Overview
- Recent reports describe heightened ICE operations in multiple states, with Florida, Illinois, Nevada and New York highlighted for increased detentions.
- Lawyers advise carrying proof of status or pending cases such as a green card, work permit, valid visas, TPS notices, asylum approvals or receipts, I-797 notices and immigration court citations, which can help avoid expedited removal though detention for verification is still possible.
- Experts stress that agents need a judge-signed warrant to enter a home, advise speaking through the door, reviewing any warrant carefully, declining consent to enter and documenting the interaction when safe.
- During traffic stops, only the driver must show identification, passengers may decline to present ID or answer status questions and people should never present false or foreign documents that could worsen their case.
- State and local guidance includes Nevada’s Driver Authorization Card and Attorney General tips for encounters, Illinois legal-aid safety planning and document checklists, and NYCLU/ACLU scripts to assert the right to remain silent, request a lawyer, ask if one is free to leave and contact a consulate.