Brazilian migrants illegally residing in the United States are utilizing WhatsApp group messaging chats to share live information on ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and avoid getting deported, the Brazilian news outlet G1 reported on Monday.
According to G1, groups of migrants are acting as “sentries,” observing ICE’s movements and passing on the information in group chats to avoid detention and potential deportation. Similarly, migrants are skipping work and are not having their children go to school out of fear of being detained by immigration officials.
G1 spoke to one such Brazilian illegal migrant under condition of anonymity. The man, who claimed to reside in Florida and work in the construction industry, said that he has two children and fears being deported because of his lack of legal status in the country.
