Frontline Dignity was featured in an article on Axios: “Pittsburgh ICE Watch Newtork Grows”
The deaths of two legal observers in Minneapolis, along with video that challenged the government’s official narrative, have sharpened local interest in civilian ICE monitoring, Frontline Dignity founder Jaime Martinez tells Axios.
The big picture: Martinez, a former Casa San José organizer, launched Frontline Dignity late last year to build a rapid-response network of legal observers responding to ICE activity across the region.
- Within 72 hours of its first training last week at a Shadyside church — which drew more than 500 people — Frontline added more than 300 legal observers and counting, he says.
Zoom in: Training teaches participants their rights and how to de-escalate encounters with federal law enforcement. Civilian teams coordinate to witness immigration enforcement in real time and find resources for people taken into custody.
- The group also tracks local governments with 287(g) agreements.
What they’re saying: “People go into fight or flight mode, and we’re trying to shake people out of that freeze and get them to fight — not with their fists, but with their phone cameras,” Martinez says.
What’s next: Another training is slated for February, Martinez says. It’ll be announced via updates on Frontline Dignity’s website and social media.