Immigration Rights & Resources
Immigration enforcement has long been used to criminalize and divide Black communities, echoing Jim Crow–era tactics that suppress political power and civil rights. Black immigrants are disproportionately targeted by detention and deportation systems that undermine safety, dignity, and democratic participation.
As a Black political home, Black Futures Lab understands immigration justice as a core Black civil rights issue. Defending immigrant communities is essential to building collective power and advancing freedom across the Black diaspora.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
(PROVIDED BY IMMIGRATION LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER)
Here are 5 essential reminders about your constitutional rights during encounters with ICE.
1. You have the right to remain silent.
Your right to remain silent is a powerful right under the U.S. Constitution. Exercising this right when approached by ICE can protect you from saying something that they may use to deport you. If ICE approaches you clearly state that you are choosing to remain silent. ICE will likely continue to ask you questions. Remain silent and answer none of their questions until you speak with a lawyer if you’re detained, especially about your birthplace, immigration status, or how you entered the United States.
2. Remain calm and do not run away.
If ICE approaches you on the street, do not run away, as this could be a reason for ICE to arrest you. Do not consent for them to search your person or property. Do not provide any foreign or false documents. If ICE questions you on the street, ask if you are free to leave. If they say you are free to leave, calmly and silently walk away. Make a plan with an attorney on how to prepare for this situation.
3. You have the right to demand a judicial warrant before letting ICE into your home.
You have the right under the U.S. Constitution to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. This means ICE cannot enter your home without a valid judicial warrant. An ICE warrant is NOT a judicial warrant. An ICE warrant does NOT give ICE the authority to enter your home and conduct a search. If ICE claims they have a warrant, do not open the door (even a little) for them to show it to you. Ask them to slip it under the door or show it through a window.
4. You have the right to speak with a lawyer if you are arrested.
If you are in ICE custody, do not sign anything without speaking with an attorney first as it could eliminate your right to speak with a lawyer or have a hearing in front of an immigration judge.
5. U.S. Citizens can play a vital role.
IMMEDIATE LEGAL SUPPORT & COMMUNITY DEFENSE
IMMIGRATION DEFENSE PROJECT
The Immigration Defense Project (IDP) strengthens community-based defense strategies against ICE enforcement, detention, and deportation. Their bilingual materials are designed for grassroots organizers and community members, including know-your-rights guides, ICE-raid tactics, and toolkits.
RACIAL AND IMMIGRANT JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS
BLACK ALLIANCE FOR JUST IMMIGRATION
BAJI works at the intersection of racial justice and immigrant rights. Their resource library includes research, policy analyses, community toolkits, and advocacy campaigns tailored to Black immigrant experiences.
LEGAL INFO & ICE RESOURCES
IMMIGRATION LEGAL RESOURCE CENTER (ILRC)
The ILRC offers legal educational resources and sample documents. Download the “Know-Your-Rights When Confronted by ICE” flier below.
PROTEST & RALLY SAFETY TIPS
Your safety matters. Visit this page to learn essential protest and rally safety tips—how to prepare, protect yourself and others, know your rights, and move with care in public actions.
JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER ACTION NETWORK
Roll up your sleeves with us and let’s get to work! We need all hands on deck to help us reach the people in our communities who have been left out and left behind. Join the movement to make Black people powerful in every aspect of our lives by joining our Volunteer Action Network today.