Body language and attempts to 'look American': Immigrants try to outsmart ICE agents

Illegal immigrants are sharing tips on how to avoid the attention of US immigration agents, who have already arrested scores of people since President Donald Trump returned to power. Air force analyzed several immigrant groups and spoke with their organizers.

On WhatsApp, a Brazilian immigrant posts a video lesson on sign language, followed by a voice message with an unusual request: "Don't talk out loud in public anymore."

This is one of many pieces of advice for the group's users, many of whom are illegal immigrants.

Another immigrant urged group members to appear more "American," such as not bringing Portuguese-speaking children outside, wearing sunglasses, and putting pro-Trump stickers on their cars.

On the subject: Illegal immigrant manages to pass federal background check and get a job with Maine police

Over the past few weeks, BBC Brazil has been monitoring these WhatsApp groups to understand how recent actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have changed the daily lives of immigrants.

They tracked groups in the largest Brazilian community in the country, which is located in Massachusetts and is estimated by local NGOs to number up to 300,000 people.

The messages quoted in this article reflect what was actually posted in the chats, although the authors' names have been changed.

Thousands of messages are posted in these groups every day. Information on the locations of ICE checkpoints, photographs of detainees, and even abandoned cars of those arrested are all posted in the hope that relatives will be able to identify them.

By law, ICE officers cannot enter homes without a warrant from a judge. Agents typically carry administrative warrants, which allow them to make arrests in public places, and they can detain anyone they deem suspicious.

In early September, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration, giving officers broader powers to detain and arrest immigrants.

Opponents of the Trump administration say this could lead to arrests based on race or language.

Community members see the decision as a carte blanche to make arrests, and many have decided to change their behavior.

Tough measures

Reducing illegal immigration into the United States and deporting undocumented immigrants has become one of the main goals of the current administration.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump argued that uncontrolled immigration was "poisoning the blood" of the nation, "taking jobs" from Americans, and straining government services.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security, about 400,000 people have already been deported since his return to the White House.

According to official figures reported by Brazilian media, more than 2000 of these immigrants were deported to Brazil.

Currently, approximately 60,000 immigrants are being held in detention—a record high. When Trump first took office, there were 39,000 people in detention centers.

White House officials hope ICE can increase its arrest rate to 3000 a day.

"They just disappeared."

Lorena Betts, 37, a native of Brazil, founded a network of volunteers that takes calls from immigrants and documents arrests.

She says there's been an increase in reports in recent days of people who "simply disappeared" after being detained. WhatsApp groups, she says, have become a lifeline for those trying to find out anything about them.

"They arrest people in Boston, who end up in New York the next day, then in Louisiana—because judges in the South hand down harsher sentences," said Betts. She is a legal resident of the United States, married to a U.S. citizen, and running for Congress as a Democrat.

Another group administrator, 27-year-old Junior, says the messages now start arriving every day at 5 a.m., when ICE agents usually start work.

"The group is immediately filled with news," added Junior, a Lowell courier who moved from Brazil three years ago.

He formed his group in January, when Trump returned to the White House. Junior hopes his group will help raise awareness about immigration enforcement raids.

"It's very helpful because ICE vehicles and agents often work undercover, so people share videos, license plates, and so on," he explained.

Sometimes, according to Junior, there are also false reports.

Boston, which declared itself a sanctuary city, refused to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

In response to the policy of Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu, who publicly criticized the raids, the Trump administration launched Operation Patriot 2.0 in early September.

It was ICE's third major operation in the state this year, following several large-scale raids in March and May.

The drone in the sky

On September 16, panic broke out in an apartment complex northwest of Boston where many Brazilians live.

Residents shared photos of cars blocking exits and wrote that they were afraid to leave their homes.

Drone images of the complex began appearing online, zooming in on parked cars suspected of containing ICE agents.

Immigrants often say that the only safe place is at home.

One emotional WhatsApp message urged people to take a break from work for a while: "Are you going to become poor in a week or two without work? Or would you rather spend months in prison, away from your children?"

Junior says that, according to the group's correspondence, ICE rarely waits for a warrant, but instead "arrests first and asks questions later." He has a special visa thanks to his mother and has applied for a green card, but he fears for his girlfriend and her son, who are in the country illegally.

"If they hear that you don't speak English well, they take you away immediately, and they don't even care whether you're a citizen or not," he emphasized.

Despite his fears, Júnior doesn't want to return to Brazil. He was robbed there while on vacation last year.

Junior and others know that their monitoring system has its limitations.

"They act very quickly – they can arrest a person and leave in four minutes," the immigrant stated.

Fast decision

Volunteer networks are working to fill information gaps. A coalition of community groups is responding to calls from immigrants reporting ICE activities and sending observers to verify and film the incidents.

One of them, LUCE, led by Lorena Betts, runs a hotline for those who don't speak English or are afraid to contact authorities.

Volunteers collect surveillance footage, connect immigrants with lawyers, and even help with food if families lose income after being arrested.

Coordination is carried out through WhatsApp groups, whether private groups or public chats associated with churches and community organizations.

"People call with details, and local volunteers go with phones to record everything," Betts concluded. "We're not interfering with the police—we're simply exercising our constitutional right to observe."

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