Overview:
Vecinos Unidos DFW, a grassroots initiative, was formed in response to the inhumane conditions at the Dallas ICE Field Office. The group has been working to defend the rights of migrants and undocumented people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. They have been providing critical updates and assistance to those appearing at the Dallas Field Office for immigration check-ins. The group has also been raising awareness of the inconsistent and often contradictory procedures and requirements of ICE officials. They are calling on the community for more help in protecting vulnerable neighbors.
DALLAS- While co-founder Noemi Rios accepts credit for the initial idea for Vecinos Unidos earlier this summer, she proudly acknowledges that the project’s leadership is guided by seven fierce Chicana women who “are a force to be reckoned with.”
In just a few months, they’ve demonstrated what it means to develop a grassroots movement and mobilize the community around people-powered solutions.
Vecinos Unidos DFW is a grassroots initiative born in 2025 that organizes to defend the rights of migrants and undocumented people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Over the summer of 2025, they did the critical work of bringing attention to the inhumane conditions at the Dallas ICE Field Office.
On July 24th of this year, Rios reported that people detained at 8101 North Stemmons Freeway were subjected to overcrowding, and inadequate access to bathrooms, running water, nutrition, or medical care.
It is worth noting that the property owned by The Department of Homeland Security is meant to operate as an office, and does not meet the standards of a detention facility. This is confirmed via information made available by them on Instagram.
Born Out Of Necessity
Vecinos Unidos DFW initially began with a Court Watch, deploying volunteers as courtroom and hallway monitors at Dallas Immigration Court in response to the growing number of ICE arrests downtown. Community leader Sandra Avalos led the development of their recently launched Field Office strategy. Last week, we had the opportunity to spend a morning with them outside of the Dallas Field Office and observe this new strategy.
People from all over the state must report to the Dallas Field Office for immigration check-ins. For people living hours away, appearing for a check-in requires time off from work, gas, and hotel expenses. As neighbors arrive at their appearance appointments, volunteers will greet them, provide critical updates, and offer assistance in completing an ICE Form 60-001 (referred to as the Privacy Waiver).
Credible sources tell us that an increasing number of neighbors appearing at the Dallas ICE Field Office are being placed on the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), particularly women and mothers without a criminal background. The ISAP is an ICE program that uses GPS tracking and intensive case management to track immigrants’ movements and activities. Participants are usually required to wear an ankle monitor, comply with unannounced visits, and verify their identity upon request with facial/voice recognition technologies.
ICE Is Non-Compliant, Negligent Of Detainees
Faith leader Mara Richards Bim, who volunteers to escort neighbors and aid in communication with the agents, lightheartedly joked about how she leverages her white privilege to help protect neighbors who become vulnerable in ICE territory.
Later that morning, she escorted the relative of someone detained there who came to drop off their asthma inhaler.
The pair returned with the inhaler still in hand. Richards Bim reported back that representatives inside the field office rejected the inhaler due to insufficient proof that it was prescribed to the detainee by a doctor.
According to a report published by the DHS Office of Inspector General, Unannounced Inspections of ICE Facilities from 2020-2023, 59 percent of facilities were found in non-compliance with medical care standards, like dental and chronic care, and medical staffing.
ICE Continues to Manipulate Narratives and Procedures
ICE officials are constantly changing procedures and requirements at any moment and are inconsistent in their instructions, sources say. Multiple people who voluntarily came to the field office for a self-deportation, have claimed that the ICE agents demanded as much as $500 to initiate the process. This directly contradicts the DHS’s claim that the government would provide travel assistance and a $1000 stipend to those who voluntarily self deport through the CPB Home App.
There are also reports that officials in the Dallas Field Office are denying due process to asylum seekers with legitimate claims by “determining” that their cases have been denied regardless of whether they’ve yet had a proper hearing at Dallas Immigration Court.
Early in the morning hours of Thursday, October 30th, ICE sent out a mass text message, stating that those who received it needed to report to the Dallas Field Office that same morning by 7:00 am. The mass text triggered anxiety and confusion, especially for those who live far away, or who had just recently checked in.
Non-coincidentally, the same faux text phenomenon happened in St. Louis, Chicago and Seattle earlier this year.
Tactics For Terror: How ICE Hides Detainees
Telemundo 39 DFW’s ICE aclara situación de mensajes a inmigrantes del norte de Texas reports more on this instance. The aforementioned DHS-OIG report also shows that 82 percent of ICE facilities did not meet all standards for staff-detainee communication, this includes improper communication regarding scheduled visiting times.
The enforcement agency also urged recipients of the message to come alone, stating, “It is not necessary to bring the rest of your family”. Community members say this tactic is a response to the difficulty ICE faces in detaining someone if they are accompanied by a child- especially a child with U.S. citizenship.
One woman who arrived at the facility early that Thursday morning, was interviewed on camera by Carlos Zapata. Still processing what’s happened, she describes how her husband, who is also undocumented, was detained from their vehicle while waiting for her outside in the parking lot. Now, she was stuck in Dallas with her children, without access to the money her husband had on his person. Vecinos Unidos DFW quickly began coordinating efforts to ensure the woman and her children returned home safely.
What Happens Behind The Walls of ICE Facilities
When people are detained at an ICE facility, the following things may happen:
- They will provide each person with a 5-10 second call, only allowing enough time to communicate that the person has been detained, but not where they are.
- Any belongings on your person, will be placed in a clear property bag and held by ICEIndividuals may be transferred to other detention facilities in Texas such as Prairieland in Alvarado, and Bluebonnet in Anson.
- It is not uncommon for ICE to transfer people to detention facilities in completely different states like Georgia or Oklahoma. Moving an individual to out of state facilities is a tactic that ICE is known to use which slows down legal proceedings that lead to release.
What To Do Ahead of One’s ICE Detention Hearing
Immigrant rights activists urge people to prepare for upcoming appearance appointments and hearings. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your family in the event of ICE detention:
- If you have an attorney, request that they accompany you to the appointment.
- Write your emergency contacts’ phone number on your arm with a permanent marker.
- Write down your Alien Identification Number (AIN) and leave it with your emergency contacts. Family members or trusted supporters should use the ICE detainee locator at https://locator.ice.gov/odls/homePage.do
- If possible, do not bring any undocumented family members to your appointment. This puts them at risk of detention as well.
Proper Documentation
If someone you know has been detained by ICE and you need to begin the process of fighting for their freedom, obtain and complete these legal documents:
- Power of Attorney (POA)
A Power of Attorney is a legal form that allows you to designate someone to manage your affairs if you cannot do so yourself. It is critical for immigrants to designate someone to manage their affairs during legal, medical, or immigration issues through a notarized POA.
This form allows a third party like your Congressional office to request information about your detention, immigration or deportation case from a U.S. immigration enforcement agency. It makes it easier for you to be located, and for your lawyer to visit at the facility you’re being held at.
- Habeas Petition
A habeas petition is a legal petition filed to challenge Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s ability to detain a person. If you become detained by ICE, filing a habeas petition with a federal district court requires the judge to make a decision about whether ICE can detain you.
It is important to note that this document should be prepared for an individual with an active immigration case, but is not filed unless that person becomes detained for an extended time. Also, a habeas petition is only valid for the state which you are being detained in. If an individual is transported to a facility outside of Texas, a new habeas petition must be filed in that state.
Vecinos Unidos: The Resistance We Need Most
This year, Vecinos Unidos DFW volunteers have faced complaints, intimidation, and professional risks. A volunteer, who requested anonymity, shared that an unknown individual contacted her former employer and accused her of engaging in illegal terrorist activity. Holding true to their belief that “Behind every case is a family, a story, a future on the line”, the volunteers continue to show up despite imminent threats.
Vecinos Unidos DFW is calling on the community for more help in protecting our vulnerable neighbors. If you are fluent in Spanish or another language like Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese, or Haitian Creole, you can volunteer your linguistic skills. Lawyers can also help by filing habeas petitions for individuals detained at ICE facilities. Stay up to date by following @vecinos_unidos_dfw on Instagram and visit their LinkTree to learn more about how you can donate, volunteer, or request assistance.