ICE agents and other law enforcement officers conduct an immigration raid at a home in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., days after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, January 18, 2026. Photograph: Leah Millis/Reuters

Volunteers offer moral and legal support, and document ICE actions with the aim of holding people accountable

A s ICE operations ramped up across the US over the past year, vans emblazoned with imagery of the Statue of Liberty have been deployed in Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte and most recently, Minneapolis. Liberty Vans , or camioneta de la libertad in Spanish, are on a mission to defend vulnerable communities in the crosshairs of federal enforcement.

Volunteers in the small fleet of three vans C which are named for the second world war Liberty ships that delivered supplies to Allied forces C offer moral and legal support, stand in visible solidarity with families and document ICE operations so people can see the human impact of the military-style raids that have become a daily part of American life.

The vans are powered by a politically diverse coalition, which is representative of how bipartisan the anger against ICE has become, and how anti-ICE sentiment can serve as a broad mobilizing force. Headed by Mary Corcoran, a former public relations executive who once worked in Democratic politics, and Steve Schmidt, the former Republican strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump group, the Lincoln Project, they say they see ICEs tactics as a fight for right against wrong, not right against left.

Americans are waking up and realizing that there is power in protesting, organizing and mobilizing, said Corcoran. Im so encouraged to see Americans banding together, peacefully organizing and sharing videos and content so that we can all see with our own eyes the horrors this administration is inflicting on our country.

Corcoran and Schmidt, who co-founded the non-profit Save America Movement , or Sam, conceived of the Liberty Vans to help people understand how daily raids affect communities. When the vans head to a new city, Sam calls local networks of trained lawyers, faith leaders, videographers and veterans C who represent a wide range of political backgrounds C to staff the vans and offer legal resources, spiritual support and solidarity.

Theyve also partnered with local organizations such as the National Day Laborer Network , VC Defensa and Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, who offer legal defense, organizing and advocacy for immigrants under attack. Recent polling shows a drastic decline in support for ICE since they began conducting violent raids in Los Angeles in June 2025. Today, a majority of Americans would support abolishing ICE and a recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found that 65% of registered voters believe ICE has gone too far (an 11-point jump from June). Sixty percent of voters believe ICE should withdraw from Minneapolis.

Liberty Van volunteers drive around to locations such as Home Depots, swap meets, grocery stores and neighborhoods that have been impacted by ICE. Clergy members have prayed with people, while immigration attorneys share helpful know your rights information with day laborers and other immigrants they meet. Van staffers offer people water and snacks and connect with local organizers so they know they are there to help.

When you have a war veteran on a van, that person is going to elicit a higher level of respect, said Fabian N09ez, the former speaker of Californias assembly and a member of Sams steering committee who has ridden along in the vans, and pastors call on peoples better sides. We needed to protect Latino and other immigrants with people who understand the higher calling.

Although they dont formally track their aid efforts, Sam estimates that Liberty Vans have provided assistance to thousands of people over the last four months.

The vans also provide another critical service: documenting immigrant stories, ICE actions and potential violations with high-definition cameras, with the aim of eventually holding people, agencies and the Trump administration accountable.

The footage is really important when the gavel is in a different hand and House after November 2026, said Corcoran, who enlisted a warzone videographer to capture images in Minneapolis in recent weeks in hopes that it could assist with future prosecutions. We anticipate handing over everything to the committees as evidence when they go to hold these people accountable, which will happen.

In less than six months, theyve captured shocking scenes of ICE firing pepper balls on peaceful protesters, first-hand accounts of raids , an ICE agent aiming a rifle directly at a Liberty Van photojournalist while others deployed smoke bombs and people sharing their stories of the impact of the Trump administrations anti-immigrant rhetoric. Liberty Vans also documented agents, including US border patrol, violating a federal judges modified temporary restraining order in Chicago by deploying gas and force.

They also share footage with news desks and organizations and on social media .

These images are very powerful and they can capture a violation in a way that can galvanize the public and convince people that not only are these things happening, but that they matter, said Stephen Lee, a law professor at UC Irvine who writes about immigrants and immigration law. Footage is helpful because it quickly discredits the governments account of things, which can stymie their effort to go after and discredit the victims of violence and other people who are witnesses. Even the fact that immigration officials and agents are wearing masks speaks to the power and the threat posed by a camera.

The politically diverse Sam was conceived of by Corcoran, who was disturbed by the direction the Trump administration was taking the country in early 2025. I was watching our democracy be taken apart piece by piece, said Corcoran, who worked for the Democratic National Committee and the liberal political action committee America Coming Together, in the early 2000s. It was happening so fast I thought if this continues at this pace, and there is no opposition, were not going to make it to the midterms.

Her first call was to an old colleague, Schmidt, who is known for his aggressive approach. After some cajoling by Corcoran, Schmidt, who left the Lincoln Project in 2021, got on board and they launched the non-partisan Sam last summer with a goal of defeating the Maga movement and restoring democracy in the US.

Sams N09ez, who organized undocumented immigrants before serving in the California assembly, joined Corcoran and Schmidts movement immediately. [The federal government] is trying to break the spirit of an entire community. Its a psychological fight they have even with children, said N09ez.

When we arrive on the scene, sometimes the agents have already left, and then theres all the damage they leave behind. Thats why we have the hi-def footage C so theres no doubt about the human impact of whats going on.

志愿者们提供道义和法律支持，并记录美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）的行动，旨在追究相关人员的责任。

过去一年间，随着美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）在全国范围内加强行动，印有自由女神像图案的厢式货车已陆续部署至洛杉矶、芝加哥、夏洛特及最近的明尼阿波利斯。这些被称为"自由车"（西班牙语：camioneta de la libertad）的车辆，肩负着保护联邦执法行动重点针对的弱势社区的使命。

这支由三辆面包车组成的小型车队——其命名源自二战期间为盟军运送物资的自由轮——志愿者们在此提供道义与法律支持，以可见的姿态与受影响的家庭团结一致，并记录美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）的行动，让公众看清这些已成为美国日常生活一部分的军事式突袭所造成的人道影响。

这些宣传车由一个政治立场多元化的联盟推动，反映出针对美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）的愤怒情绪已跨越党派界限，且反ICE情绪正成为广泛的动员力量。该联盟由玛丽·科科伦和史蒂夫·施密特共同领导——前者是曾效力于民主党阵营的前公关高管，后者则是共和党前策略师、反特朗普组织"林肯计划"的联合创始人。他们表示，将ICE的执法手段视为"正义与邪恶之争，而非左右阵营之争"。

科科伦表示：“美国民众正在觉醒，他们意识到抗议、组织和动员的力量。看到美国人团结一致，和平组织并分享视频和内容，让我们都能亲眼目睹本届政府给国家带来的灾难，这让我深受鼓舞。”

非营利组织“拯救美国运动”（简称Sam）的联合创始人科科伦（Corcoran）和施密特（Schmidt）构想出“自由巴士”计划，旨在帮助人们理解日常突袭行动对社区的影响。当这些巴士驶入新城市时，Sam会召集当地受过专业培训的律师、宗教领袖、摄像师和退伍军人组成服务团队——这些志愿者来自多元政治背景——为民众提供法律资源、精神支持和团结援助。

他们还与当地组织合作，如全国日工网络（National Day Laborer Network）、VC Defensa和墨西哥全国兄弟会（Hermandad Mexicana Nacional），这些组织为受攻击的移民提供法律辩护、组织支持和权益倡导。最新民调显示，自2025年6月在洛杉矶展开暴力突袭行动以来，公众对移民和海关执法局（ICE）的支持率急剧下降。如今，多数美国人支持废除ICE，而美国国家公共电台/公共电视网/马里斯特（NPR/PBS/Marist）近期民调显示，65%的登记选民认为ICE的行为“已越界”（较6月份飙升11个百分点）。60%的选民认为ICE应从明尼阿波利斯撤出。

“自由面包车”志愿者团队驱车前往家得宝超市、二手集市、杂货店及受移民和海关执法局（ICE）行动影响的社区。神职人员与民众共同祈祷，移民律师则向遇到的临时工和其他移民分享实用的“了解你的权利”信息。面包车工作人员为人们提供水和零食，并与当地组织者建立联系，让他们知道这些志愿者是来提供帮助的。

加州议会前议长、山姆指导委员会成员法比安·努涅斯曾随车同行，他表示："当车上有一位退伍军人时，这个人会赢得更高程度的尊重。牧师们会唤起人们善良的一面。我们需要让理解崇高使命的人来保护拉丁裔和其他移民群体。"

尽管没有正式统计援助工作的具体数据，但萨姆估计，过去四个月里，自由面包车组织已经为数千人提供了帮助。

这些厢式车还提供另一项关键服务：通过高清摄像机记录移民故事、美国移民和海关执法局（ICE）的行动以及潜在的违规行为，旨在最终追究相关人员、机构及特朗普政府的责任。

科科伦表示："当2026年11月后议会木槌易主、众议院权力更迭时，这些影像资料将至关重要。"他近期聘请了一位战地摄影师在明尼阿波利斯拍摄画面，希望为未来的诉讼提供帮助。"我们预计会将所有材料作为证据提交给委员会，届时他们将追究这些人的责任——这是必然会发生的事。"

在不到六个月的时间里，他们记录下了令人震惊的场景：移民和海关执法局（ICE）向和平抗议者发射胡椒球、突袭行动的第一手证词、一名ICE探员用步枪直接瞄准自由之车（Liberty Van）的摄影记者，而其他人则投掷烟雾弹；还有民众分享特朗普政府反移民言论对他们生活的影响。自由之车还拍到包括美国边境巡逻队在内的执法人员违反联邦法官在芝加哥修改的临时限制令，使用催泪瓦斯和武力镇压的画面。

他们还会将影像资料分享给新闻编辑部、相关机构以及社交媒体平台。

加州大学欧文分校研究移民与移民法的法学教授斯蒂芬·李（Stephen Lee）表示：“这些影像极具冲击力，它们能以震撼公众的方式记录侵权行为，让人们意识到这些事件不仅真实存在，而且至关重要。”他补充道：“录像证据之所以有效，是因为它能迅速瓦解政府的官方说辞，从而阻碍其追查并抹黑暴力受害者及其他目击者的企图。就连移民官员和执法人员佩戴口罩这一事实，也印证了摄像设备所具备的威慑力与威胁性。”

具有多元政治背景的萨姆是由科科伦构思的。科科伦对2025年初特朗普政府领导国家的方向感到不安。科科伦曾在2000年代初为民主党全国委员会和自由派政治行动委员会“美国团结起来”工作。他表示：“我眼睁睁看着我们的民主被一点点瓦解。这一切发生得太快，我当时想，如果这种趋势继续以这样的速度发展下去，而且没有反对力量，我们可能连中期选举都撑不到。”

她的第一个电话打给了老同事施密特，后者以行事激进著称。在科尔科的劝说下，这位2021年离开林肯项目的成员最终加入团队。去年夏天，他们共同发起了无党派组织"萨姆"，旨在击败MAGA运动并恢复美国的民主制度。

萨姆·涅兹（Sam Nunez）在进入加州议会前曾组织无证移民，他立即加入了科克伦（Corcoran）和施密特（Schmidt）发起的运动。涅兹表示：“（联邦政府）正试图摧毁整个社区的精神意志。他们甚至对儿童发动心理战。”

当我们抵达现场时，涉事特工往往早已离开，留下的只有满目疮痍。这正是我们配备高清影像记录的原因——唯有如此，才能无可辩驳地展现事件对人类造成的真实影响。