The Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network (ERN) will be launching the Rapid Response Hotline on Monday, July 14, a phone number that anyone in the Lehigh Valley can call to report any possible ICE activity, or other immigration emergencies, according to a press release from the Lehigh Valley Rapid Response Network.
Organizers and volunteers from the Lehigh Valley ERN came together on Saturday, July 12 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem to celebrate the launch and distribution of the Rapid Response Hotline.
The hotline is staffed by volunteers, bilingual (Spanish/English) dispatchers, and volunteer responders able to provide any legal documentation, de-escalation, and support during and after ICE raids, immigration arrests, or any false alarms.
The Rapid Response Hotline launching on July 14 culminates many months of planning, training and practice to be able to respond to increased ICE activity in the Lehigh Valley.
The dispatchers will be able to alert trained volunteers to respond to situations on the ground. Responders will be able to gather any necessary information from callers and witnesses on-site, provide any legal observation or testimony to document the arrests or conflicts, provide a de-escalatory presence to reduce any trauma, protect neighborhoods, and build relationships with the impacted families and communities among the Lehigh Valley.
The press release stated “The Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network is a coalition of community leaders, faith leaders, nonprofit organizations, and other concerned residents who are committed to protecting immigrant communities as they face rapidly escalating discrimination, unlawful arrest, and unlawful deportation. Members of the ERN believe that ‘we keep us safe,’ and that it is up to everyday residents to organize, build skills, and mobilize to protect threatened communities.”
The ERN has held meetings since January of this year, with a clear focus on 3 immigration needs: rapid response, legal and other direct aiding, and policy/mobilization. ERN Members have organized policy campaigns like Welcoming Cities, a public call to action at the Five Ten Flats in June, and training hotline volunteers for rapid response.
The hotline number is 610-850-9930. Volunteers will respond to calls starting at 6:00 AM every day. Calls can be placed 24/7 with tips and questions received via voicemail.
