Immigration and Refugee Resources

• Family Preparedness Packet – PDF document by United We Dream
• Michigan Immigrant Rights Center – information on rights and family preparedness.
• Michigan Refugee Resettlement Program Resources by City
• ACLU: Know Your Rights – provides an overview of immigrants’ rights and how to reduce risk in different scenarios, including traffic stops, home raids, and arrests near the border.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT) – Know Your Rights Information for Students and Families fact sheet with action steps and information to help schools and families prepare for immigration enforcement.

• Immigration Advocates Network – Resources for advocates, organizers, and service providers.
• Grassroots Advocacy Skills Presentation – Presentation on engaging your congressperson on immigration.
• PC(USA) Disaster Assistance – Migration Accompaniment Ministries
• PC(USA) Immigration Resources
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): Know Your Rights Toolkit resources for advocates and community members, including Know Your Rights, red cards, family preparedness plans, and a train-the-trainer toolkit to support advocates in holding a Know Your Rights presentation in your community.

From Michigan Immigrant Rights Center

• ICE Detainee Locator – Website
• Vinelink – Website for locating persons detained in Michigan, often updated before ICE’s online detainee locator.
• Instructions for detainees to make a free phone call to MIRC from these Michigan and Ohio detention centers: Calhoun, Chippewa, Monroe, North Lake (Baldwin), St. Clair, Mahoning and NE Ohio Correctional Center
• Guides for Defending Yourself in Immigration Court are available in English and Spanish here, along with a Frequently Asked Question page here

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• United We Dream
• Michigan Immigrant Rights Center

Prepare Ahead

• Complete a preparedness plan, label it “Privileged & Confidential,” and give it to someone you trust.

• Make a family and community support plan. Assign who will be in charge of your case and who will support in other roles.

• Sync your phone photos/videos to the cloud so trusted others can access it.

• Keep gates and doors locked, and post a Know Your Rights reminder inside your door.

During an Encounter

• Stay calm and do not open the door.

• Clearly state you do not consent to entry or a search; ask to see a warrant. Ask warrant to be slid under the door or pressed to a window.

• Remain silent and do not sign anything.

• Ask to speak with a lawyer or a trusted person.

• If safe, record the interaction.

• Do not agree to meet agents elsewhere or follow their instructions without legal counsel.

While asserting your rights may not stop an arrest in the moment, it is still essential to exercise them to protect yourself and support your defense. You are not alone, we stand with you and offer our full support.

Prepare Ahead

• Develop a plan with coworkers and your employer.

• Complete a preparedness plan and identify trusted contacts.

• Sync your phone to the cloud and connect with immigrant rights groups.

• Carry a Know Your Rights red card with you as a reminder.

• Carry valid documentation or proof of a pending case; avoid foreign IDs.

During an Encounter

• Remain silent unless showing valid documentation.

• Ask to see a warrant and confirm your name is correct.

• Do not consent to searches or sign anything. Verbally state, “I do not consent to being searched.”

• Do not agree to go with agents without legal advice.

While asserting your rights may not stop an arrest in the moment, it is still essential to exercise them to protect yourself and support your defense. You are not alone, we stand with you and offer our full support.

Prepare Ahead

• Complete a preparedness plan and identify trusted supports.

• Sync your phone to the cloud and connect with a local immigrant rights group.

• Carry a Know Your Rights red card with you as a reminder.

• Don’t carry a passport. A passport is a travel document and if you have it on you while detained, it can help ICE deport you faster.

• Don’t provide a foreign ID, which includes your consulate card, foreign driver’s license, foreign voting card, etc. A foreign ID reveals to the ICE agent that you were born in another country that is not the U.S.

During an Encounter

• Ask agents to identify themselves.

• Provide your name only and otherwise remain silent.

• Ask to see a warrant and check that your name is on it and spelled correctly. 

• Stay calm, do not run, and do not share personal information about yourself or others.

• Do not consent to searches or sign anything.  Verbally state, “I do not consent to being searched.”

• Record and report the incident if it is safe to do so.

While asserting your rights may not stop an arrest in the moment, it is still essential to exercise them to protect yourself and support your defense. You are not alone, we stand with you and offer our full support.