Immigration enforcement activity has intensified in several U.S. cities lately. You see more arrests in the open, larger operations, and, naturally, people are worried not just about their legal rights but also about what all this means for families, neighborhoods, and even their pets. A New York attorney has shared a warning for migrants about what can happen to their dogs if ICE picks them up out of the blue.
As per the attorney in the viral video, when someone is picked up by immigration officers, it’s not just their legal status or future that’s thrown into limbo. Their dependents, homes, jobs, and even their pets are suddenly at risk. The New York attorney recounts stories of clients being arrested while out on simple errands, like walking their dogs, only to have those dogs abandoned right where the arrest occurred.
ICE, he says, does not have protocols in place to ensure pets’ safety in these situations. Rather than calling animal control or making arrangements for the animal’s care, officers simply leave the dogs behind, often tethered to a leash on the sidewalk or wandering the streets alone.
Well-meaning passersby might find the dog and call the number listed on its collar, expecting to reunite it with its owner. But detainees in immigration centers are cut off from their phones and unable to answer such calls.
The attorney describes the heartbreak and frustration of a case in which their team had to retrieve a client’s phone from a detention center and wait for a stranger to call back about the lost dogs. For hours, no one knew where the pets were or what would become of them. The only lifeline, the number on the tag, had been effectively severed.
So, here’s his advice: put the phone number of a trusted U.S. citizen on your dog’s tag. It’s cheap, easy, and a new tag only costs a few bucks online.
The response to the attorney’s video has been overwhelming, sparking a wave of empathy, outrage, and storytelling across social media.
Internet Reacts to New York Attorney’s Advice on ICE Abandoning Dogs
A Reddit user commented, saying, “Can’t even walk your dog in Trump’s America. Thanks, MAGA.”
Another user mentioned, “I am amazed they would let it live.”
A user stated, “They regularly will leave pets to starve at houses they raid. 2 dogs were left for a week without food or water before neighbors rescued them in Minneapolis.”
One user added, “They abandon kids, of course, they abandon dogs.”
“They’ve been abducting US citizens, they’re building a world where you have to have a white man’s phone number on your dog’s collar”, a comment read.
In the midst of intensifying enforcement, it’s easy to overlook the “small” things, like a pet left on a sidewalk. These stories reveal how sudden and traumatic the fallout can be. Yet, they also offer a reminder: with a bit of preparation and community support, some heartbreak can be avoided.
