Responding to DHS Paramilitary Forces A People-Centered Toolkit for Disciplined Noncompliance and Community Defense Table of Contents: Intro: We Are The Resistance Situation Report: Paramilitary Occupation Who ICE Really Is Why Noncompliance Matters Community Defense 101 Quick Action Checklist: If Paramilitaries Are Active in Your Community Now Messaging Government and Policy Levers Closing: Grounding Our Resistance Author’s Note Intro: We Are The Resistance The purpose of this toolkit is to provide tangible guidance for a community-led response to DHS paramilitary forces. The United States is now occupied by multiple domestic paramilitary forces, carrying out ethnic cleansing and political violence inside civilian communities at the direction of the Trump regime. These collective paramilitaries may best be described as “DHS paramilitaries,” as the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) paramilitaries fall under Department of Homeland Security (DHS) command. The actions by DHS paramilitaries include the use of lethal force against civilians, including U.S. citizens, as a tool of the administration to instill a sense of permanent fear within our communities. Nothing about this reality should be softened, obscured, or legitimized in language, planning, or public framing. No one is safe from paramilitary lawlessness — not undocumented people, not mixed-status families, not Indigenous communities, not U.S. citizens. In January 2026 alone, DHS paramilitaries murdered at least two U.S. citizens in public view and 1 behind closed doors, and have injured and terrorized countless others. ICE has been filmed smashing windows, ramming vehicles, and forcibly entering homes without warrants. On January 3, 2026, Geraldo Lunas Campos, a 55-year-old man in ICE detention in Texas, died while restrained. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide.  On January 7, 2026, Renée Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American woman, was shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide. On January 24, 2026, CBP shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretti, 37 years old and a licensed nurse. Official narratives used to justify paramilitary violence have repeatedly collapsed under scrutiny. These killings are not aberrations. They are the goal. This state-sanctioned violence must be understood as part of a longer trajectory. Immigrant, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities in the United States have long been living under unequal enforcement and application of the law, racialized surveillance, and restricted rights and freedoms - including of movement - since before this nation’s founding.   Since ICE’s initial creation after the events of  9/11, amid anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hysteria, it has functioned as a federal apparatus of racialized terror with support from administrations on both sides of the aisle. However, in early 2025, under the Trump regime, this already-problematic agency, alongside parallel changes in CBP and under the command of DHS, have escalated into openly paramilitary forces, deploying lethal force, intimidation, and rapid raids across multiple cities. What we are witnessing is undoubtedly political violence carried out by the state — a one-sided conflict targeting civilians based on race, status, and perceived political threat. (See Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo (2025) allowing DHS to resume immigration enforcement practices challenged as racially discriminatory). This use of force is inseparable from personal and political self‑preservation and greed. Trump faces mounting legal exposure through the Epstein Files, ongoing criminal cases, sworn testimony, and documented investigative records that would put any ordinary citizen behind bars. Presidential power now functions as a shield against accountability, while paramilitary forces under his control function as a gun to the head of anyone who objects. Paramilitary presence has already proven to be deadly, indiscriminate, and destabilizing. Any language or planning that softens this reality endangers communities. Effective resistance requires clarity: DHS paramilitaries are carrying out political violence against civilians, and communities have both the right and the obligation to protect themselves. This toolkit treats DHS, ICE, and CBP not as inherently flawed law-enforcement agencies, but what they collectively have become: hostile paramilitary forces operating inside civilian life and under the command of a dictator. The goal is not reform rhetoric. The goal is community safety, containment, exposure, survival, and abolition. We are the resistance.  Situation Report: Paramilitary Occupation DHS and its collective agencies now function as a national political paramilitary death squad with militarized units, armored vehicles, intelligence fusion centers, and supposed “absolute impunity.” Since early 2025, under the Trump regime, DHS paramilitaries have expanded aggressively: Masked or unidentified ICE agents Unmarked vehicles Military-grade equipment Rapid extraction tactics Disregard for due process and the rule of law Coordination between DHS, ICE, Border Patrol, and often local and state police Attacks on legal observers and other bystanders Operations concentrate on: Immigrant neighborhoods Black and Brown communities Working-class areas Democratic-led cities and states DHS paramilitaries increasingly mirror counterinsurgency tactics: Overwhelm → extract → disappear Deny witnesses and legal process Fracture community response This is not incidental. It is structural. Key features of current paramilitary tactics: Operations conducted without transparency or advance notice Paramilitary are frequently masked, unidentified, and misrepresenting authority Raids concentrated in Black, Brown, immigrant, and underserved neighborhoods Tactics designed to isolate targets from community support and obstruct observation Paramilitary power rests on speed, secrecy, fear, and isolation. Our strategy is designed to deny all four. Who ICE Really Is Under the Trump regime, ICE is undergoing an unprecedented recruitment surge aimed at swelling its ranks with thousands of new agents. In pursuit of this expansion, the agency has: Slashed training timelines from roughly 13 weeks to just 47 days of academy preparation. Recruits are rushed through an eight‑week program that cuts or eliminates Spanish instruction, and condenses firearms and law modules into a fraction of the time previously required.  Lowered traditional hiring standards on age, education, and vetting, while background checks are reportedly being completed after recruits begin training rather than before.  Noted recruits fail basic fitness tests and academic assessments at alarming rates, indicating systemic issues with preparedness and oversight. [source] Whistleblower reporting suggests that violent criminals are currently in service as ICE and CBP agents. Offenses include gunpoint sexual assault, child sex trafficking, aggravated assault, robbery, rape, torture, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a minor, and possession and production of child sexual abuse materials. [source] Normal federal law enforcement hiring includes comprehensive background checks, mental health evaluations, history of violence checks, drug testing, and extended, rigorous training. What is happening at ICE today departs sharply from those norms. This abbreviated preparation is not accidental. It exposes a larger shift away from professional law enforcement and toward state-backed extremist forces without regard for life, liberty, or justice. Recruitment Messaging and Extremist Signals Experts and analysts have also raised serious concerns about the tone and imagery surrounding ICE’s recruitment campaigns. Official and adjacent messaging, including social media posts that echo phrases associated with white nationalist slogans, align with extremist aesthetics, signaling who the agency wants to attract.  Reports have shown that far-right, christian-fascist symbols and messaging circulated in recruitment spaces, and known officers have been discovered to be involved in hate groups and discriminatory activities. Additionally, experts warn that some known domestic terrorists pardoned by Trump are now serving as ICE officers. The presence of white supremacist and christian nationalist symbolism and the very public concerns voiced by experts, researchers and watchdogs point to a cultural climate that is encouraging of far-right extremism, not hostile to it. What This Means Its current culture, recruiting strategies, shortened training, and weak vetting processes create conditions where: Unprepared agents are deployed into high‑stakes environments Extremist and authoritarian imagery normalize violent enforcement Constitutional safeguards are eliminated Oversight structures are too weak to prevent even the most egregious abuses Why Noncompliance Matters Research and historical precedent are clear: authoritarian enforcement collapses when mass compliance erodes. DHS paramilitary forces depend on: Fear-driven political narratives Quota-like enforcement incentives Private detention profiteering Bureaucratic compliance from agents and contractors Public cooperation They operate with supposed “absolute impunity,”  but they still depend on compliance, secrecy, chaos and speed. Disciplined mass noncompliance works by: Slowing unlawful activity Making it visible Surrounding it with witnesses Triggering legal, political, and reputational consequences Fracturing the appearance of inevitability This is not obstruction, it is refusal. Why Confrontation Fails Direct confrontation plays into the paramilitary strengths, that is why it is the response they want to provoke. Physical clashes, taunts, or attempts to “stop” paramilitary: Are often misrepresented to justify escalation Increases risk to undocumented people Provide legal pretext for arrests Harden internal cohesion among agents Paramilitaries thrive on chaos and fear. Confrontation gives them both. Containment and exposure strategies, through mass non-cooperation and community defense, deny DHS paramilitaries the conditions they need to operate smoothly. More on ‘Violence and the Backlash Effect,’ from Commons Library.  Community Defense 101 Core Principle: Containment, Not Confrontation Do: Observe and document Center and localize support for those at greatest risk Repeat and translate information about individual rights to the community Engage in non-violent community defense  Proactively get to know your neighbors and community leaders Stay disciplined and avoid confrontations Consider wearing a green safety vest to signal your presence as a watcher/protector Do Not: Touch agents or vehicles  Bring weapons  Share images or personally identifiable information about community members that may lead to targeted retaliation Goal: defense and exposure, not confrontation Direct clashes, personal antagonism, or dehumanization play directly into DHS’s trap. They: Almost certainly will be used to justify escalation Expand enforcement latitude Increase danger for undocumented people and bystanders The goal is not to “win” an encounter. The goal is to make abuse visible, operations slow, costly, or impossible, and withdrawal preferable. Containment means: Denying speed Denying secrecy Denying isolation Denying legitimacy All without physical interference. Shared Awareness, Not Panic Tools that support shared awareness: Agreed-upon audible alerts (e.g., whistles, horns, voices) Visible markers of community presence (watchers in green safety vests, etc) Calm repetition of individual rights information Verification before amplification Note: Whistles used to alert neighbors that paramilitaries are in the area, so folks can decide if they will come out to observe, or stay inside to avoid potential paramilitary violence, ARE likely to be viewed by courts as a protected First Amendment right. However, whistles, when used to interfere with enforcement operations, are NOT likely to be viewed by courts as a protected First Amendment right. This is the latest legal risk assessment from ACLU, though they noted that both are untested scenarios as of January 2026. Decentralized ICE Watch Networks (Minneapolis Model) Minneapolis and Twin Cities neighborhoods have demonstrated how decentralized ICE watch networks protect communities.  Key components: Neighborhood-based encrypted communication groups  (Signal)  Standardized reporting formats Dispatch or coordination subgroups Documentation protocols Mutual aid support arms (rides, food, childcare) Participation in ICE watching activities is always a personal choice. You decide what level of risk you are willing to take. Find Signal best practices and Sample Signal Organizing Structure here. Documentation as Protection Deters abuse Creates records for legal defense Protects those most likely to be criminalized Impunity shrinks More on documenting here. Best practices for observing ICE Don’t go alone. Observing with others increases safety and allows people to share roles (watching, note-taking, communication). Make an emergency plan. Decide ahead of time who to contact if someone is detained, injured, or separated from the group. Let someone know your plan. Tell a trusted person where you’re going and what you’re doing. Check in with yourself and your buddy about risk tolerance. Bring essentials like food and water, basic first aid, mask, weather-appropriate gear. A whistle, bullhorn and bright green safety vest are also great to have if you can get those, too. Start local. Begin in a small area you know well. Familiarity helps you notice unusual activity and respond quickly when ICE enters your area. Stay connected. Join or create a neighborhood Signal chat or connect with local rapid-response or legal observing networks. Sharing verified information helps others respond calmly and appropriately. Remember: these channels share information—not directives. Make your own decisions based on your comfort level and assessment of risk. Alert the community nearby. Honk your car horn or use a whistle from a public space to alert others that ICE activity is occurring nearby. Observe from a safe distance and remain calm. Your role is to watch, document, and report what you see. Film openly and keep your hands visible, avoiding sudden movements.  Narrating is okay if there is something happening off camera, or happened just before filming. If you record notes, focus on observable facts: actions, locations, and timelines. Avoid speculation. Share Know Your Rights Information aloud.  Report accurate information using standard formats. Use SALUTE, for example, to communicate clearly: Size (number of officers/vehicles) Activity (what is happening) Location (specific, public location) Uniform (markings, agency identifiers) Time (when observed) Equipment (vehicles, visible gear) When sharing license plates or vehicle identifiers verbally, the NATO phonetic alphabet helps prevent confusion and ensures accuracy. What To Do With Your Footage Do not edit anything about the original—not the file name, do not trim a clip, etc.  Upload it somewhere secure ASAP or send it to a friend, and make a copy on another device as soon as you’re home. Share the footage with the impacted individual's loved ones or their attorney, or ask your local immigrant rights group for the best place to share your footage. Interacting With Paramilitaries or Law Enforcement While Observing General principles: Record any interactions.  You are not required to speak to law enforcement or paramilitaries. Observing ICE/DHS/CBP or law enforcement activity in public spaces is a constitutional right. Note that various states or areas may have different local laws on how far away you need to be for filming. For example, in Florida it is 25’ away. If asked to back away, film yourself doing so, while confirming aloud that you are backing away.  If you wish to say something in response to interaction from them, you can clearly and calmly say that you are observing from a public space.  You do not have to answer questions or give a statement, provide ID or consent to a search if they ask. If you are asked to be searched or provide ID and you do not want to consent, say so aloud. You have a right to refuse to give them your phone, and to refuse to show or delete images from your observation, unless they have a warrant for your device. Remain calm, do not argue, and do not physically interfere with officers or vehicles. If you think you are detained, ask “am I being detained?” Unless they say you are detained, you have the right to walk away.  If  you are detained, cease all communication with the agents, and if pressed to speak, assert your right to remain silent and request to speak to an attorney. Note that across the country, many charges brought against ICE observers have later been dropped, as legal observing is generally protected activity, but that does not prevent temporary detention or citation. That’s why it’s important to always have an emergency plan.  Sample Signal Organizing Structure Nonviolent Community Defense Under Paramilitary Occupation Nonviolent community defense focuses on collective presence, visibility, and solidarity to protect community members and slow harmful actions without using violence. These methods rely on cooperation, communication, and mutual care. Core principles: Safety first, especially for undocumented people Mass participation over individual action Disciplined nonviolence Lawful distance and observation Shared responsibility Mass Presence & Collective Unity: Changing the Terrain Large numbers of people, neighbors, families, elders, faith leaders, and workers can alter behavior without confrontation. Orders become harder to execute. Abuse becomes harder to hide. Supervisors hesitate. Visibility is protection. Standing together in public space, at lawful distance, reduces the risk of targeted harm. This is not surrounding or blocking, it is refusing to disappear. The intangible effects of collective unity and noncooperation against violent forces may not initially be clear, but sympathy among security force personnel may build when they see mass presence & collective unity during moments of oppression or violence. Spoken “Know Your Rights” as Community Care Calm, repeated, community-facing rights reminders: Reach people without phones Counter panic Center consent Empower choice Share Know Your Rights information aloud and repeat it slowly. Repetition is reassurance. This is about information sharing, not debate or interference. SAMPLE Read-Aloud Script for Legal Observers This script is an example that shares general rights information without directing individual actions: “Attention everyone. ICE is active in this area.” “Know your rights: You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, where you were born, or where you are from.” “You do not have to open your door to ICE unless they have a warrant signed by a judge with your name and address on it.” “You can ask to see the warrant to examine it through a window or under the door. Look closely at it, and take a photo to document it.” “An ICE warrant or ‘administrative warrant’ is not signed by a judge.” “You have the right to speak to a lawyer. You can say, ‘I am choosing to remain silent and I want to speak to an attorney.’” “Do not sign anything you do not understand.” “You can ask ICE officers to leave if they are inside your home without your consent.” “This is a legal observer sharing rights information. Stay calm and take care of yourself.” More information and printable KYR red cards here.  Counter Surveillance Goals: Provide an early warning system about surges and convoys to the local rapid response networks, Gather data with a special focus on the license plate database, and Ensure that ICE knows they are being watched, even on their own turf. More info from this case study on Minneapolis counter surveillance of Whipple operations.  Slowing Down Paramilitary Operations: Time as Leverage Paramilitaries depend on rapid movement and surprise. Communities introduce friction by: Moving deliberately Remaining present Refusing to clear public space reflexively Refusing to normalize or stay silent in the face of abnormal activity Blob (Moving Together) Participants stay close together in a loose group rather than standing alone or in straight lines. Moving together as a group can: Help people avoid being isolated Make it easier to look out for one another Create uncertainty for aggressors without physical confrontation Enables defense strategies where applicable  The goal is togetherness and mutual awareness, not chaos or force. Noise (Sound as Support) Using sound helps draw attention and build morale. This can include: Chanting together Clapping or call-and-response Car horns or verbal heckling (nonviolent and non-threatening) Whistles Noise can: Signal that people are not alone Disrupt intimidation Help others locate the group if visibility is limited Visual Blocks (Obstructing Lines of Sight) Large, non-harmful items can be used to block visibility, such as: Signs and banners Umbrellas Masks (for privacy and safety) Visual blocks are used to: Protect identities Reduce surveillance Create space without physical contact This is about shielding, not provoking. Wave (Linked Movement) Participants link arms and move together slowly and intentionally. This helps: Keep the group unified Prevent people from being pushed or separated Encourage calm, coordinated movement The emphasis is on steady, collective motion, not resistance or force. Chant Shield (Protective Presence) A chant shield involves surrounding someone who needs protection and chanting loudly while calmly moving together to exit an area. This can: Draw public attention Reduce the chance of one person being singled out Provide emotional support during stressful moments The focus is on protecting dignity and safety. Hang-On (Supportive Holding) This means holding onto someone consensually to help guide them away from danger. Examples include: Supporting someone who is overwhelmed Helping someone move through a crowd Staying physically connected so no one is left behind This should always be consensual, gentle, and nonviolent. Personal Protection Nonviolent actions can still be physically stressful. Personal protection is about reducing harm, not preparing for confrontation. Goal: Protect your head, eyes, and lungs, and maintain overall mobility. Items Commonly Used Gas masks or respirators – to protect breathing if irritants are present Shatter-proof safety goggles – to shield eyes from debris or spray Helmets – for head protection in crowded environments Gloves – to protect hands and improve grip Close-toed shoes – to protect feet and allow safe movement Weather-appropriate clothing - to protect from exposure Wear what allows you to: Move comfortably Stay aware Leave quickly if needed What This Is Not To keep people safe, clarity matters. This strategy is not: Physical confrontation Blocking or restraining anyone Chasing vehicles Provoking arrests Improvising force Substituting bravery for coordination Safety > spectacle. People > moments. Build the Block Committees Block Committees are small, organized groups of neighbors who live on the same block and share a commitment to keeping one another safe, informed, and supported, especially during moments of crisis like paramilitary activity. Community power starts small. By meeting neighbors through doorknocking, face-to-face conversations, and existing social connections, people can begin organizing at the most local level possible: their own block. Related formations include: Tenants’ Unions: residents who share a landlord and organize together around housing conditions and tenant rights Neighborhood Assemblies: networks of multiple Block Committees coordinating across a larger area General Assemblies: city-wide coordination among Neighborhood Assemblies These structures can grow organically over time. In Minneapolis, for example, a neighborhood-wide assembly brought together hundreds of residents to meet, share food, and organize by block, demonstrating the power of local self-organization and collective care. Why Build These Groups? Block Committees, Tenants’ Unions, and Neighborhood Assemblies exist to protect and support vulnerable neighbors. These groups can: Share information quickly about ICE activity Coordinate legal observing and community alerts Distribute basic supplies (whistles, food, warm clothing) Check in on elders, families, and people facing housing or food insecurity Organize collectively to demand repairs and secure buildings so residents feel safer in their homes Build long-term, democratic neighborhood structures These networks aren’t only for emergencies. They: Create durable relationships and trust Serve as hubs for future organizing and mutual aid Help neighbors practice collective decision-making Strengthen communities before, during, and after crises Organize your block. Connect with others. Convene assemblies to learn from one another and coordinate responses. A Note on Community Care, Morale, and Sustainability Community defense only works when people can stay human. Effective care networks provide: Water, food, rest Emotional grounding Childcare and rides Music, ritual, humor, mutual aid Joy and care are not extras. They are what prevent burnout and fear-based mistakes. Do not neglect to include these aspects in your community response. Quick Action Checklist: If Paramilitaries Are Active in Your Community Now For residents: Prioritize safety and solidarity Learn and share Know-Your-Rights information, print Red Cards and distribute to neighbors Stay connected or get plugged into local networks and learn how to make reports Practice radical self-reliance and learn up on what you can - basic field medical training, legal observer training, de-escalation training - and contribute what/when you’re able to If you see paramilitary activity in your neighborhood, alert those nearby with noise, report to your local ICE Watch network, document, and calmly share know your rights info aloud. Divide up tasks if others come out, stick together Support those most targeted For organizers: Communicate the strategy: non-compliance, community defense, containment, and exposure; not confrontation ICE watch networks  Rapid alert systems Share ICE documentation instructions  Keep communications secure Accompaniment programs Business and resident rights education Safe passage routes Train and prepare communities for non-cooperation, strike, boycotts, and other nonviolent direct action  Support mutual aid infrastructure Model disciplined leadership  For allies: Amplify exposure Support legal defense Pressure local officials to refuse cooperation Support 4th Amendment trainings for businesses and ask them to reject ICE as customers Engage elected officials and other leaders Government & Policy Levers Know-Your-Rights trainings Legal hotlines and documentation pipelines FOIA and public records requests Plays by Officials: Refuse cooperation with DHS paramilitaries Don’t soften language, call out the paramilitaries, terrorism, and unlawful actions Educate residents on rights Prosecute abuses Assert local sovereignty Stand with the people, no business as usual  Litigation, hearings, public pressure Sanctuary policies Restrictions on data-sharing More plays for officials from ACLU’s No More Secret Police toolkit: Law Enforcement Mask Ban: Limit masking for all law enforcement in the state. Law Enforcement ID Requirement: Require agency-ID for all law enforcement in the state. 287(g) Ban: Ban participation in ICE’s 287(g) program. Protect Community Spaces: Require state, city or county facilities to establish “safe community places,” in which access to non-public areas requires a judicial warrant. State/Firewall Collaboration Limit: Limit collaboration with federal law enforcement and certain military troops for immigration enforcement and certain civil liberties violations. Limit State Deputization of Federal Law Enforcement for Generalized Policing: Limit state and local personnel from deputizing federal law enforcement for state criminal law enforcement, including through agreements. Task Force Ban: Ban or limit state and local law enforcement participation in Joint Terrorism Task Forces, Homeland Security Task Forces and fusion centers. National Guard Limits: Prohibit your National Guard from cooperating with or providing resources to support federal immigration enforcement activities or other federal civilian law enforcement functions; limit or clarify governor’s authority to call out the National Guard. Military Equipment Limits: Ban or limit the use or acquisition of any equipment procured from the military or the U.S. Department of Defense Law Enforcement Support Program, known as the 1033 or 1122 programs. Monitoring and Support: Require the establishment of a hotline and online portal to receive reports from members of the public regarding harms arising from federal deployments or immigration enforcement, in particular; and to provide support to impacted individuals. For even more, including sample lawmaker floor speeches, talking points for lobbying elected officials, check out the ACLU No Secret Police toolkit. Messaging Strategic Framing Principles DHS collective paramilitary forces - including ICE and Border Patrol -  are not law enforcement. Their power depends on fear, speed, and domination. All language must reflect this reality. Do not legitimize violence. Avoid neutral or bureaucratic terms like “operation,” “enforcement,” or “detention” without context. Center those most harmed. Name the multi-century impacts state-sanctioned violence has had on immigrants, Indigenous peoples, and Black and Brown communities across the U.S. and around the world through the broader contexts of racism, structural power consolidation; e.g. the prison-industrial complex. Do Not: Describe DHS, ICE, or BP activity as standard “policing” or routine “immigration enforcement” Imply these paramilitaries provide safety or protection Depersonalize victims or minimize deaths Do: Refer to ICE/BP/DHS explicitly as paramilitary forces Draw historical comparisons Document killings, injuries, and systemic harm — including against U.S. citizens Emphasize that nonviolent, disciplined resistance protects lives Affirm that protest, advocacy, refusal, and legal challenge are legitimate and necessary Reject narratives that frame community defense as “insurrection” Talking points: ICE is a domestic paramilitary occupation force, carrying out ethnic cleansing and state violence at the direction of the Trump regime. No one is safe from ICE violence, regardless of their immigration status. What we are witnessing is political violence carried out by the state, a one-sided conflict targeting civilians based on race, status, and perceived political threat.  Paramilitary forces in the U.S. have already proven to be deadly, indiscriminate, and destabilizing. ICE is operating above the law: sidelining local law enforcement, restricting public oversight, concealing misconduct, and acting with supposed “absolute impunity.” That is unlawful and fundamentally un-American.  While millions of Americans struggle to access basic healthcare and housing, ICE’s budget rivals the militaries of entire nations.  Real public safety comes from investing in healthcare, housing, and community resources; not occupying neighborhoods. Congress and elected officials must stop Trump: terminate ICE, CBP, and DHS paramilitary deployments, withhold funding, demand accountability, and abolish ICE once and for all.  Paramilitary forces are terrorizing our communities, and Americans wholeheartedly reject authoritarian rule. Nonviolent messaging guide. Closing: Grounding Our Resistance ICE relies on fear, speed, and isolation. Community defense relies on each other.  Our objective is not domination or confrontation. It is safety, containment, and rejection. This work succeeds because it is: Collective, not heroic Disciplined, not reactive Visible, not confrontational Rooted in care We do not comply, we do not panic, we do not abandon each other. We keep us safe. Author’s Note This toolkit reflects wisdom from organizers, legal advocates, and other allies, and communities who have long been resisting.  Thank you to everyone who has contributed. 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