Know Your Rights
The Immigrant Student Success Center is offering Red Cards, which help individuals assert their rights during encounters with ICE or law enforcement. To obtain a Red Card, please stop by L.67 and request one.
Regardless of immigration status, you have rights under the U.S. Constitution and other laws. As members of our college community, it is imperative you understand your rights, especially in the context of immigration law enforcement. Compiled are a list of rights you have, resources you can access, and general guidelines for interacting with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE).
This webpage will be in English, but you can click here to access The Immigrant Defense Project’s Know Your Rights webpage in multiple languages.
Red cards can help assert such rights when interacting with ICE - especially in one’s home.
Click here for access to “Red Cards” in multiple languages.
Click here for access to the ''KYR.'' padlet.
CREDIT: The Immigrant Defense Project
Faculty and staff are now able to request a KYR workshops, Sign up here to request one.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency under the U.S Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Its primary responsibilities include enforcing immigration laws, and investigating cross-border criminal activities.
Key functions:
Enforcing Immigration Laws:
- Conduct arrests, detentions, and deportations
- Operates detention facilities for individuals awaiting deportation or resolution of their immigration cases
Investigating Cross-Border Crimes:
- Focuses on crimes such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, and counterfeit goods.
- Partners with other federal and international agencies to address global criminal activities.
- ICE is often associated with its immigration enforcement role, including raids and detentions, which can impact communities and families. Knowing your rights when interacting with ICE is crucial.
- If ICE are at your door
- Do not open your door - not even slightly
- Without opening the door ask for a warrant to be slipped underneath the door
- If they do have a judicial warrant - you nor anyone in the house still DO NOT have to speak
- Clearly state: “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”
- If ICE are inside your home
- If they enter your home without your permission you can tell them, “I do not consent to you being in my home. Please leave.” Saying this may not stop them but may be beneficial for a future case
- If ICE starts searching your belongings or rooms you can tell them, “I do not consent to your search.”
- You can also clearly state: “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”
- It is legal to document ICE making arrests - film openly not secretly as it is not legal in some states
Additional Information can be found here on the Immigrant Defense Project
Tools & Resources:
The ActionNYC page provides crucial information for immigrants living in New York City. It outlines individuals' legal rights when interacting with federal immigration enforcement (ICE), both in public and at home.
The We Have Rights The website empowers individuals with essential knowledge about their legal rights in the U.S., offering "Know Your Rights" guides, videos, and materials in multiple languages to help users navigate interactions with law enforcement, ICE, and other officials during home raids, street stops, or workplace encounters.
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) Raids page is a valuable resource for immigrants, providing guidance on their rights during ICE raids or immigration enforcement actions. It covers essential rights like remaining silent, refusing entry without a warrant, and recording interactions with immigration officers.
The Witness.org Filming Immigration Enforcement page is a useful resource that provides guidance on how individuals can safely and effectively film encounters with immigration enforcement, such as ICE raids or arrests.
- ICE can enter any public space at your workplace without need any warrant
- Public spaces can include:
- Office lobby
- Supermarket
- Retail store
The dining area of a restaurant
- ICE cannot legally enter the private spaces of a workplace unless they have a judicial warrant or the permission of the employer
- Private spaces can include:
Employee only areas such as break room or storage room
- Employers can ask ICE to show their identification and/or warrant
- If you are approached you DO NOT have to answer their questions
- DO NOT run away as ICE will suspect you and attempt to arrest you
Employer guide for when ICE shows up can be found herepdf
Tools & Resources:
The NYACLU page provides clear, concise guidance for individuals who may encounter immigration officers. This resource is designed to help people understand their rights during an immigration stop, whether in public, at their home, or at their workplace.
The Informed Immigrant website offers vital resources for immigrants facing detention and deportation, including the "Know Your Rights" page, which educates individuals on key actions during ICE raids, such as staying calm, not opening the door without a warrant, asserting the right to remain silent, and providing legal protection advice for family separation or arrest.
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) website offers critical resources for immigrants, including the "What to Do If Arrested or Detained by Immigration" page, which provides step-by-step guidance on responding to ICE or immigration detentions, covering key rights like remaining silent, refusing consent for a search, requesting an attorney, and protecting personal information.
The NILC Employer Guidepdf pdfCreated in partnership with the National Employment Law Project, the guide provides employers and employees with practical information on complying with immigration laws while protecting workers' rights, including handling I-9 forms, responding to ICE audits or raids, and ensuring workplace protections against discrimination.
- Protected if you are detained:
- Power of Attorney - Designate a trusted individual to make decisions for your children, finances, and other critical matters
- Emergency Contacts - Share contact details of attorneys, advocates, and family members with your loved ones
- Secure Important Documents - Keep copies of passports, immigration paperwork, and medical records in a safe place accessible to your family
- Child Care Plans - Make arrangements for your children, including school authorizations and medical care
- Tools and Resources:
- Notifica App - Instantly notify your emergency contacts if detained by immigration authorities here
- Family Preparedness Plan Guide - Download and complete a Family Preparedness Planpdf
- Know Your Rights - Access guides about your rights here
What to do if detained:
- Locate Your Loved Ones - Use ICE’s Detention Facility Locator to find loved ones
- Seek Legal Help - Here are some organizations that can assist you Brooklyn Defenders, and Immigrant Defense Project
The New York State New American Hotline:
This hotline is available to anyone impacted by ICE raids. You can call Monday through Friday 9am to 8pm. These calls are confidential and anonymous and will remain as such. This hotline has no affiliation with US Citizen and immigration service. No legal advice is offered.
New York State Only - 1-800-566-7636
Outside of New York State - 1-212-419-3737
Additional resources about:
ICE raids can be found here
ICE FAQ Detainer can be found here
Tools & Resources
The Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (BKLGA) is a valuable resource for individuals in Brooklyn seeking free or low-cost legal services, offering information on immigration, housing, public benefits, family law, and consumer rights, along with tools like intake forms, eligibility criteria, and emergency legal assistance.
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) Criminal Immigration Helpline offers a vital resource for immigrants facing criminal charges that may impact their immigration status, providing free, confidential legal advice on the intersection of criminal and immigration law, especially for those at risk of deportation.
The Immigrant Defense Project (IDP) Detainer Portal site is a key resource for individuals and legal advocates seeking information on immigration detainers, offering tools to understand, challenge, and resist them, along with practical guidance on protecting immigrants from being held and defending against both criminal and immigration proceedings.
The (NMCLP) Programs page outlines NMCLP's initiatives supporting low-income individuals and families, focusing on immigration, civil rights, and economic justice, with detailed information about programs protecting immigrant rights, addressing poverty, and advocating for equitable access to resources and legal services.
1. CUNY Immigration Resource & Information: CUNY is committed to supporting all members of our community, regardless of immigration status. Visit this page for resources and to keep up with evolving U.S. immigration policies.
2. CUNY Immigration Law Updates and Resources: This website provides general information, but it is not legal advice. Speak to an authorized legal service provider to ensure you know all your options. CUNY Citizenship Now! is committed to keeping you informed.
3. CUNY UISP Website: Office of Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs: CUNY Student Affairs has created a centralized department focused on immigrant student success across all 25 campuses.