Know your rights

In any encounter

• Stay calm. Do not run, argue or resist, even if you believe your rights are being violated.
• You have the right to remain silent. You can say: “I wish to remain silent and speak to a lawyer.”
• Never lie about your status and never show false documents.
• You can ask: “Am I free to leave?” If the answer is yes, walk away calmly.
• Do not sign anything you do not understand before talking to a lawyer.

At your door

• Keep the door closed. You do not have to open it.
• Ask the officers to show a warrant through a window or slide it under the door.
• Only a warrant signed by a judge allows officers to come in without your permission. A form signed by an immigration officer (an ICE or DHS “administrative warrant”) does not.
• You can say: “I do not consent to your entry.”
• If officers come in anyway, do not resist. Say that you do not consent, and remain silent.

In public or in a car

• Immigration officers do not need a judge's warrant to arrest someone in a public place or to stop a car. Your right to remain silent still applies.
• You can refuse to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings.
• Passengers in a car also have the right to remain silent.

At work

• Officers can go into the public areas of a business, such as a lobby, dining area or parking lot, without permission.
• To go into areas that are for employees only, they need a warrant signed by a judge or the employer's permission.
• Being in a public area does not by itself give officers the authority to question or detain you. You can remain silent.

If you or a family member is detained

• You have the right to speak to a lawyer. In immigration court the government does not provide one for free, so ask the organizations on the Local help page.
• Do not sign any papers before talking to a lawyer.
• Memorize the phone numbers of a family member and a legal organization, in case your phone is taken.
• Family members can call a rapid-response hotline for help finding someone who was detained.

Be prepared

• Carry a “red card”. It states your rights and you can hand it to an officer instead of speaking. Red cards are free from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
• Make a family plan: who picks up the children, who has copies of important documents, who to call.
• Keep important documents in a safe place that someone you trust can reach.

If you see enforcement activity

• In a public place you generally have the right to watch and to record from a safe distance.
• Do not interfere with or obstruct officers, and follow their instructions to move back.
• Call a rapid-response hotline, and report what you see on the map.

Where this comes from

This page summarizes the public guides below. Read them for more detail and for other languages.

• ACLU: Immigrants' Rights
• ACLU of Northern California: If ICE Confronts You
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center: Red Cards