Humans of ICE

Humans of ICE is a community storytelling project dedicated to supporting immigrants detained by ICE in the Broome County jail in Binghamton, NY. Each week, volunteers organized by Concerned Residents of Greater Binghamton visit the jail to meet with ICE detainees, listen to their stories, and learn about their needs and goals. Our mission is to connect these individuals and their families with the resources they need, while also sharing their experiences (with their permission) with the wider community to foster understanding and guide advocacy efforts.

This project started when we learned about Guan Heng, a 38 year old Chinese asylum-seeker detained in the Broome County Jail. Heng escaped mainland China after documenting the Uyghur Concentration camps and the persecution of Muslims in his native country. He applied for asylum and was authorized to work legally as a truck driver when he was picked up in an ICE raid of his apartment building. We met members of the Chinese Democracy and Uyghur communities who had come up to Binghamton to support his case. We learned that his mother was coming from Taiwan to visit her son and would need a place to stay, translation, and other support while here.

Upon our visits to the jail, we discovered that there are 50+ other Guan Hengs in that jail— we just don’t know their stories. They are just as worthy of release, of legal support and of being connected with their families. Any person has the right to visit a person in jail during visiting hours. We started collaborating with JUST (Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier), an organization working to support encarcerated people in our area, which files Freedom of Information Act Requests to provide full list of people detained at the Broome County Jail. By comparing that list with public lists, we are able to determine who is detained by ICE.

Volunteering to Conduct ICE Interviews. When we bring volunteers to visit ICE Detainees at the BC jail, we have no idea what their country of origin is, what language they speak, or what level of English they have. We train volunteers to communicate with people who speak a different language, to ask caring questions, and how to conduct interviews in a way that prioritizes the humanity of the person who is detained. We try to bring in translators when needed. If you are interested in volunteering to conduct ICE detainee interviews (or assist with translation!), please complete this volunteer form (please give it a few moments load- your privacy is important to us and the form is encrypted).

There an urgent need for Immigration Lawyers in Broome County. There are currently no practicing immigration lawyers in Broome County. If you are licensed to practice law, and if any of these narratives speak to you, please contact us at humansofice(at)proton.me. Many of the ICE detainees we interview have chosen to self-deport because they have no visitors, no legal representation, and no hope. We are hoping to open these lines of communication and connect the Humans of ICE with pro-bono and low-bono legal representation.

There is also a need for artists. We are putting a call out to artists to illustrate the narratives shared by the detainees, who have granted us permission to share their stories on social media.  Jail visitors are not allowed to bring a paper or pencil into the visitation room, nor are we able to photograph or bring in any electronic devices, so we would like to compensate illustrators to read the narratives and present their best illustration/image to portray this person’s story.  We would like to prioritze artists of BIPOC and immigrant backgrounds when possible.  This is the starting point for a longer-working relationship with a group of artists interested in arts in activism.  We are trying to cultivate a collective of artists to continue illustrating these narratives for the foreseeable future.  We would like to credit each artist on social media when the narratives are released. Please check out our Call for Artists to learn more.

The need for this project is urgent. Many ICE detainees face isolation, language barriers, and a lack of access to basic resources. Our volunteers are committed to providing support in any way we can—whether that means covering the cost of gas for volunteer visits, hiring translators and illustrators to help tell their stories, or securing legal representation for those in need. As we continue our work, we know that new and unexpected needs will arise, and we want to be ready to respond quickly and effectively.

By supporting this project, you are standing in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors. Your donation will help us meet immediate needs, educate the community, advocate for better policies at the jail, and connect detainees to local resources whenever possible. Mainstream America welcomes immigrants, and together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those impacted by ICE detention.