Across California, advocates are supporting immigrants at risk of detention by attending court, monitoring ICE activity, helping with legal paperwork, and assisting families with online hearing requests.

As KQED reports, court accompaniment is one of the most immediate and effective tools for supporting immigrants. Volunteers attend hearings, offer administrative support, and stay alert of ICE activity. If someone is detained, the volunteer will contact a legal team or a rapid response network — often quickly enough to intervene. In one recent case, a volunteer observed ICE agents detaining someone outside a Sacramento courtroom and was able to identify the individual and contact support. A pro bono lawyer arrived, and the man was released later that day.

Organizations like NorCal Resist and La Raza Centro Legal train volunteers on how to safely and effectively participate in accompaniment work. No legal experience is needed, just a willingness to learn, listen, and be present. In some cases, accompaniment can also help court staff and judges feel more accountable when proceedings are under observation.

Lawyers are also working to reduce the need for in-person court appearances by filing motions to move hearings online using the WebEx platform. Any applicant can request this by submitting a "Motion to Change Hearing Format" to their court. While not guaranteed, these requests are more likely to be granted if they include a reason — such as difficulty with transportation or caregiving responsibilities. Here's a PDF guide. Local nonprofits often assist with the process, and bilingual volunteers are especially helpful.

Counties throughout the Bay Area have rapid-response, 24-hour hotlines, with volunteers verifying reports of ICE activity, dispatching legal help, and working with families if someone is detained. San Francisco’s hotline is 415-200-1548 and Alameda 510-241-4011. The full list is here.

If a loved one has been detained by ICE, KQED has a guide on how to search the federal detainee database, contact field offices, or call detention facilities. Advocacy groups like Freedom for Immigrants also help families navigate the system.

Additionally, as Broke-Ass Stuart writes, businesses can post “No ICE Access” signs in nonpublic areas, helping workers understand their rights and signaling that warrantless enforcement is not allowed inside. They don’t guarantee safety, but they do make it more challenging for ICE to operate unnoticed. The signs were adapted by a Redditor from the original United Farm Workers version.

Printable Sign Posted by Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo, link to Google Drive PDF in comment
byu/orangelover95003 insantacruz

As Teen Vogue reports, some groups are also focusing on spreading the ACLU's Know Your Rights materials — flyers, posters, and videos that explain how to respond during an ICE encounter, in multiple languages — aimed at helping counter misinformation, ease panic, and empower community members.

Finally, digital projects like The ICE List and the BlockICE app enable volunteers to contribute from their computers or phones by researching agents, translating reports, and organizing data. These tools help track enforcement patterns, document abuses, and share critical information with those affected. Anyone can submit photos, documents, or tips — and all contributions are reviewed before being published.

Image: Google Maps

Related: New App Lets Users Crowdsource ICE Agent Sightings, Trump Administration Goes Apoplectic

One of the big criticisms (and there are many) of the No On Prop 8 campaign was that there wasn't enough person-to-person canvassing. According to the folks managing the campaign, they had to use phone banks because the swing voters were too widely dispersed to reach on foot. Well, we've seen how that worked out.

So what's next? Ah, the Courage Campaign is glad you asked. They've got a bunch of nifty tools and tactics lined up to reach out and grab swing voters -- much of it recently learned or developed for other, more successful campaigns -- and they're about to roll it out. There's going to be a ballot battle again soon, no matter which way the Supreme Court rules; and the Courage Campaign is planning to unleash an extremely clever, very targeted outreach to exactly the voters who need it. And they need your help.

They've just put out a call for volunteers to form regional campaign teams (hey, sound familiar? Like, Obama-familiar?) to contact local voters, provide a local public face, and organize local events. Here in The Gay City, it might seem a little superfluous, but it's not; and out in the suburbs and valleys, it's crucial. (And in fact, Courage Campaign is holding a boot camp in Fresno on March 7th and 8th for just that reason.)

So if you're interested in volunteering, let them know. We've seen a sneak peak of the amazing new techniques they're using, and it's stuff that neither side of the Prop 8 battle even dreamed of.