Leeds Anti-Raids Action was established in December 2020, inspired by other anti-raids groups across the UK. At the start, we were just a few friends working for a local charity supporting people seeking asylum. We’d already seen how power gets used differently depending on where you live and who you are. This was especially visible during the pandemic, as we saw everyday the area that we worked in – predominantly Black, Brown and Asian, with many migrant communities – was being policed far more aggressively than other parts of the city. We also saw the human cost of hostile environment policies up close and the gap between how people’s lives are talked about in the media and what we knew to be true. The people accessing the charity weren’t headlines or stereotypes: they were parents, siblings, friends, workers and neighbours: messy, complex, funny, exhausted, loving and doing their best under pressure. Immigration status is one part of their lives and not the sum of who they are. ​​The UK immigration system disempowers people through law by restricting access to basics many of us take for granted like stable work, a safety net, and somewhere safe to live. This often forces impossible choices, and people do what they need to do to survive and protect the people they love – something most of us can recognise and relate to.

The Home Office calls raids “immigration control” but in reality they function as tools of fear: groups of officers turning up at workplaces and homes with no warning, relying on the fact that many people don’t know their rights, and using intimidation to create panic. Raids overwhelmingly hit low-wage sectors such as car washes, takeaways, nail bars and increasingly delivery drivers and other gig-economy workers deepening existing inequality and making it easier for employers and agencies to exploit workers who are already being denied basic rights and security. You can see the contradiction in the latest national figures. In 2025 there were 12,791 workplace raids and 8,971 arrests, yet only 1,087 removals. That means barely 12% of arrests ended in removal. Even as raids and arrests increase, the Home Office is not “fixing” anything but it is escalating intimidation.

From the start, our approach to resisting immigration raids has been practical and rooted in community care. Twice a month, we have been doing outreach across Leeds speaking with local businesses about their rights and sharing simple anti-raids guidance for owners, workers and customers. We also run community events and collaborate with other local groups so that if Immigration Enforcement turns up, no one is left isolated. Raids are designed to create shame, isolation and fear so we try to replace that with knowledge, connection and support. 

People often assume “standing up to raids” means physically confronting officers or blocking a van. For most people, that isn’t safe or realistic and it isn’t the only way to resist. Raids rely on secrecy, confusion and fear, so some of the strongest resistance is everyday: talking about raids openly and sharing clear information with the people around you, like friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, local shops and workplaces. You don’t have to be a legal expert (there are plenty of accessible resources out there) but even knowing a few basics can make a real difference: like when you don’t have to let officers in, when you can walk away, and when you don’t have to answer questions. When people feel able to ask questions, check paperwork, read a warrant carefully, call someone for support, and look out for each other, communities become harder to intimidate. 

In the time we’ve been around, we have physically intervened in raids when we could. But we don’t romanticise those moments. They are frightening and destabilising – not just for the person targeted, but for co-workers, customers, neighbours, family, housemates and children. But they have also shown us what solidarity looks like in real life: translating, calmly asking questions, witnessing safely, and making sure people aren’t left alone afterwards.

We believe our real power lies in consistency: the everyday work of building relationships, sharing clear rights information, and taking small practical actions that add up so communities feel more prepared, more connected, and less easily intimidated and so no one is left to face enforcement alone. Moments like Kenmure Street in May 2021 don’t happen by accident – they’re only possible because of years of quiet groundwork building trust and connection.

That groundwork is also how we sustain our energy as a community. It’s where we look after each other, share the load, and stay connected enough to keep showing up over the long term, not just in moments of crisis. 

We want the public to see raids for what they are: a deliberate strategy of fear that divides neighbours and distracts from the real causes of hardship. Raids sit within the Hostile Environment and within capitalism both of which push us towards disconnection and competition, instead of care and shared protection. Our response is the opposite. We aim to build connection, trust and community, so people aren’t isolated when enforcement shows up. And it matters to remember that migration isn’t an exception or a threat – it’s part of the fabric of life, shaping our histories, our food, our music, fashion, architecture, our families, friends and love stories and the communities we build together. 

Finally, this is a call to action. We’re inviting you to step up – and yes, to get a bit uncomfortable. That doesn’t have to mean putting your body in front of an enforcement van or joining a protest. There’s a time and place for different tactics, and we all have a role: cooking, childcare, translation, welfare support, fundraising, logistics, admin, comms, outreach, or simply being a calm, informed person others can turn to.

A good first step is to learn more. Watch our video on how to spot and resist a raid, and what community protection can look like through know-your-rights outreach and connection. You can also find resources, guidance and your local group on the Anti-Raids Network website. And honestly one of the most powerful places to start is close to home with a conversation with your neighbours, coworkers, local shops, or community groups.

It’s worth repeating: dignity is inherent to being human and it isn’t something you earn through paperwork, productivity, or the accident of where you were born. If we genuinely care about dignity, stability and safe communities, the answer can’t be raids.

– Ally Swadling and Leeds Anti-Raids Action