Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Governance, safety, and responding to ICE: a caution about Common House “policy”

[b farris (btgf]

This can be helpful:
ACLU's Protest Safety, Know Your Rights and De-Escalation Training
WHEN: 1/9/26 at 8 PM ET
WHERE: On Zoom [RSVP for the link] 
https://act.aclu.org/a/aclukyr

> On Jan 9, 2026, at 6:57 AM, Pare Gerou via Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] 
> cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> I’ve been thinking about the killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis
> this week by an ICE agent.
> 
> With that in mind, I want to gently revisit the conversations a few months
> ago about adopting a community “policy” (by consensus or sociocracy) about
> how to handle interactions with ICE or other state/federal actors in the
> common house. The well meaning policy we discussed earlier was designed to
> reflect the community's dissatisfaction with ICE and deportation programs
> and to protect any neighbors.
> 
> I mentioned at the time that my concern isn’t the values behind these
> policies—I understand the intent. It’s that cohousing consensus or
> sociocratic *policy-making is often the wrong tool to govern behavior for a
> fast-moving, high-risk external power dynamic with federal or state
> officials*. It can create a false sense of control and understanding, lock
> a group into rigidity, and unintentionally increase legal or safety risk.
> 
> I’ve seen communities do better by focusing on values statements and
> preparedness instead: agreed principles, member education, a clear safety
> plan, a designated response team and representative, and a relationship
> with competent legal counsel.  However, once the knock on the door of the
> Common House arrives, or perhaps at your own house, you need the
> flexibility to respond wisely and flexibly in real time rather than relying
> on a consensus policy that everyone feels bound to in the moment.
> 
> Sharing this with humility, and in the spirit of keeping each other safer
> and more effective. As someone who spent time representing people who were
> facing deportation, I did not believe at the time that the person bringing
> the Common House policy to the floor understood the gravity of what can go
> wrong.
> 
> Perhaps this moment provides an opportunity to reflect on what can go
> wrong.  We don't know what went through Renee Good's mind, and it is not
> the same situation as a Common House policy, but the best way to keep your
> entire community safe is not to create a policy where neighbors feel
> emboldened not to open the door of the Common House for federal enforcement
> officials- no matter how illegal or wrong you feel their actions might be.
> This will not protect your neighbor. Fight these actions another day and
> another way.
> 
> [image: __tpx__]
> _________________________________________________________________
> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at:
> http://L.cohousing.org/info
> 
> 
>