Your Rights at Work

A checked version of this page, approved on 26 July 2026, was based on this revision.

General information, not legal advice. These guides are written by the community, laws vary by state, and policies change. For advice about your own situation, talk to an immigration lawyer (how to find a real one, free if needed).

If ICE comes to your workplace: do not run. Running invites a chase and can be used as an excuse to detain you. Stay where you are, stay calm, and use your rights.

For workers

You may remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your status, where you were born, or your papers. Say: "I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer."
Do not run, hide in a way that looks like flight, or block agents physically.
Do not show false documents and do not lie. Stay silent instead.
Sign nothing without a lawyer, whatever anyone tells you it means.
You may keep a red card in your pocket and hand it over instead of speaking.

For employers and managers

You are allowed to protect your workers' rights:

Agents may enter public areas (a lobby, a dining room) without permission, but they need a judicial warrant (signed by a judge, naming the place) to enter private areas such as kitchens, back offices, or staff rooms. You may say: "That area is private. I do not consent to entry without a judicial warrant."
Ask to see the warrant, read what places and things it covers, and note the agents' names. Do not obstruct physically, and do not lie to agents or hide people when directly asked, but declining to consent is always legal.
You are not required to gather your employees, point anyone out, or answer questions on the spot. You may say the company will respond through its lawyer.
I-9 audits are different from raids. A Notice of Inspection gives you three business days before you must produce records. Call an employment or immigration lawyer immediately.

Prepare as a workplace

Agree on one point person who talks to agents and one who calls the rapid response line and a lawyer.
Post the private-area boundaries and brief staff on the script above.
Afterwards, document everything: see Information to Document and How to Report an Incident.