Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader,
Scene: Early morning. Five ICE Agents are loitering outside a house in Tenessee when the occupant’s immigration lawyer arrives.
Let’s see what’s going on…
Lawyer: It’s too early for this. What’s going on?
Agent: We’re HSI—Homeland Security Investigations.
Lawyer: Who are you here for?
Agent: Amy. We’re conducting a welfare check—just making sure she’s okay.
Lawyer: That’s not her. What’s the basis for the check?
Agent: Her immigration case was closed by a judge. We’re waiting on her green card priority date. But we still need to speak with her.
Lawyer: We can set up an appointment at my office.
Agent: That works.
Lawyer: Do you have a card?
Agent: No. I’ll give you my name and number.
Lawyer: I don’t even know if she’s here. I assume she’s around.
Agent: We also need to speak to her sponsor—MG.
Lawyer: So now it’s the sponsor too? Who exactly are you here for? Amy or the sponsor? I’ll try to coordinate, but you can’t just keep showing up like this.
She’s fine. I still don’t know what this is really about.
This is happening all over the country.
On March 28, a video went viral:
Rochester Police officers assisting Border Patrol agents in pulling people from a van.
This is Rochester. A sanctuary city since 1986.
The law says local police can’t assist in federal immigration enforcement.
But they did.
It started as a routine traffic stop.
Then it cracked the ground beneath the city.
Chief David Smith confirmed it:
Yes, officers violated policy.
Yes, they helped detain people.
Yes, they canceled the emergency call—and stayed anyway.
Outrage followed. Investigations.
And a bitter clash of worldviews.
NY Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt defended the officers:
“Cities don’t get to pick which laws to follow… It’s like ignoring the Second Amendment.”
Mayor Malik Evans fired back—publicly rebuking the cops.
Praise. Backlash. Political war.
Former ICE Director Tom Homan met privately with the police union.
Blasted the mayor.
Backed the officers.
Meanwhile, ICE activity in the area spiked:
Henrietta: Raid at Wedgewood Apartments.
Irondequoit: Two roofing workers detained without warrants.
Batavia: Known ICE station near the highway.
UR & Columbia: Students quietly stripped of visas.
Rochester school board: Canceled Canada field trip. Too risky for immigrant students.
This is not “policy.”
This is quiet war.
Know Your Rights or Lose Them.
People are scared. And with good reason.
“They didn’t even ask about immigration status—just backed up federal agents like soldiers.”
“They detained someone from Marcellus. No ID, no warrant, no explanation.”
“ICE came into my job. Asked about Latino-sounding names. I said nothing.”
“At the airport, they’ve been around since January. Discreet. Watching.”
🏛️ What Legal Professionals Say:
“Judicial warrant or no entry. Period.”
“Don’t talk. Don’t open the door. Film everything.”
“Carry a passport card if you can. Licenses don’t prove citizenship.”
One Reddit user said it plainly:
“Even veterans and U.S. citizens have been detained. Carry your papers. Assume nothing.”
City Council is demanding firings.
The Police Accountability Board is investigating.
Unions are defending the officers.
And outside Rochester, some lawmen are holding the line.
Sheriff Toby Shelley of Onondaga County said:
“My department will not detain anyone based solely on ICE requests without a judicial warrant.”
“I took an oath to protect people’s rights.”
His clarity stands in stark contrast to Rochester’s chaos.
This Isn’t Just About One City.
It’s about whether local police will become extensions of federal power.
It’s about due process. Racial profiling. Public trust.
It’s about whether being brown means being suspect.
As one demonstrator put it:
“If immigrants don’t have due process rights, none of us do.”
🛑 What You Need to Know Now:
You don’t have to open the door unless agents have a warrant signed by a judge.
You can remain silent.
You have the right to an attorney.
You can refuse to sign anything until you talk to one.
You have the right to film.
If they show paperwork:
Is it signed by a judge?
Does it list your name and address?
If not, it’s not valid for entry.
Final Word: The Real Sanctuary
It’s not the city.
It’s not the mayor.
It’s not even your lawyer.
It’s the Constitution.
And the second you stop invoking it—
You lose it.
Whether it’s a “welfare check,” a traffic stop, or a canceled school trip...
Whether you’re a student, a roofer, or a writer walking your dog...
You don’t need permission to protect yourself.
You just need to know the law—and use it.
Because the real sanctuary isn’t on a map.
It’s in your hands.
Until next time,
Anton
Dancer. Writer. Buddhist.
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