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Resources

If you are in an emergency right now, start at the top of this page: rapid response, then finding someone in detention, then finding a lawyer. Everything here is general information, not legal advice, and outside links are provided for convenience; we do not control those sites.

Last verified 16 August 2026. We review this page at least every 30 days.

On this page

If a raid is happening now: rapid response

  • MigraWatch hotline (United We Dream): call 1-844-363-1423 to report and verify ICE or CBP activity and get immediate guidance. It covers both agencies, not ICE alone.
  • Find your local rapid-response network. Many cities and states have one that dispatches trained legal observers and connects families to help. Search your city or county name with "rapid response network" or "immigrant defense hotline."
  • ICE Watch: our own app for reporting sightings and uploading footage. Nothing is published without human review, and your identity is not recorded. See Submit a tip.

Find someone in ICE detention

If a loved one has been detained, you can search for them, but the government's system has real limits. Know them before you rely on it.

  • ICE Online Detainee Locator. Search by full name plus country of birth and date of birth, or by A-number if you have it. It lists adults only (18 and over), only people in ICE custody (not Customs and Border Protection holding), and there is often a 24 to 48 hour lag before someone appears. Spelling and transliteration mismatches are a common reason a search fails, so try alternate spellings and both surnames. If you cannot find a person, that does not mean they are not detained.
  • Freedom for Immigrants national detention hotline. A detained person can reach it for free by dialing 9233# from a facility phone. It does not work in every facility, and ICE has cut the line off before, so if it fails that does not mean you did anything wrong. See freedomforimmigrants.org.
  • EOIR immigration court information. Call 1-800-898-7180 or use the online portal at acis.eoir.justice.gov for hearing dates and case status. Both need the person's A-number.

Find a lawyer

You have the right to a lawyer in immigration proceedings, but the government does not provide one for free. You do have the right to be given a list of free or low-cost legal service providers, and some cities and counties fund deportation defense programs that represent people at no cost. Ask whether one exists where the case is being heard.

  • ImmigrationLawHelp.org: a national directory of nonprofit immigration legal services.
  • AILA immigration lawyer search.
  • CLINIC: the Catholic Legal Immigration Network and its affiliate directory.
  • EOIR immigration court finder: locate the court handling a case.
  • National Bail Fund Network directory: find a local immigration bond fund. Note that many detained people are subject to mandatory detention and are not eligible for bond; a fund can only help once a judge grants bond.
  • ACLU state affiliates: your state affiliate can point you to local legal resources.
  • Your consulate. A detained foreign national has the right to contact their country's consulate, which can sometimes help with legal contacts and welfare checks. One caution: if you are seeking asylum, contacting your own government can put you or your family at risk, so weigh this carefully.

Know Your Rights: quick reference

The essentials you can act on immediately. Fuller step-by-step guides are being written and will appear here and in the news feed as they publish.

Do not sign anything you do not understand

Officers may push you to sign a voluntary departure or a stipulated removal order. Signing can end your case and your right to a hearing in the first hours, before you ever appear in the locator. Do not sign. Say you want to speak to a lawyer first.

If ICE comes to your door

You do not have to open the door. Ask the officers to hold any paperwork against a window or slide it under the door. A judicial search warrant is signed by a judge and names your address; ICE's own forms are not. A Form I-200 is an administrative arrest warrant and a Form I-205 is a warrant of removal; neither is signed by a judge and neither authorizes entry, though agents may present one at the door as though it does. You have the right to remain silent and to say you want a lawyer.

If ICE stops you on the street or in a car

Ask, "Am I free to go?" If yes, walk away calmly. You have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about where you were born or your immigration status. You do not have to consent to a search. Do not run, and do not carry false documents.

Recording is your right

In public, you have the right to record ICE and other officers carrying out their duties. Keep a safe distance, do not interfere, and if you can, livestream or back up the footage so it survives even if your phone is taken.

Your phone

Set a passcode, not face or fingerprint unlock; you can be compelled to unlock with your face or finger far more easily than to give up a passcode. At the border your protections are weaker than at a street stop: officers claim broad authority to search or hold devices, so power the phone off and know they may keep it if you decline.

The 100-mile border zone

Within 100 miles of any US external border, which is where about two thirds of people live, CBP claims extra authority, including immigration checkpoints. You still have the right to remain silent, and agents still need a warrant or your consent to search a home.

At work, and at schools, hospitals, and churches

If ICE raids a workplace, you have the right to stay silent, to not answer questions about your status, and to not show documents about where you were born; ask if you are free to leave. The government rescinded its "sensitive locations" policy in 2025, so ICE can now enter schools, hospitals, and places of worship. Your rights do not change: remain silent, do not consent to a search, and ask for a lawyer.

Know Your Rights, from national organizations

Cards and family planning

  • Print our one-page Know Your Rights card (PDF), in English and Spanish: what to say at the door, your rights, and the number to call. Print extras and carry one, because in a raid you will not have data.
  • ILRC red cards (Tarjetas Rojas): printable cards, in many languages, that assert your rights without speaking.
  • Prepare a family safety plan: memorize key phone numbers, name a caregiver and an emergency contact, gather important documents, and know your A-number.

The record

For the documented facilities, agents, incidents, and deaths, with sources, see the full record at theicelist.org.

General information, not legal advice. In an emergency, contact a lawyer or your local rapid-response network.

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