Here's Exactly What To Do If an Immigration Officer Knocks On Your Door
  • 6 years ago
Here's what you should do if an immigration officer knocks on your door. Trump is beginning to follow through on his promises of mass deportation. Last week marked the first large-scale immigration raid since he was elected, following the broad executive order he signed in January. Immigration officers are now free to target people who have lived in the U.S. for years and immigrants who have ‘engaged in fraud’, a category so broad that it even includes those accused of lying. David W. Leopold of American Immigration Lawyers Association says that, “When you read that executive order, there is no other conclusion that you can draw except that everybody is a target. Everybody.” So while Trump is just getting started, there are ways to protect yourself and those around you. Here are five things the ACLU wants you to remember if an immigration officer comes knocking at your door: 1.) Don’t open the door - You are not legally required to let them in. 2.) Ask why they’re there - If you don’t speak English, you have the right to an interpreter. 3.) If they want to enter, ask to see a warrant - They might show administrative forms (I-200 & I-205), but if they don’t have a warrant signed by a judge, you may refuse entry. 4.) If they force their way inside, don’t resist - Remain calm, but don’t share any information. 5.) If you’re arrested, remain silent - You are entitled to speak to a lawyer before cooperating and most importantly, keep calm because you have rights. Exercise them.