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What to do if ICE confronts you

Do NOT open your door. ICE can’t come into your home unless they have a signed search warrant or you let them in. If officers are at your door, ask them to pass the warrant under the door before you open it. An arrest warrant (or an administrative warrant of removal) is not enough to come inside you home. If ICE officers want to enter your home, they must have a valid judicial search warrant that says the officers have a right to enter or search that particular address or areas specified. If the agents don’t speak your language, ask for an interpreter.

Check out the warrant. Look at the top and at the signature line to see if it was issued by a court and signed by a judge. Only a court/judge warrant grants ICE permission to enter your premises. One issued by DHS or ICE and signed by a DHS or ICE employee does not. See our Know Your Rights resource on Immigration Enforcement and Warrants for more information.
Do NOT resist if ICE agents force their way in. Say “I do not consent to your entry,” but do not physically resist.

Tell them you want to speak to a lawyer. ICE can use anything you say against you in your immigration case, so claim your right to remain silent! Say, “I want to speak to a lawyer and choose to remain silent.”

Do NOT sign. Be careful what you sign. ICE might ask you to sign forms agreeing to be deported without first seeing a judge.

Afraid to go back? If you get arrested and there is a final order for your deportation, be sure to let agents know if you have a fear of returning to your home country.

Find an attorney. If you get detained, don’t give up hope! Get a trustworthy lawyer and explore all options to fight deportation.

Report raids or checkpoints. See Rapid Response numbers below.

Document. If it’s possible, take photos, videos, and notes on exactly what happened. Write down badge numbers. Note if ICE interferes with your right to take photos or video.

Here are some tips if ICE shows up at your door:

• The right to remain silent – it's OK to refuse to speak to ICE. Immigrant rights advocates say not to answer any questions including where you were born or how you entered the United States.
• The National Immigration Law Center advises that people carry a know-your-rights card, also known as a "red card, or "tarjetas rojas," as well as any valid immigration document, and show them if an immigration officer stops you. Red cards in Spanish can be found at the bottom of this page, or you can order one here. Know-your-rights cards can be printed here.
• The center also advises that you not open your door simply because ICE agents tell you to. ICE officials must have a warrant signed by a judge, not a deportation officer, to enter your home. To be valid, a warrant must have your correct name and address on it, according to the National Immigration Law Center. Ask the person at your door to slip the warrant under the door to see who it was signed by. If it was not signed by a judge, the Asian Law Caucus said to tell the officers you do not consent to a search and call your rapid response hotline. (*See numbers below)
• Immigrants also have a right to speak to their lawyers, and advocates say not to sign any document before speaking to a lawyer. You can simply say, "I need to speak to my attorney." A list of lawyers can be found here.
• Immigration advocates advise that parents tell ICE agents that they have children if they're worried about being arrested.
• Create a safety plan such as memorizing the phone number of family and friends you can call if you're arrested, figure out who will watch your children if you're detained, and keep important documents, like birth certificates, in a safe place that family and friends can access if necessary. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center put together a step-by-step family preparedness plan.
• Make sure your loved ones know how to find you in an ICE detention center by looking online. Be sure they know your alien registration number.
• Do not carry documents about your country of origin.
• Do not carry fake immigration documents or IDs.
• Report and document raids and arrests. One hotline is the United We Dream’s hotline to report a raid: 1-844-363-1423. Or texts can be sent to 877877.
• If ICE calls or sends a letter to reschedule a check-in, that can often mean they want to detain you. You can call the Asian Law Caucus at 415-896-1701 for legal advice and updates on whether raids are happening elsewhere.
• If you feel your rights have been violated, write down everything you remember, including the officers' badges and patrol cars numbers, which agency the officers work for. Get contact information for witnesses. If you get injured, the ACLU reminds you to take pictures of your injuries and file a written complaint with the agency's internal affairs unit.

In addition, the California Immigrant Policy Center compiled a list of "rapid response networks," which are community-based organizations that respond to emergencies such as immigration enforcement, throughout the state.