Know Your Rights
Educational information about your basic rights in the United States. This is not legal advice.
Check what kind of warrant it is
This is the single most important thing to check. There are two very different documents, and which one it is changes what can legally happen next.
Contested area of law — not settled nationwide. See sources below.
Community legal organizations state that an administrative warrant does not authorize entry into a home without consent. In 2025, ICE adopted an internal policy asserting broader authority; that position has been challenged in federal court, with early rulings against it in some states. This is not settled nationwide.
Last reviewed: July 31, 2026
For the current legal position, see: ACLU: Know Your Rights with Immigration Agents · ILRC: Know Your Rights resources
Administrative warrant (Form I-200 or I-205)
Signed by: an immigration officer
Community legal organizations say: does NOT authorize entry into a home
Judicial warrant
Signed by: a judge
Authorizes entry into a home
Ask them to slide any warrant under the door before you open it. Look at who signed it.
You have the right to remain silent
The Fifth Amendment protects you from being forced to answer questions, no matter your immigration status — citizen, green card holder, visa holder, or undocumented.
You can say:
I am exercising my right to remain silent.
In English, if you need it:
I am exercising my right to remain silent.
You have the right to a lawyer — the government will not provide one
In immigration court you may be represented by a lawyer, but immigration proceedings are civil, not criminal — unlike a criminal case, the government is not required to pay for one if you cannot afford it.
8 U.S.C. § 1362; INA § 292
Carry a Red Card
Red Cards are free, wallet-sized cards that state your rights and can be shown or slid under a door. They are published by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) — a nonprofit legal organization, not a government agency.
ILRC is a nonprofit legal organization, not a government agency.
Which languages are available changes over time — the ILRC page always has the current list.
Get Red Cards from ILRCWhat to say, and what not to do
"I do not consent to your entry. I want to speak to a lawyer. I am exercising my right to remain silent."
Say this in English if you need to:
"I do not consent to your entry. I want to speak to a lawyer. I am exercising my right to remain silent."
- Do not open the door without a judicial warrant
- Do not sign anything you do not understand
- Do not lie or present false documents
- Do not run
- You may ask to see a warrant through a window or under the door
- You may ask for a lawyer, and then stop talking
Make a family preparedness plan
ILRC publishes a free, step-by-step plan to help families prepare before an emergency: who to call, where documents are kept, who can care for your children.
Get ILRC's Family Preparedness PlanMore situations
If you are stopped on the street
- Ask: 'Am I free to go?' If yes, walk away calmly.
- You have the right to remain silent about your immigration status.
- You do not have to sign anything without a lawyer.
At work or in public
- ICE generally needs a judicial warrant to enter non-public areas of a workplace.
- Schools, hospitals, and places of worship are 'sensitive locations' with extra protections.
Related guides
Educational guidance only. Not legal advice. For legal advice, consult a licensed immigration attorney.