Know your rights: Immigration edition

I’ve been asked about this so I thought I would share it here. Even if you are undocumented, you have rights when you are approached by police, immigration or border control agents. The National Immigration Law Center offers this guidance:

• You have the right to remain silent. You may refuse to speak to immigration officers.
• You should carry a know-your-rights card (see above) and show it if you are stopped.
• You should not open your door. Agents must have a warrant signed by a judge and present it before you open the door.
• You have the right to speak to a lawyer and you should not sign anything until you do.
• You should carry valid immigration documents at all times, but not papers from your home or another country.

There are other things to consider, but which you can find at the NILC site. But these are the basic things you need to know.

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Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet