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.
Damian Dovarganes
/
AP
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that directed President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California after he deployed them there following protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.
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Jim Desmond proposed repealing the existing policy, claiming it makes the county a "super sanctuary" for people living in the country illegally by limiting local assistance for federal immigration enforcement. -
What’s happening with Trump's mass deportations? Expert breaks down stalled efforts and future plansResource limits are currently blocking mass deportation efforts, but here's how Republicans plan to overcome those obstacles. -
A state law puts limits on when a county sheriff can transfer an inmate to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, based on their criminal record. Advocates point to records showing San Diego Sheriff Kelly Martinez might have violated that law in at least one case. -
In early January, Imperial County Chief Border Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino and other agents drove 150 miles to Bakersfield to arrest dozens of immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally. The ACLU suit calls that operation a “fishing expedition.” -
The young woman had planned to spend a month with a friend in Los Angeles and then fly home to Berlin. But she’s been in federal custody since late January. -
Before dawn this week, dozens of volunteers spread across Los Angeles to look for immigration officers. When they see U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, they use bullhorns and sirens to warn people to stay inside. -
Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer created the Immigrant Legal Defense Program in 2021. It’s now helping thousands of people navigate their cases in local immigration courts. -
Threats of deportation have caused anxiety among immigrants, but schools in the Salinas Valley are helping comfort children and easing parents’ fears. -
The proposed law, SB 554, is titled “Safety Before Criminal Sanctuary,” and is a direct response to a policy passed by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors last December. -
Protesters rallied Wednesday to demand that the university do more to protect students without legal status.
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