Trans Group Warns ICE is Holding Trans People Under Previous Names
The group, who says they have been in contact with five trans people in ICE detention, is advising members of the community to share their former names with trusted friends.
by Evan Urquhart
A fledgling community oriented trans group is hosting a virtual vigil for Trans Day of Remembrance that they say they hope will draw attention to the conditions of trans immigrants targeted by ICE. Specifically, they want to raise awareness in the community that ICE facilities are using immigrants’ previous names (often called deadnames in trans circles), a decision that may make it difficult or impossible for loved ones to locate those who have been disappeared.
Remy Jackalope is leading the new effort, called Transcendence Care Network. Speaking with Assigned Media via phone, she explained that the purpose of the virtual vigil is both to mourn and remember trans people who have passed and to call attention to the heightened dangers trans people, particularly immigrants, are in today.
“We want to honor our ancestors and our ancestors and those people who have passed throughout time and just this year, but we are also wanting to specifically honor those people who have been disappeared due to ICE activity,” Jackalope explained.
“We want to communicate some of the things that we have learned as a result of interviewing people who have been in ICE detention facilities,” she said. Jackalope and her group say they have been in communication with five trans people in ICE detention through their lawyers, though she says they aren’t currently able to share details about the detainees due to active immigration cases.
According to Jackalope, trans immigrants are being detained according to their birth sex with all records in their birth name. While Assigned Media was not able to independently verify these claims, they would seem to be consistent with the Trump Administration’s policies on transgender people. The Trump administration has targeted the trans community relentlessly during their first year.
Transcendence Care Network and Jackalope are recommending that trans people share their birth name with close friends, who otherwise may not be able to locate them if they are disappeared by the government. Asked to clarify if the recommendation is for immigrants or all trans people, Jackalope answered that although immigrants are at the most risk and has no information about trans people who are citizens having been detained by ICE, she fears the administration could progress to targeting other trans people in the future.
Evan Urquhart is the founder of Assigned Media.