Communities build care networks amidst increased policing
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Across the United States, communities are activating long-standing networks of mutual aid and collective care in response to increased actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and policing.
These systems, developed over decades by Black, Indigenous, and Latine feminists, queer women, and other marginalized groups, provide safety and support where state systems have historically caused harm.
In Florida, community members are holding circles focused on healing and wellness, while in Chicago, people are walking immigrant children to school due to fear of ICE. These efforts aren’t new responses to immediate crises. They stem from a history of alternative infrastructure built by communities who faced inadequate or harmful treatment from existing institutions.
The Combahee River Collective, a Black lesbian feminist organization, established early safe house networks in the 1970s, and groups like INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence developed frameworks used by modern abolitionists. Similar initiatives, such as free breakfast programs by the Black Panthers and health clinics by the Young Lords, demonstrate a long tradition of communities providing for themselves.
The relationship between ICE and policing complicates matters, as increased ICE activity often leads to greater police presence and criminalization of communities of color. However, these networks offer a vital alternative for people who cannot rely on law enforcement without risking deportation or arrest. Experts argue that philanthropy should focus on sustaining this existing infrastructure, providing long-term funding to the individuals and organizations already engaged in this work, rather than treating it as a temporary response to crises.
