College Hosts Deportation Defense Training to Help Undocumented Immigrants 'Resist ICE'

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Most recently, Tracy Lee has finished a documentary episode on national security examining the balance between the State Department and the Department of Defense for the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions documentary series that will air in 2018 on PBS. Over the last few years, Tracy Lee has covered a series of in-depth human interest stories in Brazil with highlighted work during the massive 2013 protests, and the fallout from the 2014 World Cup and 2017 Olympics in Rio’s communities. Previously, she has reported inside UN Headquarters on stories ranging from the 2010 Haiti Earthquake to the impact of the Arab Spring. In the past, she has covered local NYC breaking news for NY1. 

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Deportation defense training workshops are being held at The Ohio State University and Ohio University to give people tools to advocate for immigrants who are at risk of being deported.

The workshops include training on legal basics and why people are arrested, detained and deported, as well as prevention tactics for immigrant families. The universities sought to give students a better understanding of immigrant justice, Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC) Board President Dr. Austin Kocher told Newsweek. His advocacy organization designed and sponsored the event.

The COWC-sponsored workshops "will give us an understanding of the best ways we can help prevent deportations, protect the undocumented workers in our community, and resist ICE," the event states on Facebook.

case
COWC board member and OSU social work student Jessica Camacho leads workshop participants in a case study about how deportation works. Austin Kocher

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has sought to crack down on illegal immigration, giving ICE "clear direction to focus on threats to public safety and national security." During Trump's first 100 days in office, ICE deportations surged 40 percent.

The deportation defense trainings, which are ongoing, also aim to connect immigration advocates with social workers, healthcare professionals and lawyers.

The workshops developed out of COWC's previous direct advocacy work. Kocher cited a recent referral by a Kentucky woman whose family has been impacted by ICE; her husband was arrested and is awaiting deportation. COWC helped provide a lawyer.

Kocher cited another example where a social worker attended a past workshop to get information to help clients and found herself needing the tips learned from the workshop. The social worker was detained for hours at customs, where she was questioned about immigration issues and her sexual orientation.

COWC is working to submit a civil rights complaint to the Department of Homeland Security.

"In that case she didn't know what to do or what her rights were, and she felt too intimidated to resist," Kocher said. "However, because she took our workshop, she knew that there were legal options available to her and that the COWC is a resource."

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Most recently, Tracy Lee has finished a documentary episode on national security examining the balance between the State Department and the Department of Defense for the Foreign Policy Association's Great Decisions documentary series that will air in 2018 on PBS. Over the last few years, Tracy Lee has covered a series of in-depth human interest stories in Brazil with highlighted work during the massive 2013 protests, and the fallout from the 2014 World Cup and 2017 Olympics in Rio’s communities. Previously, she has reported inside UN Headquarters on stories ranging from the 2010 Haiti Earthquake to the impact of the Arab Spring. In the past, she has covered local NYC breaking news for NY1. 

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Most recently, Tracy Lee has finished a documentary episode on national security examining the balance between the State Department and ... Read more