ICE and your young adult child

The OP's first post and early replies clearly imply that attending protests is the thing being considered, and not mentioning until much later in the thread that the dc is already doing some of the alternatives to in person protesting does make this a bit of a time-wasting drip feed IMO.

Because its a quick way to retrieve information and I asked it a few questions not just one, got it to search a few different sources including DHS, and it's just for a post on mumsnet not a frickin thesis 😉

Yes, it does change my advice. I don’t know why you are so upset as to call my post unpleasant?

My advice would be that you are supportive , but ask that your DC use all of their nous to determine their behaviour, with their own safety at the forefront of their mind rather than any potential Messiah complex or overstimulated altruism.

Fucking lol, why would you ask a LLM for statistics? 🙈

I don’t believe for one second that OP actually came here for, nor wants advice. She simply wanted to virtue signal, using her sainted child as a proxy.

And it’s not the flex she believes it is.

Also a lesson in how, when your country is actually in this situation, identifying exactly when speaking up and intervening is going to help, and not be pointless, or harmful to your cause, or even suicidal, isn't always as straightforward as we might imagine when looking back at situations in the past.

There are two problems with your thread. One is that you wrote as if it is your dilemma - it isn't it is your dc's so although you can give an opinion there isn't really a dilemma because your dc will do what they will do regardless of what you think or what you would do. The second problem is that you are seeing things in very black and white terms - on the one hand carry on protesting and 'standing up for what is right' (as if that is a straightforward thing to work out) and go head to head with ICE and risk being shot, or shrug your shoulders and ignore saying 'not my business'. As I am sure you are well aware there are thousands and thousands of myriad possibilities within those two extremes all of which will involve moment by moment complex decision making. You cannot do that for your dc - they have to do it for themselves. Have they asked you for advice?

Yeah the typically left leaning ChatGPT could have downplayed the number of attacks against ICE agents I guess, you could be right there, there could be more.

Can you share a link to ice being shot at, I've only seen them doing the shootings and pulling their guns to threaten people.

Okay, so I’ve actually been in an ICE raid. Straight off the plane in NYC, wrong place, wrong time (Canal Street). Whatever your politics are, know that ICE and the other federal agents with them are armed. We saw the kind of sub machine guns I’ve previously only seen on the Kings Guards. They are all heavily armed. Also, people try to shoot them (sometimes successfully), so they are all in serious bullet proof vests and on edge. Your son is neither armed, nor in possession of a bullet proof vest, so he should act accordingly. Avoid these areas and avoid protests. Find other avenues to help-not social media either.

Well it’s bound to be right then….

Could you provide your source?

Why are you so invested in keeping THEIR sex a secret? Another point you want to make?

Sorry, but massive, massive drip feed. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Nothing. If they are there legitimately then no problem with immigration and as long as they aren't involving themselves with protests, rallies etc I don't see how ICE would cause them any problem

I asked ChatGpt for the stats

I would and have told my kids that protesting without being part of wider community organising and action is more about feeling and wanting to appear right than doing the right thing. Actual community organising to bring about change takes a lot of unseen work, there are many ways to be part of movements that isn't putting oneself in the limelight or make oneself a target.

Protests tends to be glamorised with big movements of the past, it tends to get glossed over that they're only one small part of pushing for change and on their own very ineffective. Protests are also more likely than not to have people - whether with the government or just for laughs - who are there to disrupt it and bring wider society against the cause. Does he know how to spot that? Is he connected enough with the community to know how to deal with that?

Those hiding people from the Nazis or slavecatchers weren't making themselves targets. They were very specifically trying not to be seen by authorities. They were a very different part of the resistance from those who went out to kill SS soldiers or go all John Brown in the US south. Movements need different people trained and able for different things. Has he connected with any organisations to have training on how to handle the potential for violence nonviolently and know the local objectives beyond stopping ICE raids or is he just going along and hoping that him being there is going to somehow stop them? What is his plan beyond going to a protest - cause that's not a plan for change, that's a trip with political themes.

It's one thing to get swept up in the pain and rage against an oppressive force like we've seen in Iran and many other places - with very high horrific costs and sadly little benefit to it - it's another to basically take a day trip with a chance of getting and causing harm just because you think it's the right thing to do without any training before or plan for what comes next.

I have multiple citizenships, including UK and US, thankfully I didn't pass on the latter to my kids, and thankfully while my young adult and teenage kids have done protests, they chose low risk options with awareness that it was more about bringing communities together to organise and talk next steps than thinking having signs outside a government building was going to make any changes any time soon.

As a lawyer he is going to have a whole set of useful skills which will have more impact than waving placards.
I think that the legal challenges have been the most successful way of getting ICE out of cities and states.

Then don’t say anything. They are a grown up and can make their own decisions.

Honestly if it were my son, dont get involved in protests. Don't interfere with law enforcement. If an officer says stop then stop and if the ask you to get out of the car you get out.

Who is funding all these protesters? Is it antifa? Didn't Noem say she had arrested the ‘girlfriend of the founder of Antifa’? Maybe she could stop them being paid if she arrested the actual head.

She definitely doesn't lie about stuff does she.

Governments routinely do this. I leave them to it.

Iran is a completely different kettle of fish.