First They Came For

Last Update: 4/2/2025

First They Came For is an ongoing project to catalog and share the stories of people who have been detained by the Trump Administration. The administration has openly bragged about targeting those who have been critical of the American government, particularly its support of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Their actions have been a clear violation of freedom of speech and threaten everyone who disagrees with the current government and its policies. Others have been swept up in the raids with no clear pretense - or by mistake, by the government's own admission.

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Name	Date	Location	Summary	Media Coverage

More Info

There are likely many more people who have been abducted than we know about - who lack the resources or connections to get their stories publicized.

Many kidnapped by ICE are not being charged with a crime and are being denied their rights to legal counsel and due process, making it difficult for their loved ones to find them in the detention system. The Trump administration is rapidly moving towards defiance of court orders, deporting more than 230 people to a maximum security prison in El Salvador called CECOT. Imprisoned in another country, they are in their cells 23.5 hours of the day, are allowed no visitors, "no privacy, [and] no trace of comfort".

The infrastructure that has allowed the administration to do mass deportations - detention centers, border patrol agents, and coded language about who deserves to be here - existed before Trump. The Department of Homeland Security was established in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration, and includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), whose combined budget has grown under every president. One of the first proponents of a family separation policy, and Trump’s current ‘Border Czar’, Tom Homan, was first appointed as Immigration and Customs Enforcement's executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations in 2013 by President Obama and received an award for his service in 2015. He has bragged that he "doesn't care what judges think".

How to Help

Mass resistance is critical. The forms that resistance takes will evolve as the crisis continues, but we have seen the Trump administration back away from harmful and dangerous policy due to public backlash before, such as the 2017 protests around Executive Order 13769, commonly called the “Muslim Ban”.

In 2018, the family separation policy catalyzed the Occupy ICE movement in major cities around the country, that disrupted ICE’s ability to process detainees.

We do not yet know what actions will germinate and succeed under this Trump regime.

Some initial ideas are:

Contact your congressional representative or senator, as well as local politicians in your city or state.
If you spot ICE in your community or attempting to kidnap someone, intervene to the degree that you feel comfortable with. Film the incident. Be loud. Be disruptive. Know Your Rights information is available here in multiple languages.
Donate to legal organizations and immigrant bond funds.
Join organizations that are building durable movements to defend people’s rights such as the Democratic Socialists for America, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, and others. Look for community-focused movements that extend beyond one-off protests and are focused on multiple types of action and organization to build power.

The United States Disappeared Tracker is a similar project to this site, with slightly different criteria/focus. We support redundancy and visibility in this chaotic and rapidly evolving situation, and encourage you to follow their work as well.

Most importantly, talk to people in your life - family, friends, neighbors and coworkers - about how they feel and what resistance should look like. Jane McAlevey’s book, No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age, is based on her experience as a labor organizer in union movements but can also be adapted for campaigns beyond the workplace. Secrets of a Successful Organizer, published by Labor Notes, is similarly a tool that is intended for the workplace but can inform other campaigns.

The struggle for justice depends on a strong community that can coordinate and act together.

For feedback, updates, or questions, contact general@firsttheycamefor.com