When ICE Targets DSPs, the Disability Community Feels It
Dupree Edwards supports the Institute on Community Integration training team on the Minnesota DHS Systems Change project, serving as a co-trainer on positive behavior support and county-wide systems change and sharing his lived experience in self-advocacy.
Some of my staff told me that ICE (United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has been going through their apartment building and knocking on doors. My PCAs said they were happy they made it to work, because luckily, ICE didn’t knock on their door.
It was scary to have my support people come in and say, “ICE almost came into my apartment, so I’m glad I could show up to work today.” It made me start thinking, “Oh wow, what if they didn’t show up? What if they weren’t here?” I was upset for my staff, and I was worried for myself, too. The direct support professional (DSP) workforce and the disability community are already in a vulnerable community. And lots of day programs, assisted living, group homes, and other supports are located in Minneapolis.
It’s a tough time we’re going through in the Twin Cities. ICE is targeting the immigrant community more than ever, and they are constantly changing their tactics. And I’ve heard that ICE has also been in rural areas, not just in Minneapolis. A lot of DSPs are immigrants, and some have green cards or work permits. It would be really hard for individuals like me, who receive the great services and support from those staff, if they didn’t show up to work.
After my DSPs told me ICE was in their apartment building, I was too anxious to leave my house for a week. I worked from home, and I didn’t go to my day program because it was in Minneapolis. When I finally went back to my day program, they assured me that ICE had not been in the area and that it was safe all along. But there were not many activities going on there, because a lot of people are afraid of things like this. I hope it can help them to know that other people are feeling the same way they do. It's okay to be scared.
As a self-advocate and community leader, I want to share my concerns with other self-advocates who are receiving services or supports. No matter what kind of supports you use, if your staff have an issue because of ICE, then so do you. What happens if your staff doesn’t show up for their shifts? What if staff are out with you and they get detained by ICE? Where would you go? How would you get home? How would you stay safe?
I want to remind people to speak up for themselves. It’s good to speak up for yourself and expect your service provider to have a plan. Individuals using services, DSPs, and providers should be talking to each other about this. Providers may not see or realize what is going on in their workforce. And the bigger a provider, the more important it is that they talk about plans to keep people safe.
My group home provider is small, and the owner is an immigrant (he is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Somalia). My staff told me what precautions they are taking to make sure that they can keep coming back to work with the individuals they support. Whenever they are going to take someone to the grocery store, or go somewhere in the community, or if they’re running an errand for someone, they will be wearing a badge saying the name of the company. The badge explains that they’re working to support someone with a disability. Along with giving them work badges to wear, my provider suggested that they always bring their own passport or ID whenever they go out in public.
If you go out into the community with your DSPs, it is a good idea to have your own safety plan, too. Make sure you bring your own ID with you whenever you go out. I also have a card I always carry with me that explains that I am an individual with a disability. The card lists my emergency contact and my provider's phone number. It also reminds me, “If you’re in danger, call 911.” Personally, as a trained self-advocate, I feel comfortable using my voice to speak up for myself. If my staff got detained by ICE agents, I know I could use my cell phone to call my emergency contact to ask for help, so I make sure my phone is charged, and I always bring it with me.
I’m glad my provider has a plan for my DSPs so that they can get to work, be there to support people, and take precautions. It helped my mental health to hear what they are doing to make sure that they can come to work and be safe while they’re working with me. And after hearing that the places I work and spend time had no visits from ICE, I was able to leave my house again. Because I should be able to be in the community, to do the work I do.