For every 100 people detained by ICE, there’s at least one person trying to help. Güeras Aliadas, an organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is made up of those people. They follow cases of ICE detainees, provide aid where they can, and try to connect detained immigrants with their families. However, this is not always as easy as making a phone call.
A video uploaded by the group proves it is nearly impossible to reach detainees. But it also shows how ICE actively blocks attempts. During a phone call with a detention center, one member of Gueras Aliadas speaks with a representative. Despite trying numerous avenues to reach the detainee and connect them with family, she is rebuffed.
The main issue is the detainee is missing their “A-Number,” also known as an Alien Number. This is a unique file number assigned to someone immigrating to the U.S. It can be found on their green card and is used to track a person’s status. Without this number, ICE not only makes it impossible for a detainee to reach their family, but also rejects any attempt by the family to find their missing member.
After nearly two and a half minutes of back-and-forth with the woman at the detention center, the phone call comes to an end. They’ve been told there’s no way to put family members in contact, no way to contact the detainee, and without money on their account via an A-Number, there’s no way for the detainee to call out. They receive one free call, but if no one answers, there’s no second chance to contact help.
The recorded phone call has made an impression, bringing home the realization that detention camps are entirely cut off from the rest of the world. “That person on the phone is destroying people’s lives for $30,000 a year,” one TikTok viewer comments. Another chimed in, adding,“Anyone working for ICE should be held just as much to blame as the politicians behind the facility.”
Others comment on the harsh reality of life for detainees.“This is purposefully impossible. They don’t want detainees communicating with the outside,” one user says. Another added, “The cruelty is the point.”
