FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – With Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity reported across the region, including in Detroit Lakes, some Fargo businesses and community members are responding by posting warnings on social media and seeking information about their rights.
Fargo business owner Amen Salem said he is watching developments closely.
“On the news, like in Minneapolis or what have you, we say, ‘we hope there’s nothing in Fargo.’ You know? I hope it’s not going to be like this in Fargo,” Salem said.
That concern led some Fargo businesses to post warnings on social media Monday.
Attorney Anna Stenson said it’s important for people to understand their rights.
“I think the most important thing to realize is that everyone in the United States, regardless of their immigration status, has constitutional rights, and that most importantly, it’s the right to remain silent,” Stenson said.
Stenson said if ICE approaches someone in public, they don’t have to answer questions about their immigration status or where they were born. If agents come to someone’s home, they don’t have to open the door unless ICE has a warrant signed by a judge.
For business owners, Stenson said employers can designate certain areas of their business, like break rooms, as private, which provides additional legal protection. She said businesses should prepare now.
“The idea of a fire drill or a tornado drill: making employers know what their rights are as the business owner, what their employees’ rights are and having a plan in place in terms of what to do,” Stenson said.
Stenson said the most important thing is to stay calm and remember constitutional rights exist. If someone is detained, she advised calling an immigration attorney immediately.
Stenson said people can find “know your rights” information through the ACLU website or by contacting local immigration legal services.
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