If you are a visible minority, is it safe to go into DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if you are white have your passport or passport card. You are required to proof your citizenship if stopped.

This.
ID'ing yourself is a law in every state of the US during a Terry Stop.
If you don't have ID then the cops have to call in your info to verify it and check for warrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family and I are non-white Europeans living in MD and we go into DC once a week.

I am rethinking our entire US life, not just the DC visits. Our kids were born here - this is the only nationality they identify with. We have lived here for 20 years on a series of work visas. Currently we are waiting on our green card application, and have a valid work permit... but I am very worried that despite our legal status, and absence of any outstanding issue during our decades-long stay in the US, ICE can detain us and deport us for any reason, such as a minor traffic violation.

I don't think getting a ticket for coming to a rolling stop at a stop sign, for example, should be grounds for sleeping on the floor for several days before being removed from the country. Reputable media have reported on other Europeans deported for ridiculously petty reasons, despite coming into the country legally, having no visa overstays, being legally allowed to work on the appropriate, non-expired visa, and paying all appropriate taxes.

I am on a daily medication and I am pretty certain that given reported overcrowding at ICE holding centers in the DC area, this medication will not be given to me correctly in detention. So I could literally die in detention - not because any ICE agent wants my death, but because they're stretched too thin to provide adequate care to their detainees. Also, they don't care.

Living in the US for internationals of legal status like me is becoming very stressful. I feel we're in a dystopia and that too many people are normalizing this state of affairs. No, it is not normal. Part of me wants to stay in the hope that this is just a temporary hardship that will get better in 3 years. But another part of me thinks I am risking my life if I don't have access to medication in detention. The human brain has a very hard time calculating the risks of an event that has a low probability of happening, but the consequences of which will be severe if it does come to pass. I am still trying to figure it out.

Maybe I have to travel with 3 months worth of meds on my person?

I feel the same way PP. I have family in Europe and am seriously considering moving back there. I am “white passing” but my kids are not. These are scary times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do you mean by visible minority? As horrible as the ICE raids have been, I haven't heard of any Black or Asian people being randomly stopped or arrested. And the Hispanic people have been typically targeted either specifically, or because they are working jobs often filled by undocumented workers, such as food delivery.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think ICE is stopping any Hispanic men who are walking from their office job to get lunch at Au Bon Pain.

DHS is paying exorbitant bonuses for grabbing up as many people as possible. The number they are discussing is unachievable because it's a lie. The amazing part to me is all of the folks they are removing are under the guise that Ds wanted them here - by them I mean the 'criminals', nah no one wants criminals in their community. The folks they are successfully removing cannot and have not been able to vote, but their family members that can - and I imagine will. So they are going to start casting that net wider and wider.

As someone that was born on a military base here, I don't seek out going to DC and haven't been since the occupation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went into D.C. yesterday. Everything looked normal. Drove through Foggy Bottom. Full of international students as usual. Walked in the Washington Circle area. People who were black, brown, pink, purple, everyone jaywalking in front of a police vehicle and nobody seemed concerned.

I haven't gone into D.C. for a few years, and I was kinda expecting checkpoints with severe looking individuals per the chatter here on DCUM. Not to say it isn't happening, but my excursion into D.C. was 100% normal. Whew.

I had a different experience. Went to pick up DC from Union station yesterday evening, and there were armed National Guard units walking around the area. At one point there was a group of about 20 of them, all holding machine guns (or rifles…I’m not a gun expert).

These are scary times. It reminded me of a third world country. Cue the crazies who will jump all over me for using that term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what I'm mixed black and white but look spanish. People frequently speak Spanish to me while I'm out and about and when I answer in English they look confused.

Are you saying that I can be detained just based on my looks even though I am a non Hispanic American Citizen? This is crazy

No, that's not a thing. Quit making up racist remarks like that.

This absolutely is a thing!

- Mom of mixed race kids who look Hispanic (but are not)

Seriously. The utter ridiculousness of the fake outrage posters on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even if you are white have your passport or passport card. You are required to proof your citizenship if stopped.

This.
ID'ing yourself is a law in every state of the US during a Terry Stop.
If you don't have ID then the cops have to call in your info to verify it and check for warrants.

You're both wrong about the details, generally speaking. But in the context of 2025, ICE does whatever it pleases, and Jon Roberts has said that is okay.

Not that it would matter what Jon said. The Trump White House has disregarded the SCOTUS and it will again if it wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Visible minority?

Seriously?

Why is this hard for people to understand? OP means a person who is obviously a POC from external appearance.

More racist talk. Why am I not surprised.

Tell us what you think is the proper way to ask the question

In a non racist manner without using slurs, perhaps? Is that so difficult?

Seems to be for you. Please YOU write a non racist question.

. . . Quit obsessing about race, skin color, etc. It's rude, and unhealthy for yourself as well.

Agree, plus it’s seriously unhealthy for society in this country.

We are supposed to be the UNITED States, but people like the OP seem insistent on dividing us. Stop it!

[Anonymous]

Ok here is a version:

If my family and I look like people I see being dragged out of cars at traffic checkpoints or seized on the street by ICE, is it safe to go into DC? What if we have passport cards will they let us alone if we show them? If my elderly relative doesn't have a card, will they be ok or should they stay home?

[Anonymous]

It's not proportionate who is getting asked by ICE and don't pretend it is.
Something is dividing America and commenting on the distribution of characteristics of who is an ICE target isn't it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok here is a version:

If my family and I look like people I see being dragged out of cars at traffic checkpoints or seized on the street by ICE, is it safe to go into DC? What if we have passport cards will they let us alone if we show them?

99% yes

If my elderly relative doesn't have a card, will they be ok or should they stay home?

What documents do they have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes OP I go to work in DC every day. No one has stopped me or asked for ID. Would not surprise me if they do though. Millions of Hispanic people live and work in DC. And of course they still go.

There aren’t even a million people in DC. Hispanic or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait what I'm mixed black and white but look spanish. People frequently speak Spanish to me while I'm out and about and when I answer in English they look confused.

Are you saying that I can be detained just based on my looks even though I am a non Hispanic American Citizen? This is crazy

Yes. Have you been reading the news?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My family and I are non-white Europeans living in MD and we go into DC once a week.

I am rethinking our entire US life, not just the DC visits. Our kids were born here - this is the only nationality they identify with. We have lived here for 20 years on a series of work visas. Currently we are waiting on our green card application, and have a valid work permit... but I am very worried that despite our legal status, and absence of any outstanding issue during our decades-long stay in the US, ICE can detain us and deport us for any reason, such as a minor traffic violation.

I don't think getting a ticket for coming to a rolling stop at a stop sign, for example, should be grounds for sleeping on the floor for several days before being removed from the country. Reputable media have reported on other Europeans deported for ridiculously petty reasons, despite coming into the country legally, having no visa overstays, being legally allowed to work on the appropriate, non-expired visa, and paying all appropriate taxes.

I am on a daily medication and I am pretty certain that given reported overcrowding at ICE holding centers in the DC area, this medication will not be given to me correctly in detention. So I could literally die in detention - not because any ICE agent wants my death, but because they're stretched too thin to provide adequate care to their detainees. Also, they don't care.

Living in the US for internationals of legal status like me is becoming very stressful. I feel we're in a dystopia and that too many people are normalizing this state of affairs. No, it is not normal. Part of me wants to stay in the hope that this is just a temporary hardship that will get better in 3 years. But another part of me thinks I am risking my life if I don't have access to medication in detention. The human brain has a very hard time calculating the risks of an event that has a low probability of happening, but the consequences of which will be severe if it does come to pass. I am still trying to figure it out.

Maybe I have to travel with 3 months worth of meds on my person?

Can you go back to your home country? If I had an opportunity to leave this area I would in a heartbeat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went into D.C. yesterday. Everything looked normal. Drove through Foggy Bottom. Full of international students as usual. Walked in the Washington Circle area. People who were black, brown, pink, purple, everyone jaywalking in front of a police vehicle and nobody seemed concerned.

I haven't gone into D.C. for a few years, and I was kinda expecting checkpoints with severe looking individuals per the chatter here on DCUM. Not to say it isn't happening, but my excursion into D.C. was 100% normal. Whew.

Congrats on the one time, white person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are a visible minority, is it safe to go into DC? Also if you get approached by ICE what documents do you need as proof of citizenship? A driver's license is not necessarily proof that you're a citizen, so what do you actually need? Are you supposed to carry a passport at all times??

Say what?
Is that a white person in D.C.?

But seriously, what a racist term, "visible minority". Even "minority" is racist since people tend to use it in place of racial slurs about skin color rather than it's proper use of being "fewer" than average.

Agree completely.

The OP is a racist. Or a moron. Possibly both.

The only morons here are the posters who are “outraged” at OP’s use of “visible minority.” I am a POC and I understand perfectly well what OP means. If you don’t understand, then you are probably lily white.

Same.

You’re lily white but of course “don’t see color.”