We continue our immigration series regarding your rights when dealing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Our first article dealt with developing an emergency plan in case you are detained.
In this second installment of our immigration series, we discuss what you should do if you encounter police or immigration agents while at your house, your place of work, or in public.
If it is immigration, they are not allowed to enter for any reason unless you open the door or give them permission to enter.
Even if you only open the door, but do not explicitly give permission to enter, the agent might say that by opening the door you gave consent to enter.
Or if immigration has a criminal warrant.
If it is the police, they need a “Search Warrant” to enter your house.
A search warrant is a signed paper by a judge that authorizes the officer to enter your house.
The warrant should say in detail who the person is that the officer is looking for.
If they have an arrest warrant but NOT a search warrant, they are NOT legally able to enter you house.
Write down the names and badge numbers of the officers.
Tell them that you have not given them consent for a search.
Take down the names, address, and numbers of anyone who is present.
Do not run it is not safe.
Do not run! It is not safe to run.
In order to enter your workplace, the officer must have a warrant from a judge or permission from your boss.
If they stop you in the street.
They must have proper order/warrant to do so; ask to see it.
Or they have to have reasonable suspicion that you are not in this country legally.
You have the right to remain silent. Do not say anything about your immigration status or where you were born. If you have valid immigration documents, show them.
This information was provided by the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC). MIRC is a legal resource and advocacy center for Michigan’s immigrants. MIRC works to build thriving Michigan where immigrant communities experience equal justice and are fully integrated and respected. Even though this organization is based in Michigan the information discussed is useful throughout the United States. Visit michiganimmigrant.org for more information.