Media Contact

Janna Farley, jfarley@aclu.org

June 19, 2019

President Trump tweeted this week that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin deporting “millions” of undocumented immigrants next week.

That’s uneasy news for Wyoming’s growing immigrant community, of which approximately 27 percent are undocumented, according to the American Immigration Council. The ACLU of Wyoming wants to do its part to ensure immigrant communities and allies are prepared.

“Our communities shouldn’t have to live in fear that parents won’t come home from work, or that kids won’t return from school, or that a knock at the door could rip a family apart,” said Heather Smith, ACLU of Wyoming executive director. “Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the Constitution.”

The ACLU of Wyoming wants all immigrants to know their rights and how to express them and has developed materials about interacting with local law enforcement and federal immigration agents. Printable brochures are available in both English and Spanish.

ACLU resources provide information on what to do:

  • If you are questioned about your immigration status
  • If you are stopped in your car
  • If you’re stopped by police, immigration agents or the FBI
  • If police or immigration agents come to your home
  • If you are contacted by the FBI
  • If you are arrested
  • If you are taken into immigration (ICE) custody
  • If you feel your rights have been violated

The ACLU of Wyoming also supports the work of the Wyoming Rapid Response Network. The Wyoming Rapid Response Network is made up of trained volunteers who want immigrants in Wyoming to feel welcome and safe. The Network responds to crises of ICE and law enforcement activity to document abuses and help families and individuals understand their rights and helps connect families with immigration attorneys in Wyoming. People facing an immediate immigration crisis can contact the Wyoming Rapid Response hotline at 1-844-864-8341. 

About the ACLU of Wyoming

The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of Wyoming is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and South Dakota. The team in Wyoming is supported by staff in those states.

The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people.  In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBT communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.

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