If federal agents knock on your door, the first 60 seconds matter more than almost anything else that follows. What you do, what you say, and what you do not say will shape the entire case.
Read this now, before it ever happens. Print it. Share it with your family.
A note on what is happening in 2026. In January 2026, the Associated Press reported on an internal ICE memo authorizing officers to enter homes using only administrative warrants, without judicial approval. This contradicts decades of established Fourth Amendment law. Federal courts have already ruled against ICE in some of these cases. The Fourth Amendment still applies. You still have rights. Know them and assert them.
1. Do not open the door
You are not required to open the door for any law enforcement officer who does not have a judicial warrant. This includes ICE.
Stay calm. Stay inside. Speak through the door. Do not step outside, even partially. Stepping outside can be treated as exiting the protected space of your home.
2. Ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge
Through the door, ask: “Do you have a warrant signed by a judge?”
If they say yes, ask them to slide it under the door or hold it up to a window so you can read it.
3. Read the warrant carefully if they show you one
There are two kinds of warrants in immigration enforcement, and the difference is everything.
A judicial warrant is signed by a federal or state judge. It will say so, with the judge’s name and the court’s name. It allows officers to enter your home.
An administrative warrant is signed by an immigration officer, usually on Form I-200 (arrest warrant) or Form I-205 (removal warrant). It is signed by a Department of Homeland Security employee, not a judge. Traditionally, an administrative warrant alone does not authorize officers to enter your home without your consent. Federal courts continue to rule that this is the law.
Look for: the name of a judge in the signature line, your correct name, and your correct address. If any of those are missing, the warrant is either administrative or defective.
4. State your refusal clearly
If they do not have a judicial warrant, say through the door, in a clear voice: “I do not consent to your entry. I do not consent to a search.”
Repeat it as many times as needed. Do not argue. Do not explain. Do not negotiate.
If officers force entry anyway, do not physically resist. Continue stating that you do not consent and that you want to remain silent.
5. Stay silent and ask for a lawyer
Whether you are inside your home, on your porch, or in a car, you have the right to remain silent. You also have the right to ask for a lawyer.
Do not answer questions about where you were born, what country you are a citizen of, or how you entered the U.S. Do not produce false documents, do not produce a foreign passport unless your lawyer tells you to. Do not sign anything.
Say: “I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer.”
6. Document everything
Have someone in the home record what is happening on a phone if you can do so safely. Note the time, the number of officers, what they were wearing, what they said, what badges they showed, and what they did.
Write it all down as soon as the encounter ends. Memory fades fast under stress. Detailed notes can be the difference between winning and losing a motion to suppress later.
7. Have a family safety plan ready before this ever happens
The single most important thing you can do is prepare before there is ever a knock at the door. A real family safety plan includes:
- An immigration attorney’s contact information posted on the fridge and saved in every family member’s phone
- A trusted person designated to care for your children if you are detained
- Powers of attorney prepared in advance for childcare and finances
- Originals of important documents (birth certificates, passports, immigration paperwork) stored in a secure location your trusted person can access
- A list of any medications and medical conditions for each family member
- Memorized phone numbers, in case your phone is taken
- Money set aside for an attorney retainer and bond
If a family member has already been detained
Find them through the ICE Online Detainee Locator using their full name and country of birth, or their A-number if you know it.
Then call an immigration attorney immediately. The first 48 hours after detention are critical. Bond, custody redetermination, and case strategy decisions made in that window can shape everything that follows. See our guide on how ICE motions to pretermit are being used for one example of why fast representation matters.
A final word
Knowing your rights is half the battle. Asserting them is the other half.
At Vital Legal Group, we represent people in removal proceedings, post-detention bond hearings, and complex deportation defense. If a family member has been detained, or if you fear they soon may be, schedule your free case evaluation today. Time matters more than almost anything else.