By: Sumin Kim, AARJ Work-Study Student
With the goal of uniting students, community leaders, advocates, and allies in the fight against immigrant deportations, the UCLA Labor Center’s Asian American Racial Justice (AARJ) Project is conducting a series of Immigrant Rapid Response Know Your Rights (KYR) trainings. These trainings, held in multiple languages, address the escalation in anti-immigrant attitudes and threats to community safety under the current Trump administration by providing attendees an opportunity to practice asserting their rights during interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“With Trump in office and our communities being affected by the ICE raids, it is important to not only know your rights but also how they can be applied,” said Rimon, a participant from the South Asian Network (SAN). “After seeing how in Chicago, a lot of the people fought back against the ICE raids, it lets you know that all communities should have this information about enacting their rights.”
In addition to educating individuals on their rights when approached by ICE, these trainings are creating a network of informed and empowered KYR trainers who can return to their own community and labor organizations to then host trainings of their own.
“We can make sure these trainings are culturally effective and reach all throughout our diverse communities,” said Leena, another member of SAN.
AARJ’s Know Your Rights trainings will be held across three dates: Part 1 on Febrero 20th, Part 2 on Abril 23rd, and Part 3 on Junio 28th. Throughout this time, AARJ will also conduct follow-ups with individual participants to encourage the formation of their own KYR trainings in their respective communities. There are four groups within the KYR training attendees that each focus on spreading awareness and knowledge in their respective communities: Religious Institutions, Unions and Community Organizations, Student Groups, and Educational groups. AARJ is currently working on spreading the KYR trainings throughout these diverse groups.
Recap: Know Your Rights, Part 1: Train-The-Trainer Workshop on Febrero 20th
On Febrero 20th, 2025, AARJ conducted their first Know Your Rights, Train-the-Trainers workshop at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor with over 70 participants in attendance. This first KYR workshop comprised a series of sections, including:
- A thorough summary of what Know Your Rights is, and the introduction to Defensive Rights vs. Offensive Rights from UCLA Labor Center’s Nonviolence Education Project Community Education Specialist Emely Rauda.
- Live simulations of possible ICE interaction scenarios led by AARJ Project Coordinator Lisa Lei, AARJ Staff Member Bianca Bravo, and Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice Organizer Sithy. These “real-play” scenarios allowed participants to feel the tension of these situations within a controlled and safe group environment while learning how to remain calm under stress while exerting their constitutional rights.
- Breakout groups to brainstorm for organizing and executing future KYR trainings across the Religious Institutions, Unions and Community Organizations, Student Groups, and Educational groups that participants engaged with in their communities.
“I think a lot of times people often forget that we have rights, and sometimes you don’t think about the rights you have until they’re challenged,” said Jenny Galvez, an educator and the recording secretary for AFT 1521. “Having someone act as an ICE agent makes you nervous and helps you realize the intensity of those moments.”
“It is very important to know our rights so that we can be confident and empowered when we do encounter different agencies that are trying to harm our immigrant communities,” said Sithy, one of the training’s facilitators. “I think tonight’s training was super powerful and impactful, as there are so many of us coming together to practice encounters, especially with the real-plays.”
“I am going to take, not just the information learned from the trainings, but the many new connections I made today, back home,” said Cecila Su’a, a participant and program coordinator at API Forward Movement.
Know Your Rights trainings are crucial for the safety and protection of all immigrants, not just AAPI immigrants. AARJ will continue to implement consistent KYR trainings in the future and hope to continue collaborating with the Los Angeles community to uplift immigrant youth, develop API union leadership, and coordinate organizing and educational programs that intersect race and worker power. If you are interested in joining our Immigrant Rights Rapid Response Team, fill out this form and get involved today!
