• ICE and Border Patrol agents often wear vests or jackets that say "POLICE," drive unmarked cars, and may be in plain clothes. A "POLICE" label does not mean local police.
• Ask calmly: "What agency are you with?" and "Can I see your badge?" You can ask for the officer's name and badge number.
• Local police usually drive marked city, county or state cars. In some counties local police have a 287(g) agreement and can act for ICE; see "Your state" on the main page.
• Whoever it is, your core rights are the same: stay silent about where you were born and your status, do not consent to searches, do not resist, and never show false papers.

Either way

• If you are driving, show your driver's license, registration and proof of insurance when asked, whether it is police or ICE. State law requires drivers to produce them to officers making a stop, and refusing can turn a stop into an arrest.
• Passengers do not have to show ID or answer questions. You can ask: "Am I free to go?" If yes, leave calmly.
• You do not have to answer where you were born, whether you are a citizen, or how you entered the country.
• Do not consent to a search. Say "I do not consent to a search." Do not physically resist.
• Do not hand over a foreign passport or consular ID unless you must. It can be used as evidence of where you are from.

If it is local police

• Police enforce traffic and criminal law, not immigration law, and do not need to know your status. You can say: "I don't want to answer that."
• The biggest risk is being arrested and booked into jail, even for a minor offense like driving without a license. Fingerprints taken at booking are shared with ICE, and in 287(g) counties the jail can hold you for ICE.

If it is ICE or Border Patrol

• Immigration agents do not enforce traffic laws. They need reasonable suspicion of an immigration violation to stop you, and a warrant, probable cause or your consent to search the car.
• If you say you are not a U.S. citizen, they can ask for your immigration documents. If you have a green card or valid visa, show it; adults are required to carry it.
• If you are undocumented, stay silent and ask for a lawyer. Do not say where you are from and do not sign anything.
• An administrative ICE warrant (Form I-200 or I-205) allows an arrest but does not allow agents to force their way into a home.

Sources: Immigrant Defense Project, ICE car stops · ACLU of Washington · ACLU of Virginia

• Stay calm. Do not run. Running can be used against you.
• You have the right to remain silent and to ask for a lawyer.
• Agents need a judicial warrant or the employer's permission to enter non-public areas.
• If you are detained, give your family your full name, date of birth and A-number (if you have one) ahead of time.

• Ask: "Am I being detained, or am I free to go?"
• If you are not being detained, walk away calmly.
• You can refuse a search of your bag or phone. Say so out loud.
• Do not carry documents from another country (like a foreign passport) unless you must. Never carry false documents.

• Say you want a lawyer. Say you want to stay silent. Then stay silent.
• Do not sign a "stipulated removal" or "voluntary departure" form without a lawyer. Signing can give up your right to a hearing.
• You can ask to call your consulate. You can ask for a bond hearing.
• Memorize one phone number of someone who will act for you.

• Since July 2026, ICE can use "expedited removal" anywhere in the country on anyone who cannot prove two years of continuous presence: deportation without seeing a judge. Carry proof you have been here more than two years: leases, pay stubs, utility bills, school or medical records with your name and dates.
• In some parts of the country, people who entered without inspection are being denied bond hearings under a 2025 ruling (Matter of Yajure Hurtado). Courts disagree; a lawyer can tell you what applies where you are held.
• You do not have to say where you were born or how you entered. Never carry false documents or a foreign ID you don't need.
• If you have a U.S.-citizen spouse, parent or child, or have been here a long time, you may have options. Ask a lawyer before making any decision, including "self-deportation," which can trigger a 3- or 10-year bar on returning.

• Keep proof of your lawful entry: your I-94 (available at i94.cbp.dhs.gov), passport stamp, or old visa. Because you were admitted, you are generally entitled to a full hearing before an immigration judge rather than expedited removal, and you may be eligible for bond.
• Being admitted also matters for the future: it can make you eligible to apply for a green card from inside the U.S. through a U.S.-citizen spouse or adult child. Do not leave the country to "fix" it without legal advice; leaving can trigger a re-entry bar.
• Do not sign a "voluntary departure" or "stipulated removal" form without a lawyer.

• Federal law requires adults to carry the card (INA § 264(e)). Keep it on you and a photo of it somewhere safe.
• Your status cannot be taken away without a hearing before an immigration judge. If an officer, at an airport or anywhere, asks you to sign Form I-407 to "abandon" your residency, you can refuse. Say: "I do not abandon my residency. I want a hearing."
• You are at higher risk if you have any criminal conviction or pending charge, even old or minor, or if you have spent more than 180 days abroad in one trip. Talk to a lawyer before international travel if either applies.
• You are still entitled to remain silent and to refuse a search beyond showing the card.

• Carry proof of status: I-94, I-20 or DS-2019 (students), I-797 approval notice (workers), or your passport and visa. Officers can detain you while they verify status; proof shortens that.
• Visas can be revoked without a hearing, and in 2026 the government is screening social media for most applicants. Keep your school's international office or your employer's immigration contact informed of anything that happens.
• Students: a rule capping your stay at four years is blocked in court as of October 2026 but could return. Check with your DSO before any long absence.

• Carry your work permit (EAD) and a copy of your approval or receipt notice. A pending application is not status, but it is evidence that you are in the system and may affect how you are treated.
• TPS has been ended for most countries in 2025–26 and some terminations are in court. If your country's TPS ended, your old EAD may no longer be valid. Check the current status for your country with a lawyer or the policy section before assuming you are protected.
• DACA renewals continue; initial applications are not being approved. Keep your renewal current and avoid international travel without advance parole and legal advice.

• You cannot be deported, but citizens have been detained by mistake. Say clearly: "I am a U.S. citizen." You are not required to carry proof, but a passport card or a photo of your birth certificate or naturalization certificate on your phone ends a stop faster.
• If you were naturalized, keep a copy of your certificate somewhere a family member can reach.
• You have the right to film enforcement in public from a safe distance and to refuse to open your door without a judicial warrant, the same as anyone else.