Your Legal Protections
Know Your Rights
Understanding your legal rights is essential for protecting yourself and your family in immigration, employment, housing, and education.
Your Legal Protections
Understanding Your Rights
24-Hour Family Support Hotline
If you believe you are witnessing ICE activity, please call ICIRR's 24-Hour Family Support Hotline:
1-855-HELP-MY-FAMILY (1-855-435-7693)
If You Find Yourself Interacting with an ICE Officer
Remember these important rights:
You Have the Right to:
- •Remain silent when questioned by immigration officers
- •Stay calm and keep your hands visible
- •Speak with an attorney before answering questions
- •Request an interpreter
- •Refuse to sign documents
You Are NOT Required to:
- •Discuss immigration or citizenship status
- •Answer questions about where you were born
- •Sign any documents
- •Open your phone or computer
- •Consent to searches without a warrant
If an Officer Knocks on Your Door at Home
- •You have the right NOT to open the door
- •ICE officers must have a warrant signed by a judge to enter your home
- •ICE "warrants" are NOT signed by judges - they are ICE forms that do not grant authority to enter without consent
- •You can ask to see the warrant under the door before opening it
- •You can state: "I do not consent to a search of my home"
If You Are Outdoors
You Can:
- •Move to a safe indoor space
- •Record the activity with your phone (if safe to do so)
- •Write down information about what you witness
- •Call a lawyer or HSGA for legal advice
Do NOT:
- •Post unverified information on social media
- •Interfere with the investigation
- •Put yourself in harm's way
- •Approach officers directly
Establish a Family Safety Plan
If ICE arrests you, key parts of a safety plan include:
Identify your emergency contacts and memorize their phone numbers
Provide your child's school or daycare with an emergency contact to pick up your child
Provide authorization in writing for your emergency contact to make medical and legal decisions for your child
Tell your loved ones about the ICE online detainee locator: locator.ice.gov
Carry your valid immigration documents or copies of documents showing you've been in the US for at least two years
If detained, seek legal representation immediately by calling 1-855-435-7693
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Know Your Rights — Info Guide
Immigration, employment, housing & education rights explained clearly.
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