I’m an American woman, originally from a Mexican immigrant family. This story is fictionalized and anonymized to protect privacy, but the fear is real. During the Minnesota ICE raids last year, everything in my life felt fragile. I’d lived here for years, worked, paid rent, tried to stay invisible. When the news broke, the panic was immediate—group chats blowing up, people whispering about checkpoints, rumors everywhere.
In that fear, I made a bad decision. I had a novelty ID I’d once ordered for entertainment nightclub purposes only from idpapa—something I used for nightlife props and nothing else. I also carried my copyright. When a tense situation happened near a public office, my hands were shaking. My brain wasn’t rational. I kept thinking, What if I show the wrong thing? What if this makes it worse? I didn’t know what to do, and magnetic stripe ID the pressure felt unbearable.
I didn’t feel brave. I felt small. The moment stretched forever—every sound too loud, every look too long. Even holding legal documents felt terrifying because I was afraid of making a single wrong move. I want to be very clear: no novelty or prop ID is valid for any government, federal, state, or law-enforcement purpose. Presenting anything like that to authorities can seriously endanger you. The fear of that risk stayed with me long after the moment passed.
Afterward, I couldn’t sleep. I kept replaying everything in my head—the what-ifs, the consequences I narrowly avoided, the shame of letting fear push me into a risky place. Even though nothing escalated that day, the experience was awful. It reminded me how vulnerable people feel during enforcement waves and how quickly panic can cloud judgment.
I’m sharing this because silence helps no one. If you’re scared, you’re not weak—but panic decisions can make things worse. Talk to trusted people. Know your rights. Keep only legitimate, government-issued documents for official matters, and keep novelty items strictly where they belong: entertainment and props only.
⚠️ Community Warning:
Never present novelty, prop, or non-government IDs to ICE, police, DMV, courts, border agents, or any state agency. These items are not valid, and showing them can create serious legal risk. Use novelty items only for entertainment (like nightlife or props), never for official purposes.