Everyone in the United States has rights under the U.S. Constitution, no matter their immigration status. If immigration agents come to your home or try to question you, these rights can protect you and your family. Read this page, share it with the people you love, and keep the words below somewhere you can find them quickly.

If an Immigration Agent Comes to Your Door

Do not open the door. Keep it closed and talk to the agents through it.

What to say: "I do not give you permission to enter my home. I am using my rights under the Fourth Amendment. If you have a warrant signed by a judge, please slide it under the door or hold it up to the window."

How to check the warrant. Look for a court’s name at the top and a judge’s signature. It should also show your correct name or address. If the paper says “Department of Homeland Security” at the top and is signed by an immigration officer, it is not a judge’s warrant. Immigrant rights legal groups say this kind of form does not give agents the right to enter your home.

If agents force their way in, do not resist, fight or run. Stay calm and say clearly, “I do not consent to this search,” and then stay silent. When it is safe, write down what happened, including any agent names or badge numbers you saw, and contact a lawyer or the an immigration rights organization's hotline.

You Have the Right to Remain Silent

You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, your immigration status or how you came to this country. You can stay silent even if agents keep asking.

What to say: "I am using my Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. I do not want to answer any questions."

Never lie to an agent, and never show papers that are false. If you are a permanent resident age 18 or older, the law requires you to carry your green card, so keep it with you and show it if you are asked.

Do Not Sign Anything Without a Lawyer

Agents may ask you to sign papers. Some of these papers can mean giving up your chance to see a judge or agreeing to leave the country, so do not sign anything until you have talked to a lawyer.

What to say: "I will not sign anything until I speak with my lawyer."

You have the right to a lawyer in an immigration case, but the government will not provide one for free. The organizations listed under Get Help can help you find legal support.

Make a Plan for Your Family

Planning ahead can protect your children and make a frightening moment easier if someone in your family is detained.

Write down important information and keep it where a trusted adult can find it:

•        Names, phone numbers and birthdates for everyone in your family

•        Phone numbers for your children’s school, their doctor and your workplace

•        Any allergies, medical conditions or medications

•        Your consulate’s phone number

•        An immigration lawyer’s phone number

Keep important documents together in a safe place:

•        Birth and marriage certificates

•        A passport for each family member

•        Social Security cards and ID cards

•        Your children’s vaccination records

Choose a caregiver for your children. California’s Caregiver Authorization Affidavit lets you name a trusted adult who can make school and medical decisions for your children if you are detained. You do not need to go to court to use it.

CHIRLA offers the form and a guide in English and Spanish at chirla.org/myrights.

The Amendments That Protect You

The Fourth Amendment means the government cannot search your home or take your things without a good reason, and a warrant has to be approved by a judge.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

The Fifth Amendment means you cannot be forced to say things that could be used against you, and the government has to follow fair legal steps before taking away your freedom.

"No person shall … be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

Read the full text at constitution.congress.gov.

Disclaimer

This page shares general information and is not legal advice. For help with your own situation, talk to an immigration lawyer.

Last updated: 10/19/26

Resources

If you or someone you know has been detained, or you want to report immigration activity, call the CHIRLA hotline at 1-888-624-4752.

CHIRLA’s Know Your Rights page (chirla.org/myrights) has free resources you can print and share, including a Know Your Rights card, a checklist of important documents, the caregiver affidavit and short videos on what to do if you are arrested or questioned.

These Los Angeles organizations offer immigration legal help and other support. Hours and services can change, so call ahead.

Immigrant Defenders Law Center

Immigration legal help, with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Ana and Riverside

(213) 833-8283  |  immdef.org

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles

Asylum, green cards, citizenship, family reunification, help for unaccompanied minors and defense against deportation

800-399-4529  |  lafla.org

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles

Immigration and refugee services across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Kern and Santa Barbara counties

(213) 251-3505 |  catholiccharitiesla.org

CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights)

Help for people facing deportation, whether or not they are detained

(213) 201-3797 or 1-888-624-4752  |  chirla.org

Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)

Affordable immigration legal services

(213) 385-7800, ext. 136  |  carecen-la.org

This list is not comprehensive, and these organizations are independent of Celeste Rodriguez for Assembly.