Know Your Rights
- Dylan Tingey
- Mar 10
- 3 min read
Everyone in this country has rights, regardless of citizenship status. It’s important that you know them.
Preparing ahead of time:
Gather original copies of important documents in a secure location and do not give them to anyone who cannot expressly prove the government needs the original copy.
If you are detained by ICE, the government will not provide a lawyer for immigration cases, so find reputable legal counsel from online databases like lawhelpca.org, immigrationlawhelp.org, or findyourally.com (for California Community Colleges students, staff/faculty, alumni).
If you have children, consider creating a Family Preparedness Plan—guides can be found on the Immigrant Legal Resource Center’s online website.
Carry a red card with you at all times to express your intentions to lawfully remain silent. (Copies can be found on the last page of this newspaper)
What to do if approached by ICE:
You have the right to remain silent—tell the officers you are refusing to speak without a lawyer.
You have the right to a lawyer and a phone call.
You may refuse to show any documents to ICE before consulting a lawyer.
You have the right to insist on seeing the warrant before allowing ICE into your home — this warrant must be signed by a judge, have your correct address, name, and date. Do not open the door to see the warrant, ask the agents to slide it under the door.
You have the right to refuse to sign anything before consulting a lawyer — anything you sign may waive your rights to consult a lawyer, have a hearing, or may allow you to be immediately deported without due process.
If you are a bystander, you have the right to record from a distance and gather information from other witnesses, gather names and badge numbers of agents if you believe a raid occurred with no warrant. If you believe there were abuses or infringements on someone’s rights, you may report to the United We Dream hotline at (844)-363-1423 or to the California Attorney General’s office at oag.ca.gov/report.
If you see ICE on campus please report it to the WVC Police (408-299-3233) or the Director of Student Needs (408-741-4081)
In California, State and Local Law Enforcement cannot:
…ask about your immigration status.
…share any private information about you for immigration enforcement purposes.
…assist ICE with immigration enforcement (Attorney General Rob Bonta issued express bulletins under SB 54 about the limits for local law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE, which can be read in full at: https://oag.ca.gov/immigrant/resources).
Resources here at West Valley College:
Free Immigration Legal Services for students, staff, and faculty (at all California Community Colleges) at findyourally.com
Red Cards are available to be printed (in multiple languages) from an email sent to all West Valley College students—which you can find by searching “Know Your Rights” in your inbox. Copies in English are included on the last page of this issue.
The Undocumented Resource Office offers workshops, information about campus, academic support, scholarships, and legal resources.
Personal counseling and mental health support are available for free in Health Services for all students.
“Know Your Rights Workshops” will be held on:
March 25th, 2025, from 11 am-12 pm in person in the Campus Center Club Room and on Zoom.
April 30th, 2025, from 1 pm-2 pm in person in the Baltic Room and on Zoom.
None of the information presented here is legal counsel; if you have questions or need legal advice please seek a lawyer licensed and practicing in the state of California.
