With the White House pushing for mass deportations, fear and uncertainty are growing in the communities of San Diego and Imperial counties. Misinformation is everywhere, and knowing the law and your rights is crucial. Here are some resources to help you stay informed and prepared.
Resources
Everyone in the U.S., regardless of immigration status, has certain rights under the Constitution.
If ICE or the police approach you at your home, work or school, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Here are some tips from the American Civil Liberties Union.
See more information at the ACLU’s website.
If ICE or the police approach you at your home, work or school, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Here are some tips from the American Civil Liberties Union.
See more information at the ACLU’s website.
- What to do when the police or ICE arrive:
- Stay calm and keep the door closed. Opening the door does not give officers or agents permission to come inside, but it is safer to speak to them through the door.
- Ask if they are immigration agents and what they are there for.
- Ask the agent or officer to show you a badge or identification through the window or peephole.
- Ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge. If they say they do, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can inspect it.
- Don’t lie or produce any false documents. Don’t sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.
- Do not open your door unless ICE shows you a judicial search or arrest warrant naming a person in your residence and/or areas to be searched at your address. If police have such a warrant, they are legally allowed to enter the home of the person on the warrant if they believe that person is inside. But a warrant of removal/deportation (Form I-205) does not allow officers to enter a home without consent. If they don’t produce the appropriate warrant, keep the door closed. State: “I do not consent to your entry.”
- If agents force their way in, do not resist. If you wish to exercise your rights, state: “I do not consent to your entry or to your search of these premises. I am exercising my right to remain silent. I wish to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.”
- If you are on probation with a search condition, law enforcement is allowed to enter your home.
- What to do if you're arrested or detained
- If you are arrested by the police, you have the right to a government-appointed lawyer, and should ask for one immediately.
- If you are detained by ICE or Border Patrol, you have the right to hire a lawyer, but the government does not have to provide one for you. Ask for a list of free or low-cost alternatives.
The Immigrant Legal Resource Center's “red cards” can help people assert their rights in the instance that ICE agents go to their home or work. Print in English, Spanish and 17 other languages.
State Sen. Steve Padilla’s announcement came after a KPBS investigation found the nonprofit owner of an ICE detention center in Imperial County has received millions in tax breaks meant for charities.
MORE STORIES
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For years, El Cajon has long been a hub for refugees and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa. Now, amid President Donald Trump’s refugee ban, they are coping with the help of neighborhood ties and a local nonprofit. -
A KPBS investigation found state and county officials have given millions in tax breaks to a local nonprofit that owns the Imperial Regional Detention Facility. -
Federal immigration officials said in statements Thursday that more than two dozen people arrested in April at the Port of San Diego were deported. Experts question why they weren’t charged in federal court. -
Border officials encourage travelers to declare all agriculture products, including flowers and plants to avoid potential penalties and to protect U.S. agriculture. -
Being a journalist has many challenges, but those working just across the border face a unique set of obstacles. KPBS Video Journalist Matthew Bowler spent the day chasing down leads with a few Tijuana journalists. -
Of the more than 16,000 removals by ICE, 10,847 were Mexican nationals, 996 from Guatemala and 544 from Venezuela with smaller figures from 116 other countries. -
San Diego County sued the federal government and private prison company CoreCivic earlier this year after a coalition of lawmakers — including County Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre — were blocked from inspecting the facility. -
Several nonprofits and immigrant rights organization told KPBS that Mayor Todd Gloria has not been collaborative or transparent in creating a response plan for how to handle a Minneapolis-style immigration enforcement operation in San Diego. -
Activists told KPBS U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested 10 workers from a Disney Cruise ship on April 23 and four workers from a Holland America ship on April 25. -
Asylum seekers going to college in California can pay much higher nonresident tuition and are often excluded from financial aid, at great cost to them and their families as immigration cases spend years in limbo.
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