North Carolina Immigrant-Rights Group Launches Program to Educate Businesses on Resisting ICE Raids
Siembra, an immigrant-rights group in North Carolina, has launched a Fourth Amendment rights program designed to help business owners resist ICE raids through informational signage, workplace trainings, and a formal pledge.
The program provides resources including a workbook, printable posters, trainings, a pledge, and a volunteer canvassing network. Over 250 North Carolina businesses have signed the pledge so far, and the workbook is freely accessible online.
Training sessions emphasize key legal principles, such as ICE not being allowed to enter private areas like kitchens or storage without a warrant. Employees are informed they can contact a lawyer if approached, and business owners may shelter undocumented workers in private spaces but are not permitted to do so for customers.
The initiative has garnered support from municipalities; Durham and the town of Carrboro have agreed to expand the program to municipal employees and local businesses, while the city councils of Chapel Hill and Greensboro are considering similar measures.
Notable participants include Angela Salamanca, a Raleigh-Durham restaurant owner who signed the pledge, Jackie Ramirez, a Siembra organizer conducting trainings in Johnston County, Steve Mitchell, co-owner of Scuppernong Books in Greensboro who supports the initiative, and Renee Reynolds, owner of 64 Harvard frame shop in Graham, who completed the training.
Some business owners initially resisted joining due to fears of attracting attention, but the program aims to increase participation across more towns and sectors.
This North Carolina effort is part of a broader national movement, with similar Fourth Amendment training initiatives promoted by groups such as Baddies for the Fourth in Oregon, Cleveland Heights in Ohio, and the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights.
