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.
A line of federal immigration agents and protesters stand-off near the Glass House Farms facility outside Camarillo on July 10, 2025. Protesters gathered after federal agents conducted an immigration raid earlier in the day.
/
Larry Valenzuela
President Trump focused on California first as his administration rolled out its crackdown on unauthorized immigration, sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and carrying out high profile raids throughout the state.
MORE STORIES
-
The Trump administration is now requiring new H-1B visa applicants to pay $100,000. School districts that depend on hiring foreign workers to fill teacher jobs, especially in special education and bilingual education, say they can’t afford the new fee. -
UCSD is joined by San Diego State University as a consortium board member, and other American institutions such as University of San Diego and Southwestern College are member institutions. -
Congress members and faith leaders said the Ukrainian woman’s experience is consistent with what they have witnessed at the San Diego federal building. -
The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California. -
Federal agents detained Viktoriia Bulavina, who is married to a U.S. citizen, following a green card interview late last week. -
Viktoriia Bulavina’s lawyers say her detention marks a new escalation in the Trump administration’s sweeping crackdown on immigration. -
The San Diego City Council will consider a recommendation to approve a new contract with Flock Safety, the company that makes the ALPR systems. Several community groups are opposed due to privacy concerns. -
The Republican-controlled Senate and House have so far taken a "hands-off" approach to oversight of the second Trump administration but legal concerns around boat strikes could change things. -
Advocates and experts say the revised public charge policy could drive immigrant families off programs they’re legally allowed to use, worsen hunger and increase poverty. -
Fearful of sharing sensitive information, California farmworkers began staying away from mobile medical clinics after President Trump took office. “There’s a lot of distrust,” said a doctor who works with them.
Sign up for our newsletters!
Keep up with all the latest news, arts and culture, and TV highlights from KPBS.
- 'Bomb cyclone' forecast to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and dangerous travel
- Kennedy Center vows to sue musician who canceled performance over Trump name change
- Brigitte Bardot, sex goddess of cinema, has died
- This painting is missing. Do you have it?
- A 'very aesthetic person,' President Trump says being a builder is his second job