Everyone who lives in the U.S. has legal rights, regardless of immigration status.
You have the right to remain silent. You may refuse to speak to immigration officers.
- Don’t answer any questions. You may also say that you want to remain silent.
- Don’t say anything about where you were born or how you entered the U.S.
- Anything you say can be used against you in removal proceedings. If you do decide to speak to officers, do not lie.
- Carry a rights card that says you want to remain silent and contact your attorney.
- If you chose to speak, do not lie.
- If you are in police custody or detention, do not discuss your immigration information with ANYONE other than your attorney.
Do not open your door.
- If officers are at your door, keep the door closed and ask if they are immigration agents or from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Ask the agents why they are there.
- It is safer to speak to ICE through the door.
- If the agents don’t speak your language, ask for an interpreter.
- ICE must have a warrant signed by a judge to be allowed to enter your home. They rarely have one.
- Do not open your door unless an ICE agent shows you a warrant signed by a judge.
- You can ask the ICE agent to hold the warrant against a window or slide it under the door.
- In order to enter your home, the warrant must be a valid arrest or search warrant signed by a judge. To be enough to enter your house, the warrant must contain the following:
- It must be issued by a court and signed by a judge. Look at the top and the signature line to see if it is a judicial warrant.
- It must name a person in your residence and/or areas to be searched at your address.
- In all other cases, keep the door closed and say, “I do not consent to your entry.”
- An administrative warrant of removal or deportation signed by DHS or ICE officials does not allow ICE to enter your home.
- If you open the door, officials will consider that you are giving them permission to enter. Once they are inside, an ICE officer will likely ask for documents of everyone inside.
- Even if immigration agents have a valid warrant that does not mean you have to answer their questions. If immigration agents are questioning you and you wish to remain silent, you should say aloud that you wish to remain silent or show the agents your Know Your Rights card.
- For more information on how to use your rights card, this is an illustrated and multilingual guide.
- If officers enter (with or without a valid warrant), say that you do not consent.
If you are approached by authorities in a public place/on the street:
- Do not run. Running could be used against you.
- Before saying anything (including your name) ask, “Am I free to go?”
- If yes, walk away slowly. If no, do not walk away.
- In some states, you must give your name.
- If you are searched, stay calm and say, “I do not consent to this search.”
If authorities pull you over in the car:
- Pull over, turn the car off and put your hands on the steering wheel.
- Follow all instructions, including providing license, registration, and insurance. Do not give false documents.
- If an officer searches your car, stay calm and say, “I do not consent to this search."
If you are caught in an ICE raid, DO NOT RUN.
If you are arrested or detained, do not physically resist or fight back. Do not lie or show false documents.
You have the right to speak to a lawyer.
- You can just say, “I need to speak to my attorney.”
- You may have your lawyer with you if ICE or other law enforcement questions you.
- If you are placed in jail/police custody or in an immigration detention center, request a phone call to your attorney.
Do not sign anything without speaking to a lawyer.
- You can refuse to sign any document. ICE may try to get you to sign away your right to see a lawyer or judge. Make sure you understand what a document actually says before you sign it.
- Do not rely on what ICE officers are telling you about what the document says.
- If you have a lawyer, you can ask for your lawyer to be present before signing any document. You always have the right to understand what you are signing.
Always carry with you any valid immigration documents you have.
- Those who are over 18 who are not citizens must always carry evidence of valid immigration documents. For example, a valid work permit, a DACA authorization, or green card. If you do not have them, tell the officer you want to remain silent, or that you want to consult a lawyer before answering any questions.
- Do not carry false documents or papers from another country with you, like a foreign passport. They could be used against you in the deportation process.
- If you are not a U.S. citizen and an immigration agent requests your immigration papers, you must show them if you have them with you. This requirement only applies to immigration agents. You do not have to show any documents to local or state police, except that you do have to show a valid drivers’ license if police pull you over for a traffic violation.
Have an emergency plan.
- Memorize the phone number of a friend, family member, or attorney to call if you are arrested.
- Identify an attorney. Find out the name of a reliable immigration attorney ahead of time and keep their information with you at all times.
- Select someone to take care of your family, especially children and the elderly. If you fear that your deportation will leave your children without a guardian, create a family preparedness plan. This may mean consulting with an attorney to properly establish a guardian for your children, make sure your children and the guardian know about the plan, and that the guardian can access the resources needed to care for your children.
- In some states, families can complete their state’s family preparedness documents so children can remain safely with a trusted adult. Depending on the state, these forms can be referred to as a Delegation of Parental Authority (DOPA), a Caregiver’s Authorization Affidavit, Standby Guardian Form, or other name depending on your state. Many of these forms require notarization.
- Create a list of your medications and your family members’ medications.
- Prepare a safe place at home where you keep important papers and contact information such as birth certificates and immigration documents and make sure that the person you have selected to take care of your family knows where that place is.
If you need a lawyer.
- Nonprofit organizations that provide low-cost help can be found at immigrationlawhelp.org.
- The immigration courts have a list of lawyers and organizations that provide free legal services.
- At https://www.adminrelief.org, there is a search engine that lists all legal services near your zip code.
- You can search for an immigration lawyer using the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s online directory.
- The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild also has an online find-a-lawyer tool.
Additional resources
- The ICE detainee locator can help people determine if their family member has been detained and where the family member is being held. In using the ICE detainee locator, it is helpful to know the family member’s date of birth and ‘A-Number’ (Alien Registration Number), if there is one. The ICE detainee locator is intended only for locating individuals who are already detained.
