A collective of Lincoln nonprofits has created a one-stop website for immigration-related news amid heightened fear and instances of misinformation following the raid in Omaha earlier this month in which dozens of people were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Helping Neighbors LNK has specific resources for Lincoln residents, but creators said anyone in the state can use the immigration materials and information. It features immigration information, know-your-rights materials and resources to support families during times of uncertainty.
Jonathan Rubio, a Department of Justice-accredited representative and supervisor at the Center for Legal Immigration Assistance, worked as one of the collaborators for the website.
“We have been seeing a lot of heavy enforcement in the country since January, and things are getting kind of scary there for immigrants,” he said. “We thought it’d be a great idea to collectively come together and pull everything in one specific location.”
The website had already been in development before the Omaha raid, but Rubio said the coalition fast-tracked the launch to coincide with an increased need for accurate information.
“When you’re scared or in a vulnerable position, you’re frantic and searching,” he said. “That’s why a lot of these different groups came together to pool everything in one place; that way families have access to literally almost everything they would need on one specific website.”
Rubio explained the website offers functions through which people can verify rumors about ICE activity in the area as well as how to locate individuals who have been detained.