Protecting Our Immigrant Communities 

Resources for Protecting Our Immigrant Communities

Federal immigration officer presence has been increasing across North Carolina, attempting to terrorize our communities. We will not be intimidated. We call on AAUP NC members to take action to defend our colleges, universities, and communities.

Recent federal immigration news in North Carolina from November to December 2025
The Guardian, Dec. 17: In Durham, North Carolina, neighbors are protecting neighbors from ICE: ‘We care for each other’
The Assembly NC, Nov. 26: Border Patrol’s N.C. Operation Was a Test for What’s Next
NC Newsline, Nov. 21: On NC State’s campus, hundreds of students protest as fears of ICE persist

We urge you to take action in your broader community, whether individually or as an AAUP chapter:

Support a trusted organization:

• Charlotte – Carolina Migrant Network

• Asheville – CIMA

• All other NC areas – Siembra NC

Volunteer in areas under the most direct state violence:

• Organize support in Charlotte

• Organize support in Raleigh

If you see or suspect ICE / CBP activity:

Call the following hotlines of these trusted organizations:

• Charlotte – Carolina Migrant Network – (704) 740-7737

• Asheville – CIMA – (888) 839-2839

• All other NC areas – Siembra NC – (336) 543-0353

Report information using the SALUTE guide:

• Size – number of agents and vehicles

• Activity – what the agents are doing

• Location – specific addresses or intersections

• Uniform – what agents are wearing

• Time – when the incident occurred

• Equipment – which weapons, tools, or other items you saw

Report the activity on the OJO Obrero online map.

If you have a whistle, blow three short blasts before repeating the pattern.

If you see ICE / CBP officers arresting or detaining someone:

Make noise, record a video, draw a crowd.

If you have a whistle, blow long blasts.

If ICE / CBP officers come to your office or classroom door:

You are not required to let them enter unless they have a valid, signed judicial warrant. Administrative warrants do not count. These federal officers may attempt to lie or force their way past you, but you are not required to let them in.

If you want information about your and other faculty, student, and staff rights:

Review the Know Your Rights page from the ACLU of North Carolina (updated Dec. 10, 2025).

Review the Know Your Rights: If You Encounter ICE page from the National Immigrant Justice Center.

Review the Know Your Rights: North-Carolina Resources page (available in Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Somali, and English) from Muslim Women For.

Review the Actively Updated Toolkit page (with Know Your Rights information in English, Burmese, Chinese, Nepali, Hindi, Dari, Vietnamese, Korean, Telugu, Gujarati, and Hmong) from North Carolina Asian Americans Together.

If you want information about your rights in languages other than English:

See Know Your Rights: North-Carolina Resources for information in:

• Arabic

• Farsi

• Urdu

• Somali

See the Actively Updated Toolkit for information in:

• မြန်မာဘာသာစကား (Burmese)

• 中文 (Chinese)

• नेपाली (Nepali)

• हिन्दी (Hindi)

• دری (Dari)

• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

• 한국어 (Korean)

• తెలుగు (Telugu)

• ગુજરાતી (Gujarati)

• lus Hmoob (Hmong)

If you want to view additional resources:

Siembra NC maintains a document of all their downloadable resources from various campaigns.

Organizations in the Triangle Area of NC are updating this live guide of resources for responding to ICE/CBP.

Chapelboro has posted a guide of resources to use.

AAUP and AFT have compiled the following information as a part of our Defending Our Campuses and Communities campaign:

• Fact sheet on dealing with ICE on your campus

• Fact sheet on rights and risks for workers who are in the United States on visas

• Know Your Rights: Protecting our Students and Higher Ed Employees

• Know your rights for families

• Family preparedness plan template

• Issue Brief: Immigration-Related Campus Concerns

• Know Your Rights If You Encounter ICE

AAUP NC members have also shared the following resources:

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center Know Your Rights Solidarity Signs

• 5Ds of Bystander Intervention

• Create a sanctuary campus chapter

• Printable Know Your Rights Cards

If you and your chapter seek to codify a policy for campus engagement with federal immigration authorities and protection of privacy rights:

Work with your chapter to modify and pass AAUP NC's policy framework through the systems of shared governance on your campus. Use this policy as an organizing opportunity to build collective pressure to keep our campus communities safe.

If you or your chapter have questions about next steps:

Contact AAUP NC leadership at aaupncconf@gmail.com.

If you are concerned about your legal liability:

Members can use our legal hotline for free legal help.

You are not alone. Faculty and academic workers at public and private institutions across the state will keep showing up so everyone in our community can work, live, and learn safely. We will remain vigilant on our campuses and in our communities. We will continue to fight for the colleges, universities, and communities we deserve.

Connect with members in your chapter to chart your collective next steps, to support one another.

If you have not yet done so, join AAUP so we can continue this fight together.