Know your rights around immigration enforcement

If immigration enforcement stops you on the street

Keep calm. Always ask the officer, “Am I free to go?” If the answer is “yes,” walk away.

If the answer is “no:”

• Do not walk away
• Do not answer any questions 
• Ask for a lawyer
• Do not talk about your immigration status
• Do not talk about when and how you came to the United States

If an officer searches you, say, “I do not consent to this search.”

If immigration enforcement comes to your home

You are not required to open the door. You can ask the officer to slip a judicial warrant under your door. If they don’t have a judicial warrant, you are not required to allow them to enter your home.

• A judicial warrant will be signed by a United States district judge or United States magistrate judge and issued by a United States District Court.
• A judicial search warrant will give the address to be searched and state in the detail where the agent will search. A judicial arrest warrant will name the individual to be arrested.
• If immigration enforcement comes to your home with an administrative warrant (a warrant that is issued by an immigration official or the Department of Homeland Security), you are not required to allow them to enter your home.

For further information, you can visit the National Immigration Law Center's Know Your Rights webpage.

If you are arrested by immigration enforcement

You have a right to an attorney. You can ask to speak to a lawyer.

You have a right to remain silent. You are not required to answer questions.

You are not required to sign anything without a lawyer.

Do not lie or show fake documents.

You are not required to talk about your immigration status. You are not required to talk about when and how you came to the United States.

Get support

You can call the SF Rapid Response Hotline at 415-200-1548 to connect people to legal assistance and support services.

You can visit the Immigrant Support Hub to get legal help.