Facebook Group Monitors ICE enforcement in Utah Video

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4 News) - A new Facebook group looks to monitor ICE enforcement and detainment by allowing community members to post about situations involving ICE in Utah.

Started a week ago the group is already up to about 1,000 members and continues to grow. A national group called United We Dream began the movement with several of these Facebook groups popping up all over the country, giving birth to Migras Watch UT.

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"Regarding a few more federal executive orders and the current climate regarding the immigrant population, we wanted to launch a way in which we can notify people or update people in current events happening here in the state," said one of the groups administrators Cristobal Vilegas.

Villegas and other activists in charge of the group hope they can help monitor immigration in Utah and the actions of ICE. The page allows members to post about when and where people witness seeing ICE agents, and any detainments that occur. Then by tagging the group or using the hashtag #migrawatchut, the group will investigate those claims and update the page with the facts regarding an arrest or situation where ICE was present.

They hope they can help dispel the rumors surrounding ICE, educate their communities, and help reduce fear about immigration in these communities.

"We've seen lots and lots of rumors so that's why we feel if we can verify or attempt to verify and educate people then we'll be having a safer community," says Villegas.

Within the last day someone had posted about a mother being detained at a West Valley City grocery store. The group reached out to professionals they knew who were knowledgeable about immigration and were able to learn more about the situation and report that the woman had been released. They said her detainment was because of a situation that had occurred back in 1992.

"Because of the new DHS memo that was released a couple weeks ago anybody who is undocumented is now high priority," added Villegas. "There are people who have committed heinous crimes but a mother that has a child with her and doing shopping and being detained by ICE I think it's just a little bit too far."

Education is the groups key goal. Villegas says many in these communities don't know who to turn to or where to go to get information regarding their rights.

"A lot of the information is already online it's just about accessing and knowing where to go," said Villegas. "We're also educating the public by going to different websites and disseminating the information like ACLU or the website United We Dream, they have a lot of valuable information."

As a citizen with personal ties to the immigrant community he says this is the least he can do to help people who are fearful and worried about their status in this country. He says he's already spoken to many who are fearful of being deported if they leave their home or send their children to school.

"People who are fearful, I'd say stay calm, definitely reach out to the legal experts out there and ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask questions," says Villegas. "An illegal entry into the United States is a civil offense, it's not a criminal offense and so to me a lot of people come here because they're pulled into the United States or pushed from their country of origin because of other circumstance. Once here they dedicate their lives to work here for their family, try to uplift their family and better parts of society."

Part of the groups goal is to go beyond their social media presence and go into these communities to hold informational sessions to elaborate on the rights that each person has and provide more insight into the immigration climate in Utah.