#geoff kagan-trenchard

[nyfacurrent]

Know Your Rights Sanctuary Training Essentials

Learn basic tips on how to help provide sanctuary and support to immigrant and refugee artists and colleagues.

NYFA recently held a two-hour Know Your Rights Sanctuary Training with Ravi Ragbir, director of the New Sanctuary Coalition; Abou Farman, from Art Space Sanctuary; and Geoff Kagan-Trenchard, Esq. from Anti-Violence Project. We're distilling some of the most important takeaways and encourage you to bring the Know Your Rights Sanctuary Training to your organization. To do so, please contact Abou Farman at farmanfa@newschool.edu and Ravi Ragbir at ravi@newsanctuarynyc.org.

The presentation contextualized a sense of urgency for the affected communities, and the conceptual work that is necessary to understand the intersectional nature of immigration matters. Kagan-Trenchard explained and showed the difference between an administrative and judicial warrant and how to recognize if you are being given a document that has no judicial significance. He provided a reminder that cultural organizations should not be asking and recording immigration status, should avoid storing such information in their database, and must certainly not share it. 

If a law enforcement officer enters your facility, there should be a designated staff member that should: 

Ask them to identify themselves (are they local police or immigration?).

Write down the full name of the officer(s) present.

Ask why he/she is there and request to see a warrant (if the officer lacks a warrant, respectfully ask that the officer leave your premises). 

It is important to be able to recognize and document whether the warrant is administrative or judicial. Try to limit interactions with the officer to specific competent individuals in the organization (counsel or director) and contact a local immigration attorney or nonprofit to advise on the situation. The designated staff member should inform all who are present that they will directly engage with the officers and issue a reminder that everyone present has the right to remain silent.

A few key points to keep in mind before an emergency occurs: 

Don’t wait until you need friends to make them.

Have a contact for an attorney and media rep ready.

Don’t wait until it’s an emergency to make a plan. 

Who is the person in charge if ICE arrives at the venue, and what are they going to say?

“You’ll need to speak with the manager” is something you can say, even if you are a manager.

You have the right to (and should) film interactions with law enforcement/ICE. It’s a good idea to have someone on staff ready for this. Don’t obstruct while filming. 

Don’t have anything to give them. 

Minimize the amount of sensitive information you have.

All social media is monitored. Act accordingly.

 Don’t be quiet about how you feel about them.

A little bit of signage goes a long way. Mark private spaces clearly. That’s where the law can’t enter without a warrant.

Best practices for supporting immigrants in your organization:

Train staff

Post notices 

Delimit public/private spaces

Be mindful of privacy & records

Create a safe environment 

Don’t require ID 

Provide resources and information 

Best practices for immigrants:

Get a New York City ID (NYC ID).

If you have valid immigration documents, show them. Always carry these with you.

DO NOT carry papers from another country: if you have these, they can be used against you in the deportation process.

You do not have to sign papers that you do not understand. Wait until you talk to a lawyer. 

Do not let anyone scare you into signing papers.

By signing something, you are saying that you read and understand the document and agree with what it says.

Emergency safety plan:

Reliable immigration lawyer’s name and number.

Someone to take care of your loved ones (especially children, elderly, and pets).

Arrange for your medical needs. 

Organize important documents in a safe place; make copies and make them accessible to a trusted person. 

Keep your Alien Registration Number (A-number) and birthdate in a place accessible by loved ones should they need to locate you. 

Community safety plan: 

Know your rights!

Develop a Buddy System and community self-defense:

Create a network of friends, family, neighbors, etc.

Put together a text tree, phone tree, noisemakers, banners, videographers, photographers, legal observers, etc.

Important resources: 

Accompaniment Training

Websites for low-cost immigration attorneys in your area:

List of pro-bono legal service providers in the USA

American Immigration Lawyers Association

Administrative Relief Resource Center

 Pro Se (Legal) Clinic

New Sanctuary Coalition Resources Directory

NYFA IAP Resource Directory - Immigrant Services

- Alicia Ehni, Program Officer 

This post is part of the ConEdison Immigrant Artist Program Newsletter #123. Subscribe to this free monthly e-mail for artist’s features, opportunities, and events. Learn more about NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program.

Images from the Top: Geoff Kagan-Trenchard, Esq., Photo Credit: NYFA; Ravi Ragbir, Photo Credit: NYFA

[theoffingmag]

May you always see a wince of fear in your youngest son’s face when you knot his tie.

May your daughter always move her children out of a room alone with you.

Read: “A Curse of 7 Hungers for Donald Trump” by Geoff Kagan-Trenchard

[bostonpoetryslam]

Really the same thing that makes any poem good. Sincerity. Brevity. An almost synesthesia with the descriptions. Sounds you can taste and such. With love poems, I’ve always had a hard time because I’ve been really blessed when it comes to women I’ve been in love with. I write a lot about conflict, and there ain’t much of it there. I’ve been incredibly lucky in that regard. The subject of both of those poems has been my partner in every sense of the word for over 10 years. We just care very much for each other and support the hell out of one another. I’ve heard that all plot requires the protagonist to make bad decisions. We make really good decisions with regard to each other. So not a lot of plot to write fucked up poems about.

Geoff Kagan-Trenchard, asked "What do you think makes a good love poem?" by Jon Sands for Union Station's The Conversation

[goodpoets]

Geoff Kagan-Trenchard, poet

Brooklyn, New York, October 30, 2011

photograph by Jonathan Weiskopf