What to do if ICE comes to your home or workplace
This page describes rights that apply to everyone in the United States regardless of immigration status. It is not legal advice about your case.
If they knock
Do not open immediately. You can speak through a closed door. Opening the door is sometimes treated as allowing entry.
Ask who they are and what they want. You may ask them to identify themselves and state the reason.
Ask to see the warrant. This is the decisive part:
- A judicial search warrant names a court, usually "U.S. District Court", names you and your specific address, and is signed by a judge. That does authorize entry.
- An ICE administrative warrant, Form I-200 (arrest) or I-205 (removal), is signed by an immigration officer, not a judge. It does not authorize entry into your home without consent.
Ask them to slide it under the door or hold it to a window. Read which court it names and who signed it.
If there is no judicial warrant, you can say no. One clear sentence is enough: "I do not consent to your entry."
If they come in anyway
Do not resist physically and do not argue. Say clearly: "I do not consent to this search." That matters later, when a lawyer reviews whether what happened was lawful.
Do not lie and do not present false documents — that creates a new and serious criminal problem. Staying silent is legal; lying is not.
What to say and what not to
You can say: "I want to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer." Repeat it as often as needed.
You are not required to answer questions about:
- Your country of birth.
- How or when you entered the United States.
- Your immigration status.
Do not sign anything without a lawyer reading it. A document may waive your right to see a judge or accept voluntary departure. If you are pressured with the line that signing "speeds things up", that is precisely the reason not to sign.
If you have documents proving lawful status, you may show them. Never show foreign documents that reveal information you would rather not give.
At work
ICE cannot enter private areas of a business without a judicial warrant or the owner's permission. Public areas are different.
You keep the right to remain silent and not to sign. Do not run: fleeing can be used against you and is dangerous.
On the street or in a car
If stopped, ask whether you are being detained or free to go. If free to go, leave calmly. If detained, stay silent and ask for a lawyer. At a traffic stop the driver must produce a license and registration; passengers need not answer questions about status.
Make the plan today, not on the day
This is what actually changes outcomes:
- A lawyer's number memorized or written in each adult's wallet. In detention you will not have your phone.
- A trusted person designated in writing to collect the children, with authorization on file at the school.
- Documents gathered and copied: passports, children's birth certificates, proof of address, tax returns, medical records. Leave copies with someone you trust.
- Every family member's A-Number, written down somewhere outside the house.
- A power of attorney for decisions about children and finances, prepared with a lawyer.
If a family member is detained, the next step is finding them in the ICE system and, if possible, seeking bond.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to open the door? No, absent a judicial warrant naming you and your address.
How do I tell the warrants apart? Judicial: a court name and a judge's signature. I-200 and I-205: an ICE officer's signature.
What if I sign without a lawyer? You may waive your right to a judge or accept voluntary departure.