Immigration agents are coming to the Bay Area. Here’s how to protect yourself.

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Federal immigration agents could be deployed to the Bay Area as early as Thursday. After consulting with attorneys and immigration advocates, Mission Local has compiled a list of know-your-rights tips for people in San Francisco. 

For protesters: 

• If you plan to participate in a protest, have a plan to contact legal assistance, such as the National Lawyers Guild’s S.F. Bay Area chapter.
• You have the right to peacefully assemble and to record law enforcement officers in public spaces.
• If stopped by law enforcement, you have the right to remain silent, and don’t have to answer questions about your immigration status.

If you are stopped on the streets:

• You must stay where you are until an officer tells you that you are free to go. 
• You don’t have to unlock your phone for any government officer who does not have a warrant.

For immigrants and their families: 

• When encountering law enforcement, you have the right to remain silent and are advised to refuse to answer questions about your birthplace, immigration status, or how you entered the country. 
• You have the right to refuse a search, and to prevent immigration enforcement agents from entering your home or workplace without a valid warrant signed by a judge. 
• You have the right to speak with a lawyer first and ask for interpretation services. Do not sign any document before talking to an attorney. 
• Keep the red card with you to assert your rights under the U.S. Constitution. These cards can also be used in various ways, including being slipped under your front door or being given directly to immigration enforcement offices to declare your rights to remain silent. 
• Save the number 415-200-1548 on your phone. This is the San Francisco Rapid Response network’s 24-hour hotline that connects detained immigrants and their families with legal aid and support. 
• Fill out an emergency preparedness plan in case you are arrested, such as the one offered by the San Francisco Immigrant Legal & Education Network. Make sure both you and your family member have your A-Number, full name, date of birth and country of origin. Make copies of your passport and immigration documents and ensure your family can access them. 
• Carry evidence that you have been in the United States for longer than two years to reduce the risk of being placed in a deportation process without the chance to argue your case. 

This is part of a series of resource guides we’ve run on immigration enforcement. Read the others below:

• “How can you mobilize for immigrant rights in S.F.?” for a list of nonprofits, workshops, and other ways to get involved.
• “How can you prepare if you or a loved one are detained by ICE?” for families who are at risk of detention.
• “How can S.F. families prepare if a relative is detained by ICE?” specifically for mixed-status families, where some members are U.S. citizens and others are not.

This list was compiled with input from Angela Chan of the Public Defender’s Office, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, Mission Action and the San Francisco Rapid Response Network.