A driver who works for both Lyft and Uber has a warning regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. They may be pulling people out of Lyft, Uber, and other ride-share programs to detain them in the near future. And, according to other videos that she cited, they may actually be signing up to be drivers.
In a video with over 195,000 views, TikToker Centearious (@coachcentearious) discussed what Phoenix ICE agents are doing to detain undocumented immigrants in the area. According to her, the viral claim that Lyft and Uber are co-opting “ICE agents becoming drivers” is unfounded, as both platforms would not know the agent’s employment through their approval process.
What did Centearious discuss in her TikTok video?
In Centearious’s video, she described a situation where a passenger was detained from her vehicle and taken away by an unmarked police cruiser. In this situation, actual law enforcement officials took away the passenger, not ICE. But, Centearious noted that this was an incident that could happen to undocumented citizens or non-citizens targeted by ICE agents.
She also noted that ICE agents don’t have to report their employment to Uber or Lyft. That effectively makes both platforms essentially blind to any “covert” ICE operations that may be occurring. Centearious emphasized that people shouldn’t blame the platforms, but rather, ICE agents themselves, saying, “If ICE agents are truly operating Lyfts and Ubers, it may hurt the bottom line for regular drivers.”
How does Lyft and Uber’s approval process work?
Lyft and Uber have incredibly similar approval processes for new drivers.
Both companies request a criminal background check and for drivers to provide identification for themselves. These processes don’t necessarily ask drivers for previous places of employment or additional information about current obligations.
Drivers have to fit Lyft and Uber’s individual requirements, but these are also incredibly similar. Both driving platforms have an age requirement, although Lyft’s driving age requirement changes depending on the area. Both require insurance checks and a minimum amount of driving experience (one year). Both platforms have zero stipulations regarding employment background.
That means that technically, ICE agents could apply to be Lyft or Uber drivers. But that doesn’t mean they can start detaining passengers from within the car. Rather, if this information is true, then agents are most likely engaging in long “ruses.” ICE agents are told to lie about their legal capacity and jurisdiction in order to gain entry and push forward on certain key points.
Considering ICE agents have lied about their identity before, it wouldn’t be surprising for an agent to sign up for a platform like Lyft or Uber to try to draw out information about a person’s residency. ICE agents usually show identification during arrests or detainment. Based on publicly available information, they don’t necessarily have to before.
How should people stay safe?
Centearious recommended checking any driver’s information before getting inside a vehicle. For instance, a brand-new driver may not be the safest person to ride with currently, especially if ICE agents are choosing to use the platform to gather information. Centearious recommended looking for seasoned Uber and Lyft drivers with thousands of rides rather than a few.
“ If it’s a brand new driver, cancel. You have up to the first two minutes. After two minutes, it charges you a cancellation fee,” Centearious said.
Vehicles owned by federal agencies may have unique license plates and identifiers or none at all. According to sources like OPB, agents commonly try to camouflage their license plates or hide identifiers. If you see a vehicle with a hidden identifier, then it may be best to avoid entering it.
There are also vehicles that ICE agents commonly operate, such as the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, certain Chryslers, and brands of Dodge vehicles. While it’s not necessarily proven that ICE may be driving one of these vehicles, there have been reports that they’re more likely to appear in them.
@coachcentearious WARNING | ICE is apparently getting approved to drive for Uber and Lyft and are harassing and detaining the riders in Phoenix Arizona. #centearious #FYP #UBER #LYFT #ICE ♬ original sound – Centearious ?
The Mary Sue reached out to Lyft, Uber, and the Immigration and Customs Department via email. We Centearious via TikTok direct message for more information.
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Rachel Thomas
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