opened its own location in 2019, after previously running under the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (now SEEA), will celebrate six years of independent operation and helping many young people achieve their academic goals come August.
The Dream Center helps students regardless of their immigration status, such as students under DACA. They assist with scholarships, such as the Bruin Dream Scholarship, which is privately funded and helps students facing challenges like language barriers, migrating, and adapting to a new culture.
“We ended up fundraising, I believe about $10,000 that first initial year [that the scholarship was offered], and actually for the last two years. Recently, we’ve been able to get upwards of $100,000 [in] donations. So, we’ve grown a lot,” Santoyo expressed.
In 2015, the scholarship benefited 10 students. In 2025, it is expected that more than 60 students will benefit.
Santoyo said some students have said they felt overwhelmed by their studies or even thought about quitting because of new immigration policies. She stressed the importance of strengthening the community through workshops, strategies, and partnerships with clubs and organizations like NISU and e-Portfolio.
