“Don’t Quit Medi-Cal,” Say Frontline Providers to Immigrant Communities

Article by New America Media, Jenny Manrique. Read the article here: http://newamericamedia.org/2017/03/dont-quit-medi-cal-say-frontline-providers-to-immigrant-communities.php# California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation attorney Bianca Dueñas told the attendees that although it was understandable that undocumented people were afraid to enroll in public programs in the current political climate, “several state and federal laws protect the information you provide in the application forms. There are confidentiality provisions that make it safe to enroll, so your information is not going to be shared with ICE.”

Here are some basic “know-your-rights” points Duenas outlined during her community presentation: - In any context or space, you have the right to remain silent. There is no law that requires a person to show an ID or talk to an ICE officer. - At home: Do not open your door to ICE, unless they show a valid warrant issued by a judge. - At the workplace: Do not run if ICE officers show up at your workplace. It gives them a reason to suspect you. If they don’t have information about you being undocumented or deportable, they don’t have the right to question anything about you. - In a public space: Under President Obama, ICE had enacted a policy of sensitive locations: churches, clinics, courtrooms and schools were safe from ICE raids. It is unclear if the Trump administration is going to honor that policy, but ICE officers need a warrant to get access to these places. - If you are driving: You don’t need to show your driver’s license to ICE agents. However, you should show it to a police officer. Undocumented immigrants in California are entitled to get driver’s licenses, thanks to AB 60. However, AB 60 licenses have a distinguishing mark, so your immigration status will be exposed if it ends up in the hands of an ICE agent. The key is to ask which agency an officer represents before showing him or her any ID.