Immigration enforcement has increased since 2025. Most people with valid status never deal with it. A few calm habits protect you if you do.
Carry proof of your status
By federal law, every non-citizen 18 or older must carry proof of registration at all times. Failing to carry it is a misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $5,000 or up to 30 days in jail.
What counts includes:
Your I-94 record (printed, or on your phone; download it from i94.cbp.dhs.gov).
Your work permit (EAD card).
Some other DHS documents. If you registered with USCIS through Form G-325R, the proof USCIS gave you.
A phone screen or a printed copy can count. Keep copies of your passport, visa and I-20, DS-2019 or I-797 at home and in a safe online folder. Carry originals only when you need them, except the proof above.
If an immigration officer stops you in public
Stay calm. Do not run. Do not resist, even if you think the stop is wrong.
Ask: "Am I free to go?" If yes, leave calmly.
If you have valid papers, show them. Lawful visitors and residents should show their proof when asked by an immigration officer.
You do not have to answer other questions, like where you were born. You can say: "I want to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer."
Never lie, never claim to be a US citizen, and never show false documents.
If officers come to your home
Do not open the door. Talk through the door.
Ask: "Do you have a warrant signed by a judge? Please slide it under the door or show it at the window."
A judicial warrant names a court and is signed by a judge. An administrative warrant (often Form I-200 or I-205) is signed by an immigration officer. Civil rights groups say an administrative warrant alone does not allow officers to enter a home without consent. ICE has claimed it can in some cases where a person has a final removal order, and courts are deciding this.
You can say: "I do not consent to your entry." If officers enter anyway, do not physically resist. Stay silent and ask for a lawyer.
Do not sign anything, especially any paper agreeing to leave the US, before talking to a lawyer.
At the airport and border
Rules are different at the border. CBP can inspect your bags and may search phones and laptops. Answer questions truthfully. Green card holders who are asked to sign Form I-407 (giving up the green card) do not have to sign it.
Write the phone number of an immigration lawyer or legal aid group on paper and memorize it.
Choose someone who can care for your children if you are detained, and tell your children's school who can pick them up.
Keep copies of documents where a trusted person can find them.
To locate someone detained by ICE, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You need their name and country of birth, or their A-number.
Free and low-cost help: the EOIR list of pro bono legal service providers, and nonprofits with accredited representatives (see the guide on finding legal help).
Leaving your I-94 or green card proof at home every day.
Opening the door "to explain".
Signing papers you do not understand.