A safe harbor for immigrant families.
Know your rights, find free or low-cost immigration lawyers near you, and prepare your family before an emergency happens — not during one.
You have constitutional rights.
These rights apply to everyone in the United States, no matter your immigration status. Practicing what to say before an encounter makes it much easier to remember in the moment.
Remain silent
You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, your status, or how you entered the country.
Refuse a search
You can decline to let agents search your home, car, phone, or belongings if they don't have a valid judicial warrant.
Not open the door
You don't have to open your door unless agents show a warrant signed by a judge. Ask them to slide it under the door.
Speak to a lawyer
If detained or arrested, you can ask for a lawyer immediately and stay silent until one is present.
Decline an interview
You can refuse a voluntary interview even if agents say you aren't under arrest.
Never show false documents
Don't lie or claim false citizenship — this can seriously harm your case. Staying silent is always safer than lying.
What ICE is — and isn't — allowed to do.
The single most important thing to check in any encounter is the kind of warrant an agent is holding. The two look similar but mean very different things.
Signed by a judge
- Says "U.S. District Court" or a state court at the top
- Signed by a judge or magistrate
- Names a specific person and address
- This is what's required to enter your home or a private area without permission
Form I-200 or I-205
- Says "Department of Homeland Security," not a court
- Signed by an ICE official, not a judge
- Is a valid basis to arrest someone in public
- Does not, by itself, allow agents to enter your home without consent
Public vs. private areas
ICE can enter areas of a business open to the public without a warrant, but needs a judicial warrant or the employer's consent to enter non-public areas, like a kitchen or back office.
Pulled over
Pull over safely, turn off the engine and interior light on at night. You must show license, registration, and insurance if asked — but you can decline a search of the vehicle.
Filming in public
If you're not under arrest, you generally have the right to photograph or film ICE activity in public, as long as you don't physically interfere.
Latest immigration news & executive orders
Pulled directly from the official Federal Register and immigration-focused newsrooms, then summarized in plain language. Always tap through to the original source for the full text.
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Legal aid near you
Enter a ZIP code to get pointed to your state's verified, searchable directories of free and low-cost immigration lawyers, plus well-known nonprofits that often serve your region.
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Prepare your family now.
A plan made calmly, ahead of time, is far more useful than trying to remember one during a frightening moment. Go through this list with everyone in your household, including roommates and children old enough to understand.
Memorize a lawyer's phone number — write it on paper too, in case a phone is taken. Add it to every household member's contacts.
Choose a trusted emergency contact — someone who can pick up your kids, care for pets, or access money if you're suddenly detained.
Consider a caregiver's authorization or power of attorney for your children, so a trusted adult can make decisions for them if you're not reachable. A local nonprofit legal aid office can help you set this up for free.
Keep key documents together and accessible — passports, birth certificates, immigration paperwork, medical and school records — either in one place or copies with your trusted contact.
Memorize your A-number (if you have one, found on immigration documents) — it helps a lawyer or family member locate you if you're detained.
Practice your rights out loud with your household — what to say, and just as importantly, what not to sign or say.
Post a "no consent to enter" notice near your door in the languages your household speaks, and know that it's not a barrier by itself — you still need to say it aloud.
Never sign anything you don't fully understand without a lawyer present — including anything presented as routine paperwork.
Save a hotline number in your phone under a name you'll recognize in a hurry — see the hotlines below.
Look up your consulate's phone number — you have the right to contact your country's consulate if detained.
Emergency hotlines
Free to call. Some accept texts as well — good for moments when talking isn't safe or possible.