Resources for OTs and Advocates

How to be an Ally to those Affected

• Be vocal/visible as an ally. Educate yourself on the rights/protections of undocumented individuals. 

• Center your advocacy around the needs of impacted people, not yourself

• Ask “What do you need/how can I help” instead of determining what undocumented communities/individuals need.

• Allies new to advocacy/justice work may be feeling heightened emotions now. You must work on your emotional regulation to maintain stamina for the work long-term.

• In the words of John Lewis: "Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part."

• Purchase/make/provide “Know Your Rights” cards and distribute them to your community.

• Be vigilant. Know what to look for.

• ICE/CBP tend to be in plain clothes. Some federal agents also tend to wear military issue and/or hiking footwear even when in plain clothes.

• Often agents present fake/invalid warrants. Review these documents carefully; to be valid, a warrant must be signed by a judge.

Resilience & Community Care:

Providing Emotional and/or Nervous System Support 

• Self Care vs Community Care

• Self Care: Rest, hydrate, and engage in whatever self-care practices help you feel grounded. You cannot show up for your community if you are depleted/dysregulated. 

• Community Care - Providing emotional support during immigration advocacy events, or in the aftermath of ICE/CBP presence/engagement

• Focus on asking those impacted, “What do you need”

• First: check in with yourself. What do you have the capacity to offer? If you are processing, maybe offer to just sit with the person, or find someone with the capacity to provide emotional support.

• Community care can be as simple as holding space for folks to feel their feelings. Sometimes people need validation of their feelings, sometimes they just need to tell their stories.

• Teach grounding/regulation modalities, when appropriate. 

• Example, checking in with a co-worker post ICE raid. “What do you need right now?” (Give a few options: Quiet/left alone, sit with you, go for a walk, breathing exercises, etc)

• Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system to prepare you to respond to a feeling or situation (i.e. fight, flight, freeze, fawn responses). 

• Know the signs of a dysregulated nervous system:

• Anxiety

• Panic attacks

• Digestive issues

• Trouble sleeping

• Constant fatigue

• Persistent muscle pain

• If your nervous system is overloaded/dysregulated, try these techniques for grounding/regulation:

• Try a physiological sigh or other breathing exercises (The science of stress and breathing, and breathing techniques) 

• Move your body (walk, stretch, yoga, dance to your favorite song, etc)

• Use a weighted blanket

• Sing (stimulates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system, helping you feel relaxed)

• Watch your favorite comedy, laughing also stimulates the vagus nerve

• Give or receive a massage or hug

• Connect with nature

• Take a cold shower, reduces stress by jolting the nervous system

• Use co-regulation by talking to a trusted friend/family member/partner, practicing empathy, and sharing/experiencing feelings

• Prioritize sleep and rest!