quienes somos
UndocuPDX is a collective. We are a group of friends who have been doing work in the greater Portland metro area since 2017. Our efforts focus on creating safe spaces where folks can connect and support each other, while sharing resources and educational materials for immigrant communities.
Below are some tips from our community for undocumented folks and allies alike, for keeping the momentum going, avoiding burn out, and taking care of your body and mind. We hope they will be helpful to you.
1
prioritize your mental health & wellbeing
If you are experiencing feelings of despair, hopelessness, fatigue, doom - you are not alone. These feelings are demanding to be felt, and need to be tended to. A 2022 study found that around 40% of DACA recipients met the clinical cutoff for distress from the potential traumatic event indicative of post-traumatic stress disorder. Regardless of DACA, undocumentedness in and of itself is an identity that can create uncertainty, anxiety, and panic. Our nervous systems respond, and it’s important to be good to ourselves and tend to our bodies and minds as best we can with what we have.
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Overwhelming you with headline after headline is one of their tactics, to destabilize and create a sense of dread, and thus a “new normal.” While there are very real threats to everything they are doing, remember to verify information from reliable sources instead of taking it at face value, spreading misinformation, and unintentionally causing panic to others and to yourself.
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Find a balance of staying up to date with important news that affects you and your communities, while maintaining distance from headlines when you need to. Doomscrolling will not help you, log off or take breaks as needed.
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If you do not have access to therapy, ask a friend or friends if you can process with them, if they have capacity to support you, lean on community, now is absolutely the time.
2
build a system of support
If you are feeling unsafe to step outside of your home, or even in your home, ask for help. Below are some tips to staying safe, laying low, and building the comforts you might need in these times.
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When it comes to errands, lean on your friends and family members who are citizens to pick up groceries, help run errands, or accompany you to appointments so you don’t have to travel alone
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Make space to build some normalcy in your day, ask for company if you need it
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If you truly feel unsafe at home, ask a friend if you can crash on their couch, sleep over, stay with them so you can rest
3
minimize risk & stay informed
Below are some tips on increasing your safety by minimizing exposure, staying up to date on the news, and learning more about your legal rights and those of your peers
Reduce travel
If you do not need to travel, don’t. There are reports of ICE activity in airports, trains, highways, etc. Stay home for the time being.
Social media
As they ramp up use of tracking folks’ social media use, it’s better to not announce it to the world of social media where you are at all times. If you want to post photos of a trip, do it after you’ve returned home
Location sharing
Stop sharing your location through apps. As we know, our phones use location tracking when we use different apps, disable tracking for apps you don’t need to use in this way. Do share your location with trusted friends and family, or alert them of your whereabouts regularly
Checking on friends & family
Have a plan to check in on loved ones, even if you don’t want to talk about ICE activity, for example, plan to text each other a thumbs up every day / every week to know you’re both safe
Sign up for ICE alerts
Get alerts about ICE activity by texting JOIN to 877-322-2299 or make an account on their website stopice.net to make posts if you see ICE activity, and change settings on what you want to be alerted on, and distance from your location
Workshops & Trainings
Sign up for Know Your Rights and What To Do If You Are Detained trainings, check out our Workshops page for upcoming in-person & virtual workshops for everyone regardless of status
Follow & subscribe to these accounts
Instagram / Meta are known to shadowban accounts and posts, and often times you don’t see them until the event or workshop has passed. In order to bypass this, don’t just follow the account but Subscribe to it, that way you will always see the posts
@ undocu_pdx
@ pueblounidopdx
@ pirc_pdx
@ iceoutofportland
@ thepeoplevsice
@abolishicepdx_
@pdxcd
4
make a plan for potential detainment
While this sounds daunting and difficult, it is a good idea to have all your ducks in a row in any case, and this can prepare your loved ones in knowing how to handle your potential detainment
Alerting & connecting your community
Parents / Siblings
Partners
Roommates / Housemates
Workplace
Lawyer or legal support
Bank accounts, belongings, property
Check out our resource page for guides on collecting this information
5
show up and defend immigrant communities
Time and time again we have learned just how important it is to have folks on all fronts of a movement. Whether that’s taking to the streets, calling reps, making art, distributing fliers and resources, dropping off food, offering a place to stay, or starting your own community watch group in your neighborhood. The following tips are for everyone.
Support local organizations & collectives
Pueblo Unido
Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC)
Hotline: 1-888-622-1510
La Resistencia NW
National Day Laborer Organizing Network
Start your own Community Defense Coalition
Check out these graphics from LATU Ktown
Become a Legal Observer for Immigrant Rights
The ACLU of Oregon trains legal observers, the link to the volunteer application is here
Support immigrant businesses that are suffering
As a result of the ongoing raids, the fear-mongering, and the kidnappings, one thing we can do for our immigrant businesses is support them. Buy, book, promote, and give back to immigrant-owned businesses in your neighborhood
Call your reps, pressure them
Exercise your right to protest
If you are undocumented or have a vulnerable status, best to stay off the streets and let citizens exercise their right to protest. Consequences will always be worse for immigrants, it’s better to just stay home and find other ways to be engaged. If you know someone who has been arrested at a protest, call the Defense Fund PDX hotline: 971-247-1072