We are a community rooted in worship and in peace and justice. It is important for Quaker Meetings to be prepared if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other law enforcement officials arrive at a Meetinghouse. This guide outlines steps to protect vulnerable individuals and uphold our values of sanctuary and solidarity.
NOTE: This is for general informational purposes only. It is not written by lawyers or for specific meetings or situations and therefore does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal concerns, consult an immigration attorney or legal aid organization.
This information and resources are important. It is also important to simply be who we are. Our practices of worship, acting from a place that is centered in God, and seeing the Light in all people are practices that guide us in everything, including coping with ICE and our current government. Take a long slow breath and stay centered in love.
Key things to know about ICE and places of worship:
- Where ICE can go
ICE is allowed to go anywhere the public is allowed to go. When your meeting is open and Friends and visitors can enter your building, ICE also can. Anywhere a visitor would be allowed to go, ICE would be allowed.
- Where ICE cannot go
Anywhere a visitor couldn’t go on their own, ICE is not allowed to go without your invitation. During the week when the building is closed to the public, offices or youth spaces that are restricted to visitors off the street are also restricted to ICE.
- Warrants that allow ICE to enter private space.
To enter private spaces – places not open to the public – ICE must have a judicial warrant. This will be signed by a judge and will indicate the address of the meeting, and which spaces the agent is allowed to enter. If they have a judicial warrant, they have the right to enter the places identified by the warrant.
Frequently ICE will show up with an administrative warrant which is kind of like a hall-pass they issue for themselves. You do not have to honor anything except a judicial warrant.
- Warrants that allow ICE to make an arrest:
- I-200 (Warrant for Arrest of Alien): Issued by an ICE officer, this warrant authorizes the arrest of a non-citizen but does not allow ICE to enter private property without consent. I-200_SAMPLE.PDF
- I-205 (Warrant of Removal/Deportation): Also issued by ICE, this warrant orders the removal of a non-citizen but does not grant permission to enter private property. I-205_SAMPLE.PDF
Prepare in advance
- Designate Point People:
- Identify individuals to engage with ICE if they come to the Meetinghouse. They will evaluate a warrant, tell the agents that no one is speaking with them, and will try to move the agent away from worship and people.
- Identify individuals to document everything that happens.
- Consider selecting someone less likely to be profiled or harassed by law enforcement.
- Consider selecting someone who is least likely to be intimidated and highly likely to stay grounded.
- Know Your Rights:
- Review resources on the rights of citizens and immigrants.
- No one is obligated to answer questions about immigration status.
- Develop a Plan:
- Consider how you will protect vulnerable people, children, and people who are afraid.
- Make sure people in the meeting know who the designated point people are and that no one else should have any interaction with ICE.
- Hold training sessions & role-playing exercises. The more you have practiced what to say and do the easier it will be to enact your plan in a high-stress situation.
- Establish contacts with a lawyer or legal aid groups.
Key things to do if ICE comes to meeting
- Do not allow ICE to enter private spaces
- Do NOT open the door to private spaces.
- If they come during a time when the building is not open to visitors off the street, do not let them in without a judicial warrant that is signed by a judge and indicates the correct address and the places they agent can go.
- Ask them to slide a warrant under the door or hold it up to the glass before letting them in.
- Stay Calm and Silent
- Quakers were born for this response.
- Part of ICE’s practice is to be loud, intimidating and frightening. This is a deliberate tactic that successfully intimidates people into voluntarily doing what ICE wants them to, despite the fact they don’t have to. React with calm.
- The only thing to say to an ICE agent is that you choose to remain silent, and you won’t do anything without the advice of a lawyer.
- You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to give ICE agents any information. You do not have to give them information about anybody else.
- No one is required to answer questions about citizenship or immigration status about anyone.
- Even if ICE agents are shouting or are telling you that you must answer, do not.
- ICE might lie and tell you that you have to talk or show them documents. You do not.
- Do not lie. Anything you do say can be used against you, including lies. ICE might lie; you should not.
- Do NOT sign anything without legal counsel.
- If ICE has a judicial warrant, accompany them and ensure they only access the listed areas.
- Do not give ICE any documents. You do not have to show any documents of any kind – not identification, not immigration or citizenship documents – nothing.
- Engage with Officials (Designated Point Person):
- Try to keep ICE away from people; Step outside and close the door behind you.
- Ask to see identification and a judicial warrant. Make sure that the warrant is signed by a judge and lists the correct address and spaces the agent is allowed to go. Do not let them go to any private places they do not have a warrant for.
- State clearly: “I do not consent to this search.”
- Document Everything:
- Write down badge numbers and names of agents.
- Take pictures of the warrant
- Write down everything that is said and done.
- Record the encounter
- Follow Up
- Contact Legal Support Immediately
- Notify the Wider Community: Share details with Quaker Meetings and local allies to coordinate support. Contact the PYM General Secretary.
- Provide Emotional & Practical Support: Offer safe spaces, legal aid, and community solidarity to those affected.
Protect vulnerable individuals
- Do NOT Provide Information on anyone:
- No one is required to answer questions about citizenship or immigration status about themselves or anyone else.
- Do NOT sign anything without legal counsel.
- Encourage individuals at risk to remain quiet and ask for a lawyer
- Know the rights of immigrants
- Build relationships with local immigrant organizations and communities.
- Follow their lead on what they think is needed and important
- Distribute “Red Cards”
ICE and immigrants’ rights:
It is important that immigrants know their rights. Meetings can be familiar with this info to support community members and F/friends. Here are a few resources:
- The has voluminous resources. The section about the rights of immigrants at risk of detention will help immigrants be prepared.
- The Immigrant Legal Resource Center also has good resources, including an Immigration Preparedness Toolkit that outlines concrete steps immigrants can take to protect themselves, provides a guide to seeking legal advice, and describes different immigration options available.
- We Have Rights provides high quality animated videos about immigrant rights and provides an emergency plan template.
- “Red Cards” are business card-size documents that can be carried all the time to provide immediate reminders of what to do if stopped by ICE. Here is a printable card in English and in Spanish.
- Example Interaction: Before viewing the following video, please be advised that it contains intense content depicting an interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The footage illustrates the agents’ behavior during enforcement actions, the high-pressure environment such encounters can create, and the importance of standing firm in such situations. Some viewers may find this material distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.
How This Citizen Stopped ICE From Arresting 2 Immigrants | NowThis
Additional information:
The National Partnership for New Americans has shared a document with pages of links to resources for those who want a huge amount of information.
Another source is the ACLU resources on immigrant rights.
