Siembra NC holds training to combat misinformation about immigration enforcement

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Amid President Trump's mass deportation plan, the organization Siembra NC is trying to get the word out about combating misinformation related to immigration law enforcement.

Over 200 people attended the immigrant advocacy group's training session Saturday morning in Durham. It's something the group has been doing since 2017 and has seen increased interest recently.

"We think that rumors are actually really harmful to the community," Marley Martinez, Siembra NC's rapid response coordinator, told ABC11.

Siembra NC is a grassroots organization which works to advocate for the Latino community in North Carolina. The group also has a hotline for people who are experiencing discrimination in their community or if they see ICE in their neighborhood.

It has been flooded with calls reporting ICE activities since Inauguration Day.

"We received over 1300 calls to our community hotline since the Inauguration and for comparison, in a random day in August of last year, we would have maybe received three calls a day," Martinez said. "So, we've seen an uptick in the rumors and just sharing a bunch of pictures of identified vehicles or our local law enforcement just, you know, doing their operations."

Martinez said some rumors have fostered fear in the community despite not always being rooted in truth.

"It'll be like, you know, ICE is out of outside of a school," she said, "we actually had a rumor...a few weeks ago where a lot of parents were actually calling and being like, 'I'm going to keep my kid home from school today. I'm not going to drop my kid off or pick my kid up, or I'm not going to go to work' -- and none of it was verified."

If the hotline receives a report of ICE being in a neighborhood, the organization works to verify it. If it can, the public will be notified.

Martinez also emphasized they don't engage with or disrupt immigration enforcement if they see them operating, as the organization's role is rooted more in awareness.

Their main message right now is to be extremely cautious about what you share online.

"Instead of sharing a post or a picture, ask yourself, where's it coming from and who saw it?" Martinez said. "If you didn't see it, and it's not coming from a verified source, do not share that picture."

If you want to learn more about Siembra NC and the resources they offer, click here.