Know Your Rights

Everyone in the U.S. has certain rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution, regardless of their immigration status. If you and your loved ones find yourselves affected by a raid, you can protect yourselves.

Know Your Rights and Ensure Others Know Theirs

Here are four key steps to remember (from the Immigration Legal Resource Center’s Red Card):

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking it. If they have a judicial warrant to enter, they will not need your permission.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent. If you do answer, do not lie.
DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.
If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave, and if they say yes, leave calmly.

Please read the additional information (compiled by Emerson Collective) and share with your personal networks.

These American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) videos clearly break down how to prepare in case of an ICE arrival.

Watch Videos

Handouts and Other Resources

From the Immigrant Resource Law Center:

Language-specific know-your-rights handout to help families prepare for a possible interaction with ICE
Printable red cards in eight languages to distribute to community members
A family preparedness plan in English, Spanish, and Chinese
A train-the-trainer toolkit on holding a Know-Your-Rights presentation in your community

Host community screenings of Know-Your-Rights tutorial videos from the National Lawyers’ Guild, both in English and in Spanish.

Be an Ally in Action

The deportation defense hotline from United We Dream is 1-844-363-1423 – use it if you witness an ICE raid or any other immigration activity in your community.
Volunteer legal services with We The Action, a digital platform that makes it easy for lawyers to find and volunteer for critical, impactful, and urgent legal needs. Lawyers can sign up to access projects and nonprofits who need lawyers can sign up here.
Call on your senators and representatives to restrict funding to Border Patrol and ICE, which were responsible for family separation, the recent deaths of children in custody, and are now planning to terrorize families and communities across the country with raids. Dial 1-202-224-3121 to be connected now.