Know Your Rights

Your Rights Outside of Your Home
In any interaction with law or immigration enforcement, the most important practices to remember are:

Stay calm

Stay silent (don’t mention where you were born or how you entered the US)

Record details and names

Do NOT run away

Ask to speak to your lawyer before signing any documents or answering any questions

Encountering immigration officers outside of your home can come with additional pressures and constraints. Make sure that you are familiar with your rights, and practice responding to requests so that if you are ever in a position where you are being questioned, you can remain calm and respond appropriately.

Your Rights Inside of Your Home
In any interaction with law or immigration enforcement, the most important practices to remember are:

Stay calm

Stay silent (don’t mention where you were born or how you entered the US)

Record details and names

Do NOT run away

Ask to speak to your lawyer before signing any documents or answering any questions

If you do speak, do not lie.

Your home carries with it special protections that public spaces do not. Understanding what those are (and aren’t) can help you navigate stressful encounters with immigration enforcement on your doorstep, and potentially avoid harm.

Your Rights. You have the right to remain silent. If you wish to exercise that right, say so out loud. You have the right to refuse to consent to a search of yourself, your car or your home. If you are not under arrest, you have the right to calmly leave.