BE PREPARED! A "Know Your Rights" Guide for Immigrants in NYC
عربي(Arabic) বাংলা (Bengali) 中文(简体字) (Simplified Chinese)
中文 (繁体字) (Traditional Chinese) دری (Dari) فارسی (Farsi)
Français (French) Kreyòl (Haitian Creole) 한국어 (Korean)
Русский (Russian) Español (Spanish) اردو (Urdu) English PDF
I. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
You have the right:
• To be silent;
• To an interpreter;
• To a lawyer;
• To make a phone call;
• Not to answer questions about your place of birth, immigration status or how you entered the United States;
• Not to sign documents you don’t understand;
• To ask if you are detained. If you are not detained, you can leave.
What you should know about your documents:
• Do not carry in your possession any false identity or immigration documents.• Do not carry any documents about your country of origin.
If ICE officers come to your home, they can only enter the home if:
• Someone in the home allows them to enter; OR
• They have a search warrant signed by a judge with the name and address of the person they are looking for. Ask ICE to push the warrant under the door or through a window.
Otherwise DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR.
II. MAKE A PLAN
1. At all times:
• Carry your valid green card, work permit, NYS or NYC ID;
• Make copies of all your immigration documents and give copies to a trusted family member or friend;
• Carry receipt notices for any pending immigration case or court hearing;
• Memorize the telephone numbers of a family member/friend and of an immigration lawyer or legal services provider; (LSNYC hotline: 917-661-4500, Mon–Fri 9:30am–4pm)
• Find the emergency telephone number of your country’s consulate and memorize the number.
2. Find someone you trust to care for your children if you are detained:
• Make sure your children have this person’s telephone number and that they know what to do if you do not return home;
• Make sure your children’s school knows who can and cannot pick up your child from school;
• Write down instructions if your child has any medical conditions;
• Draft a Power of Attorney to allow a relative or friend to make decisions about your child;
• If you have U.S. citizen children, make sure they have U.S. passports. You can apply for a passport at any U.S. post office and at www.travel.state.gov
3. If detained by ICE, let your family and friends know how to find you:
• Family and friends can call ICE at 212-264-5085 or search online at www.ice.gov/locator
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Legal Assistance Hotline is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 4pm. Call 917-661-4500 to speak to an intake officer in any language.