Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is in Western North Carolina. Charlotte, NC has been terrorized since Saturday, November 15th, with businesses closed and kids staying home from school – in fear of our government.
This dystopian nightmare sounds like something out of World War II Nazi Europe, yet here we are facing the very same scenarios now, in late 2025, in America. Homes being raided in the night, people being pulled through smashed car windows, children being separated from their families. No due process, no badges, no warrants. Just scary goons in face-masks, touting guns with no credentials, wearing outfits that can be cheaply purchased online. These guys often have no training and no probable cause; they are simply profiling people according to how they look and snatching them off the street, pulling them into rented SUV’s, trucks and minivans. Taking them to who knows where and doing who knows what.
These are not cops “just doing their job,” and they are not arresting violent criminals. They are taking teachers, school kids and whomever else doesn’t fit their racist ideals of what America should look like. They do not deserve our respect nor our cooperation. So be careful, family. Stay vigilant as these oppressors roll into our neck of the woods.
The Firefly Gathering has a long standing commitment to freedom and diversity, knowing that all monocultures are bound to fail. So as our mountains are flooded with fear and fascism, we need to step up and be the community we have been preparing to be. Interrupt violence, record everything, and protect our most vulnerable community members. Harass them as they try to move through our cities. Be ungovernable. Do not serve them food in our businesses. Block them in traffic. Let them know what you think of them. Be safe, but be bold.
And remember: Nazi Germany was not thwarted by nice people following orders. It was those who broke the law that saved lives; those who pushed back against the hate-filled “orders” from above, and said NO! I will not be complicit in this madness…these were the heroes of the day.
Knowledge is Power! Tom Homan, the Trump-appointed “Border Czar” has complained that the growing number of “well educated” immigrants has made it “very difficult” to successfully arrest and detain people. To learn more about our rights and how to respond, visit the Immigrant Defense Project and StopAAPIHate where you’ll find info on what documents to carry, how to support someone being harassed, and more.
Protect your community from ICE. Share these tips from friends in Chicago:
- Keep whistles on you to alert the neighborhood of ICE activities. Distribute whistles if you can.
- Post signage where people are taken, “ICE kidnapped someone here” is a powerful message.
- Stand firm in crosswalks or use your vehicle to obstruct ICE movement.
- Invite friends and family from rural areas to enjoy your cities, show them the only violence there is caused by the federal government.
- Post signage to alert your neighbor of the ICE activity.
- Record everything they do.
- Ask for warrants. They won’t have one, but making them admit it is important.
- If they are on your private property, firmly tell them to leave.
- Sell them nothing and don’t let them use restrooms.
- Protests. Protest. Protest.
Every delay is a life saved. Remember, people aren’t being deported, they are being kidnapped.
What would you do to protect those you love? Whatever it is, do it now, as if it was your mother or your child being taken…our very freedom may depend on how we respond to things unfolding all around us at this very moment in history.
If someone you know has been kidnapped by ICE, start here to begin looking for your friend or loved one.
