BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A new community hotline aimed at supporting immigrant families will launch in the Lehigh Valley, offering a way to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and immigration-related emergencies.
The Lehigh Valley Rapid Response Hotline — reachable at 610-850-9930 — will go live Monday, July 14, with bilingual (English and Spanish) volunteers answering calls and dispatching trained responders to provide legal observation, community support, and de-escalation during ICE raids.
The hotline will be available 24/7, with live response beginning daily at 6 a.m.
Organizers with the Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network (ERN) will hold a public launch event at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 12, at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
The event will include food, community-building, and the start of outreach efforts to promote the hotline.
“This has been months in the making,” organizers said in a statement. “This is about neighbors protecting neighbors. We keep us safe.”
The ERN is a coalition of community leaders, faith groups, nonprofit organizations, and residents who say they are working to support immigrant communities in response to what they describe as increasing ICE activity, discrimination, and unlawful enforcement in the region.
The network formed in January and has focused on three areas: rapid response, legal and direct aid, and policy advocacy.
ERN has backed initiatives such as the Welcoming Cities campaign, organized public demonstrations, including the Five10 Flats rally, and hosted trainings for residents on how to respond to immigration enforcement.
Once live, the hotline will dispatch responders who can gather information on site, document enforcement activity, and provide emotional and logistical support to affected families. Organizers said the goal is to minimize harm and ensure transparency during encounters with immigration officials.
For more information or to volunteer, residents are encouraged to attend the July 12 launch or connect with the ERN through local partner organizations.
The hotline will begin accepting calls on Monday, July 14. Live responses will start at 6 a.m. daily, and voicemails will be monitored around the clock.
