Resources
For Individuals
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
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National Immigration Law Center – What to do if you are arrested or detained (PDF in English, Spanish, Chinese – Traditional, Korean, Haitian Creole and Arabic)
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ACLU New Jersey – What to do if you are approached by immigration officials
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ACLU Michigan – Know Your Rights Before, During, and After an Immigration Raid (PDF in English, Spanish, Arabic, French and Bangla
KYR Video in English and Spanish)
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Some information is specific to Michigan, so not all information listed will be the same in NJ.
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Includes a Family Preparedness Plan
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Red Cards in English and Spanish (to show immigration officials you choose to remain silent; you can slide card under a door, if needed)
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We Have Rights – Prepare for and Defend Your Rights (when ICE is outside our door, in our homes, in our communities, if we are arrested, and when documenting ICE arrests)
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Videos in English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Haitian Creole, Russian, and Urdu
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Includes an emergency plan guide
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National Immigrant Justice Center – 5 Things You Can Do Now to Protect Your Loved Ones (PDF in English and Spanish)
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN
- Make the Road New York – Protecting our Families: Planning Guide (in English and Spanish)
- North Carolina Justice Center – Safe Families Emergency Guide (in English and Spanish)
- NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children – Immigrant Rights Toolkit (Bilingual)
- Rutgers Law School Child Advocacy Clinic and Lowenstein Sandler LLP – Emergency Plan and Power of Attorney Form (Bilingual and FAQ)
For Businesses
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
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National Immigration Law Center – What to do if Immigration Comes to Your Workplace (PDF in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Thai)
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It is important to have a plan in advance and know what areas in the workplace are considered public and private.
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Employees should receive training to understand their rights and what to do and not do during a raid.
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Connect with your local rapid response network and immigration attorneys now—before anything happens (see below for NJ rapid response network and legal services).
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- Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) – KYR During Workplace Raids and Audits Guide (in English)
- AFL-CIO – Frontline Solidarity Toolkit (in English, submit request form)
- Siembra NC – Defend and Recruit 4th Amendment Workplaces
- Visibility Brigade – Operation Fortify
NJ Specific Resources
Trainings
- MIRA Coalition – Recorded Know Your Rights Trainings and Slides (MA-specific) for Individuals, Businesses, and Organizations in multiiple languages
- NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children – Recorded Detention 101 Trainings for Attorneys and Briefings on Preparedness for Nonprofits, Food Pantries, and Organizations in Food Security Spaces (request recording via email)
Rapid Response
ICE Out of NJ
Tips when contacting Rapid Response (RR):
- Save the map and number for the RR organization for your county on your phone now.
- If safe, take a picture or video of what you are seeing to share with RR when you call (see Wired video how to record ICE).
- Use SALUTE or ALERTA to provide details about the enforcement action and the support needed.
We protect one another by sharing useful and actionable information, not rumors. A.L.E.R.T.A., for a specific request for any aid! This can include: observation, de-escalation, survivor support, medical aid, bystander intervention, etc.
ALERTA Guide
Activity
Location
Equipment
Response requested
Time & date
Appearance
SALUTE Guide
S – size/strength
A – actions/activity
L – location & direction
U – uniform/clothes
T – time & date of observation
E – equipment/weapons
This version of ALERTA is credited to radicals in Asheville as a way to move away from a US military framework and focus on the type of response requested.
My Family Member/Friend Is Detained
If a family member, neighbor or friend is detained, it may take several days to locate them on the ICE Detainee Locator System online.
If they have any attorney, contact the attorney as soon as possible and provide as much detail as you can using the checklist below about the individual detained and the abduction/arrest.
If they do not have an attorney, review some of the resources below and in the checklist to try to find a reputable attorney.
Be careful of notario fraud! Notarios cannot practice immigration law in the US.
Be cautious if anyone promises/guarantees to resolve your case or asks for a large amount of money upfront through an app or on social media without a contract.
ICE Detainee Locator (can take 48 hours or more to show up in the system)
National Immigration Project – Checklist: My Community Member Was Arrested by ICE – What Do I Do? (in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole)
Legal Services
Resources for adults and children who are detained or at risk of being detained or deported:
- Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative and consultations/resources for non-detained adults
- NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children Rapid Response Initiative for unaccompanied children
- American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) Hotline: 973-643-1924 (Tues from 2:00pm – 4:00pm)
- Legal Services of New Jersey Hotline: 888-894-0612
- DIRE Legal Services: (201) 591-5348
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Immigration Advocates Network: List of nonprofit immigration organizations
- American Immigration Lawyers Association: National directory of immigration attorneys
