1. DON’T OPEN THE DOOR
   ICE cannot come in without your permission and must have a signed warrant from a federal judge.

2. DON’T SIGN ANYTHING
   Don’t sign any documents from ICE. Let a lawyer or advocate read it and explain it to you first.

3. REMAIN SILENT
   Anything you say to ICE can be used against you so do not answer any questions. Request to speak to a lawyer.

TIPS ON PROTECTING OUR UNDOCUMENTED COMMUNITIES

1. If an ICE agent knocks on your door, ask them to slide the warrant under the door. The warrant must be addressed to the person that they are looking for. It MUST be signed by a federal judge.

2. If they do not produce a judicial warrant as described above, you have the right NOT to open the door. Tell them: “I do not consent to your entry.”

3. You have the right to remain silent.

4. You have the right to speak with an attorney. Try to have on hand the G28 form on hand which allows an attorney to make inquiries on your behalf.

5. Find a lawyer, including pro-bono immigration legal services here.

6. You have the right to resist unlawful searches.

7. Do not sign documents without first speaking to a lawyer.

8. If you have a final order of removal, avoid going home, work or being anywhere where ICE agents might have an address for you.  

9. If you are interested in seeking sanctuary, please email us so that we can support you in navigating a safe space.

10. Find a local rapid response network in your city or state to access resources.

11. Build a family plan, asset plan and bond plan. Talk to your roommates and family about your situation.

12. Everyone in the household, including family and friends who are citizens, must be familiar with their rights.

13. You have the right to record ICE activity on your phone without getting in their way. Report these activities to your local ICE Watch hotlines, if they exist, or report to the Deportation Defense Hotline (1-844-363-1423

• Chief of Immigrant Affairs—Responsible for developing strategic initiatives, including economic development, community well-being and immigrant integration.

• Outreach Coordinator—Ensures greater coverage, coordination and response to the needs of our immigrant community, and engages with community, business and faith-based organizations, as well as other stakeholders. 

• Language Access Coordinator—Helps build capacity to serve limited English proficient (LEP) residents in the County.

Email immigrantaffairs@baltimorecountymd.gov to attend a special meeting or event, or to be connected with resources. 

Provides resources about medical services, housing, legal services, and more.

FERPA

Judicial Order vs. Administrative Warrant

FOIA

Policy Digest

Created: September 1, 2025

• Protect the legal and constitutional rights and safety of students, staff, and faculty.

• Respond lawfully to warrants, subpoenas, and immigration enforcement activity.

• Support individuals impacted by immigration enforcement actions, such as detention and deportation.

• Communicate clearly with the campus community while maintaining compliance with legal obligations.

To access the toolkit, contact federalpolicyteam@presidentsalliance.org.

1) Record from a safe distance. DO NOT INTERVENE.

2) Put the DATE, TIME, & LOCATION on the video.

3) Ask for NAMES & BIRTHDAYS

4) CONTEXT, how many people were taken? What happened? How?

5) If possible, document vehicles used and agents, even if masked.

■ For these stories and more make sure you check us out at: https://www.lataco.com

WHAT IS L.A. TACO? L.A. TACO is a local food, culture, and community publication covering Los Angeles and its surrounding areas. We are independently owned and operated by and for Los Angeles. In our mission, we aim to bring raw, street-level journalism from all corners of L.A. County to our loyal readers and members who share our passion for Los Angeles.

From 13-year-old Fatima Avelica-Gonzalez filming her father as he was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) agents on her cell phone amidst her sobs, to the desperation, confusion, and fear heard in the recording of 10 Central American children separated from their families at the US-Mexican border, documentation has a crucial role in exposing immigration abuses and advocating for rights. 

This project offers a deep dive into how to safely, ethically and effectively film abuses against immigrants from ICE agents, Border Patrol, and others through in person trainings, tip sheets, case studies, videos, and more.

Together we will expose ICE and Border Patrol, demand justice, share our truths, and remind the perpetrators: the world is watching.

No bans. No walls. No deportations.

MD International Rescue Committee - Silver Spring Office https://www.rescue.org/united-states/silver-spring-md Silver Spring Resettlement assistance, direct support, general services, citizenship and legal support

MD International Rescue Committee - Baltimore https://www.rescue.org/united-states/baltimore-md Baltimore Resettlement assistance

MD Centro de los Derechos del Migrante https://cdmigrante.org Baltimore Education and programming, legal aid and support, advocacy

MD/DC/VA Solutions in Hometown Connections https://www.shconnections.org/ Greenbelt, MD - serves clients in Maryland DC suburbs, Northern Virginia, and DC English-language learning for adults, child education, citizenship prep

Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network

https://www.dcmigrantmutualaid.org/

Homes Not Borders

https://www.homesnotborders.org/

Amica Center for Immigrant Rights

https://amicacenter.org/about-us/introducing-the-amica-center-for-immigrant-rights/

African Communities Together - DC Office

https://africans.us/

Acacia Center for Justice

https://acaciajustice.org/about-us/

Congregation Action Network

https://www.congregationactionnetwork.org

International Rescue Committee - Charlottesville

https://www.rescue.org/united-states/charlottesville-va

International Rescue Committee - Richmond

https://www.rescue.org/united-states/richmond-va

Commonwealth Catholic Charities

https://www.cccofva.org/immigrationhelp

Sacred Heart Center

https://shcrichmond.org/what-we-do/

New Virginia Majority

https://www.newvirginiamajority.org/

New Bridges Immigrant Resource Center

https://newbridgesirc.org/

Centreville Immigration Forum (CIF)

https://centrevilleimmigrationforum.org/

Hamkae Center

https://hamkaecenter.org/

Edu-Futuro

https://edu-futuro.org/

African Communities Together - Arlington Office

https://africans.us

Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations

https://vacolao.org/

La Colectiva

lacolectiva.org/initiatives

Legal Aid Justice Center

https://www.justice4all.org/

Just Neighbors https://www.justneighbors.org/

Videos spread across social media have shown Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents violently arresting county residents. The raids have drawn outrage from community members and elicited fear among the county’s large immigrant population, who say agents have targeted and racially profiled people of color, specifically Latinos.

Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has facilitated the arrests and deportations of thousands of immigrants nationwide. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deployed 2,000 federal agents in Minneapolis as part of the president’s mass deportation campaign, the Associated Press reported.

The deployment made national headlines after protests broke out across the city and federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens.

In Prince George’s County, ICE agents have been active in Hyattsville, said at-large county council member Wala Blegay. County council members have received reports of agents being near county property and schools, she said.

Blegay added that the county has been hit hard by ICE activity because of its growing number of immigrants, specifically in the Latino community.

Almost 25 percent of the county’s population last year identified as Hispanic or Latino, according to the county’s health department. U.S. Census data from 2020 to 2024 also shows that about 25 percent of county residents were born outside the country.

Kilmar Armando Ábrego García is among the Prince George’s County community members who have been detained by ICE over the last year. The Beltsville resident was detained by federal agents last March and wrongfully deported to El Salvador, The Diamondback previously reported. He was under protected legal status to stay in the U.S. after fleeing El Salvador 14 years ago.

Ábrego García was released from immigration services in December when a federal judge ordered his immediate release after months of deliberation with the Trump administration.

[UMD SGA urges university to become sanctuary campus]

Prince George’s County Council members were staunchly against ICE’s deportation of Ábrego García, rallying for his release and working to support his family.

Blegay said the county government doesn’t cooperate with ICE in any capacity.

“We want people to feel comfortable going to work, taking care of their kids, taking their kids to school,” Blegay said. “We want these ICE raids to stop.”

Under the county’s Community Inclusiveness Act, which was passed in 2019, county employees aren’t permitted to investigate immigration status unless required by law. County police also don’t enforce or assist with federal immigration laws, according to the bill.

Regardless of federal actions, the county is responsible for protecting access to services and public safety and ensuring residents understand their rights, District 3 council member Eric Olson wrote in a statement to The Diamondback .

“[ICE’s actions] are sowing fear among families and undermining the trust that is essential to public safety,” Olson’s statement read. “Prince George’s County remains committed to ensuring that all residents feel safe and supported.”

Blegay is currently working with various organizations and nonprofits to help fund support to immigrant communities in the county, including partnerships that are set to be announced in the coming weeks, she said.

She also noted her support for the work of the county’s Board of Education in their policymaking against ICE.

Last February, the board passed a resolution that named Prince George’s County Public Schools a safe space for students. The resolution also blocks ICE from entering schools without a court-issued criminal warrant.

School board member Aimee Olivo said the board is working on a new policy aiming to help the school system navigate in the instance of ICE activity.

The policy would allow schools to go into a “shelter in place” status if ICE activity occurs in the school zone area, which would prohibit people from entering the building.

“That’s going to be a really important protection,” Olivo said.

When a school is under the shelter in place status, students are protected by being permitted to stay in the building after school dismissal.

[College Park, Prince George’s County no longer listed as sanctuary jurisdictions]

Since the uptick in ICE activity, Olivo said she’s heard reports of students being kept home from school and a decline in parent engagement at school events because they’re afraid of being detained.

“Every child deserves a free and appropriate education,” Olivo said. “It’s incredibly concerning to me that children may be being kept away from school due to immigration enforcement.”

Local activist Liz Enagonio said she’s pleased the school board has been clear in its support of student protection.

Enagonio is one of three co-founders of Indivisible Bowie and Beyond, an advocacy group based in Prince George’s County that has recently held protests against ICE.

Enagonio, a child of immigrants, called the ICE raids across the country “absolutely horrendous.”

“We are seeing authoritarianism that is trending toward worse,” she said.

While Enagonio has appreciated the stand some county council members have taken against ICE, she said she hopes to see more transparency and direct action from them in the future.

She said it’s natural for people to want to “protect [their] hearts” and turn away from the situation. But the recent killings in Minneapolis have affected people’s perception of the situation and led to more vocal opposition, she added.

“That brings it home,” Enagonio said. “What they will do to your neighbor, they will do to you.”

Students panicked Tuesday morning when rumors circulated on social media about the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on campus. University of Maryland police confirmed to The Diamondback that ICE was not on campus.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, you should remain calm and silent, regardless of citizenship status. You are not obligated to disclose any information about your immigration status or where you were born.

If you are not a US citizen, you should not lie or provide any false documents regarding your immigration status or country of origin.

The ACLU recommends you have the phone number of a lawyer memorized. Do not sign any documents without the presence of a lawyer. Do not resist arrest and comply with officers until a lawyer can intervene.

For more tips, read here.