Resources to Protect Yourself and Your Community

Calendar: Here is our calendar of upcoming virtual public Know Your Rights and Community Education events. Click on the links to register.
- - February 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM: Know Your Rights: What the Immigrant Community Should Know (in English). Register here.
  - March 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM: Know Your Rights: What Immigrant Allies Should Know (in English). Register here.
  - March 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM: Know Your Rights: What the Immigrant Community Should Know (in English). Register here.
  - March 13, 2025 at 6:30 PM: Know Your Rights: What the Immigrant Community Should Know (in Spanish) Register here.

Community Defender Training: Join the National Immigration Project on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 3:00pm ET for a community defender training on expedited removal. This is a free webinar for community defenders, organizers, and impacted community members to go over the process of expedited removal and how to best prepare for it. Register here!

Executive Orders: From Immigrant ARC: an analysis of the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders and what they mean for New Yorkers.

We Have Rights videos: From Brooklyn Defender Services and partner organizations, this is a series of animated films to help immigrants know what to do when confronted by ICE in the most common situations.

Know Your Rights: From The New York Immigration Coalition: a guide for immigrant New Yorkers on how to avoid immigration scams, protect their families when interacting with ICE, and create a plan for their family in the event of deportation. Click here. If you need a more print-friendly option, click here.

Know Your Rights Red Cards: From The Immigrant Legal Resource Center: All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution. The ILRC red cards are easy to print at home and help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home.

Online Detainee Locator System: If you have a loved one, over the age of 18, who has been arrested or detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) you can locate them using this online detainee locator system. This site is accessible in seven languages including English and Spanish. You can search for a detained individual by using the individual’s A-number and country of birth OR by using the individual’s name, date of birth and country of birth.

Advocacy: For community members who would like to get involved in advocacy work, please click here for more information. In addition, here is a 2-page document on how you can get involved in work to ensure that your municipality is taking steps to safeguard immigrants.

Legislative Newsletter: Our legislative newsletter provides a brief overview of changes to federal immigration policy under the Trump Administration, budget and legislative policy priorities in New York State, and information on how people can get involved.

Policies and Guidance: This includes policies and guidelines that may be helpful to nonprofit organizations, community groups, and local municipalities.
- Guidance for private and non-profit organizations from the Office of the Governor and New York State Attorney General in evaluating how to respond to requests from federal immigration authorities while protecting the rights of their residents, clients, patients, members, and staff.
- Resources for Nonprofits on 2025 Federal Actions from Pro Bono Partnership
- Guidance to Nonprofits Regarding Immigration Enforcement from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and
  Lawyers Alliance for New York. This document includes an example of a judicial versus ICE warrant.
- Local Steps to Defend and Protect Immigrants: Our entire community is safer when all residents, regardless of immigration status, feel safe driving to work, taking their kids to school, and reporting crimes to law enforcement. Unfortunately, many members of the immigrant community often feel unsafe interacting with state and local government agencies for fear that this will lead to a devastating interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This information sheet details ways that residents can get involved in local efforts.
- Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act: The Westchester County Immigrant Protection Act (IPA) was signed into law on March 20, 2018. The IPA was specifically designed to comply with federal law and to make all Westchester residents safer by increasing trust between communities and county law enforcement. The IPA outlines what information county law enforcement will require from those they interact with and how this information is shared with federal law enforcement. It is a good example for other municipalities to review when considering local policies.
- School District Guidance: This is an example of guidance from a school district on interactions with ICE and supporting all students.
- New York State Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students

Additional Community Resources:

- Immi is a project created through Immigration Advocates Network. It is intended for immigrant users who can use this tool in English or Spanish to determine whether they are eligible for any affirmative immigration benefits. This tool does not provide information for those in removal proceedings. https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/immi-project/
- Immi Make a Plan Tool is intended to help individuals who may be at risk for immigration enforcement including detention and deportation. Individuals can use this online system to create a safety plan and help prepare their familial and financial affairs https://www.immi.org/en/Home/make-a-plan
- LawHelpNY is a resource for individuals to find self help materials and to look for free or low-cost legal services in New York State. https://www.lawhelpny.org/