Cleveland Heights for Immigrant Rights (CH4IR) is a grassroots movement formed after the January 2025 ICE raid at Cilantro.

What began as neighbors showing up for one another has grown into a collective effort to protect the rights and dignity of immigrants in our community.

Standing Together for Immigrant Rights

Sign Our Petition
Become a Volunteer

How We Started

In January 2025, an ICE raid at a local restaurant exposed a reality many immigrant families face every day. Rather than stay silent, Cleveland Heights residents organized in solidarity.

We began by canvassing more than 200 Cleveland Heights businesses with Know Your Rights (KYR) information and inviting them to sign our immigrant rights pledge. More than 85 businesses have signed so far — and you can join them.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed [people] can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
— Margaret Mead

Our Current Work

ICE Defense Network 

Built an ICE Defense Network by training the community on how to safely report ICE activity and show up as Constitutional observers. Trainings resulted with hyperlocal ICE watch groups based on school neighborhoods. Keep an eye out for on-going trainings.

Local Businesses Stand With Immigrants

Over 85 Cleveland Heights businesses pledged their support and commitment to protecting immigrant workers and customers.

Know Your Rights Training

Canvassed over 200 Cleveland Heights businesses with Know Your Rights Information. We also helped several businesses develop preparedness plans so they would know how to respond if ICE agents arrived.

Community Education

 We organize educational forums and teach-ins to inform our community about immigration issues and help reshape narratives surrounding immigrants and immigration in Cleveland Heights and surrounding areas.

Passing our Legislative Proposal

We have mobilized hundreds of residents to attend City Council meetings and speak out, demanding our local government pass our nine point legislative proposal for immigrants rights, starting with point one - legal counsel for immigrants. See proposal here.

Public Actions

We engage in and create collective and public action to demand justice for immigrants in our community. This has included candlelight vigils, national and local marches and rallies.

Ways to Support This Work

Volunteer
Donate

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Shaker Heights police were seen at this operation this morning. Shaker’s policy is that they will not assist in civil immigration enforcement. We are asking Shaker to respond to the question- what was the purpose of your presence at this operat
This Saturday! Linktree in bio!
CH4IR submitted a public records request to Cleveland Heights for their Flock search records Months ago - We have yet to receive a response. It makes you wonder what Cleveland Heights has to hide... Read the story and learn more about the fight agai
Learn more about Delaney Hall and Sign Our Petition with the Linktree in our bio!
CH4IR is part of a movement in NEOhio to end our cities’ contracts with Flock. Cleveland and Shaker Heights both found hundreds of searches for immigration done by ICE and other outside law agencies despite assurances that their contracts had s
“The reality is anyone could lie to get around this immigration filter." Read the full story in the linktree in our bio
The evidence of the dangers of Flock continue to mount. Ask @clvhtsgov to end their contract with Flock now. Read the full story on our Linktree in bio.
Scroll to learn how YOU can help get Flock out of CH! All links available in Linktree in bio
This article about Flock in @clevelanddotcom sounds so familiar. Maybe that’s because it’s the same insufficient answer Cleveland Heights has given its concerned residents about flock. "City officials say they’ve put limits i