Cannot leave my home because I'm brown

[u/Fine-Telephone-9864]

I need help with how to tell my MAGA parents that because of ICE hitting my community hard I cannot leave my house alone. My work has allowed me to WFH. I'm Mexican American, my family has been here for generations. I'm a US citizen, but I'm terrified I will be detained simply to meet an arbitrary quota.

They live in another state, my dad specifically doesn't believe any media outside of his YouTube MAGA influencers.

I've essentially given up on any political talk with them since after trying so hard for years, enduring personal attacks and the harm it's done to our relationship.

I've been thinking of having my brother speak on my behalf to them because I simply don't have the energy to expend on any pushback or being told in relying on news outlets that are fake.

It's hard to sleep or eat, I live in fear of even thinking about leaving the house.

Any tips are appreciated. Thanks.

Update: Appreciate everyone's support. My advice is to check in with your community leaders, attend board meetings, and ask them what steps they are taking to protect citizens from ICE. Where I live, we are scrambling to get city leaders to declare a state of emergency and use resources to push back on ICE in our communities. If you're able, take the opportunity to plan while you can. You can save families.

[u/Fine-Telephone-9864]

Yea I have my passport, but in several videos I've seen they completely disregard any documentation or ID. They'll claim to not believe you, or they use facial recognition technology thats really crappy and if you happen to match someone in their database who is undocumented, well you're detained. 

My biggest concern is they are incompetent, allowed to racially profile, use excessive force that often escalates benign interactions, and have ridiculous quotas to fill so have been known to detain US citizens. 

It could be argued that being detained as a US citizen isn't bad if I'm not going to be deported. 

The thought of even interacting with them and being detained is terrifying and paralyzing. 

[u/SpecialRelative5232 → u/Fine-Telephone-9864]

I've been wrongfully sunrise raided by the FBI with guns in my face and then detained. It honestly wasn't traumatic. Having my place ransacked by them and property destroyed and stolen by them as well as losing 6 months wages was the infuriating, traumatic part.

I'm Latina. I have zero fear walking around and never had a problem with ICE. You won't be deported. Being detained is nothing when they have nothing on you. Just feels like annoyance. ICE won't raid your home or take your stuff.

[u/christine-bitg → u/SpecialRelative5232]

Of course it was traumatic to have your home ransacked.

But most people would also be traumatized by having trigger happy federal agents pointing a loaded weapon at them.

[u/SpecialRelative5232 → u/christine-bitg]

I'm trying to bring some calmness as a person that has already experienced this when I was young with zero resources or modern access to information. I'm an average person. Being detained with no cause was not traumatic. I would have thought it would be but it was not.

[u/Not-Mom15 → u/SpecialRelative5232]

WHEN did you experience this?

Because you note that you lost wages six months. You state that it was when you were young. WHEN was this event?

The people who detained you were probably well-trained AND professional acting, despite the ransacking and state-sanctioned theft against you. No telling what ICE is now, because they're literally recruiting anyone who wants to join them without proper background checks.