What to Know About ICE Enforcement Activities
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice.
Starting in September 2025, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) started what it called Operation Midway Blitz in which it started very public, loud, and aggressive enforcement activities in Chicago, IL. The claim for the increase in activity has been that enforcement activities were targeting undocumented people who had criminal records. The increased enforcement moved on from Chicago to Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. Some officials and advocacy groups have expressed concern that New Orleans or other Gulf-region cities may be next.
It is questionable that ICE has accomplished or even can accomplish its goals of detaining only those who were undocumented, those who federal agents have called “illegal aliens” with a special focus on those with criminal records. Numerous publicly reported accounts indicate that many people detained had some sort of status, or visa, or were U.S. citizens and even Native Americans. This means these are all people who are not “illegal” by the most basic definition of the word in that they had the proper documentation required to be present in the United States of America. Further to this point, several programs that previously offered paths to status (including Keeping Families Together, TPS expansions, and humanitarian protections) were altered, narrowed, or terminated. These changes have caused confusion for many immigrants who had been following lawful processes.
Secondly, according to some reports, a significant portion of those detained did not have criminal convictions, and largely no violent criminal convictions. Which seems to point to either an inefficient enforcement effort or an effort which is decidedly not based on targeting criminality.
Whatever will ultimately be the goal and success of ICE’s operations, it is important for immigrants and their allies to be aware of certain information which may help in the event that one finds themselves in the midst of an ICE operation.
Be Prepared
If you are someone whose immigration status may be scrutinized, there are certain preparations you can make.
You can memorize your A-Number
You can ask a friend or family number to also memorize your A-Number
You can make sure your friends and family know how to spell your name exactly
You can memorize a friend or family member’s phone number
You can obtain a full copy of your immigrant records (such as your entire A-File) by doing a Freedom of Information (FOIA) Request
You can get Powers of Attorney done just in case
You can acquaint yourself with ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System
You can memorize an attorney’s phone number or you can retain an attorney
At Zia Pathways Law, we are currently offering a basic way of retaining our office specifically in preparation of an ICE encounter. You can schedule a consultation or contact us for more information.
Know Your Rights
A big part of being prepared, whether you are afraid of being detained or wanting to help, is to know your rights.
Now, plenty of amazing organizations have done an excellent job at spreading the word about anyone’s rights, legal status or no, if they come into contact with ICE. The basics are:
You have right to stay silent or say you do not want to answer questions
You have the right not to consent to any search of your house without a warrant signed by a judge
You have the right not to sign anything
You have the right to request an attorney (although it will not be appointed and you will have to find an attorney yourself)
I want to add on a couple that I haven’t seen as mentioned but that are important to remember:
You have the right to ask for an interpreter if you do not understand a question or a document you are being asked to sign
You have the right to ask to speak to your country’s embassy
In many states, you have the right to record interactions (although you should check your local laws before doing this)
Knowing your rights is an important part of advocating for your rights.
Connect with Your Community
Besides being prepared and knowing your rights, you can also start to connect with your community to make sure you have access to whatever resources you might need in the future (such as language resources, an attorney, etc.).
Your local nonprofits nationwide continue to do their best to serve their communities. Connect with your local nonprofits, whether that means volunteering for them, attending their events, or introducing yourself.
Because anyone has the right to an attorney, it is important to acquaint yourself with your local attorneys. Consultations are important to find one whose advocacy style suits you, who has the type of experience you are comfortable with, and who fits your budget, whatever that may be. Getting to know your local attorneys information now is important. You can call up an office to set up a consultation, to ask how their office works and operates, and you can otherwise browse their websites for information and phone numbers.
Neighbors, Friends, and Community Members
I think it is important to add some guidance here generally for any and all members of a community when it comes to preparing for ICE enforcement activities.
First, all of the above also applies to you.
You should be prepared, in that you should get to think of a general plan for how you would go about being the most helpful if ICE enforcement activities increased in your area. Connecting with your local nonprofit organizations is helpful in this regard as many already have plans or are formulating plans.
One way you can be prepared is by researching immigrant attorneys and getting their business cards. If you see someone getting detained, you could help ensure that person has the contact information for an attorney, which could be hugely important to that person’s due process.
You should also know your rights, especially when it comes to protesting or recording an incident.
You should also connect with your community. This last bit has been the most essential for me as a community member and ally. When my own locality had rumors of ICE, I went to the local sheriff’s department. Although it was somewhat daunting, I went anyway, being confident that I had the right to ask them questions. My local sheriff’s department has a cooperative agreement with ICE. This agreement apparently does not go into how enforcement activities are handled or partnered up on, but it did signal to me that my local sheriffs might have some insight into the activities.
When I met with a couple of sheriffs in the lobby of the sheriff’s office, I asked them point blank about the rumors, I asked them if they thought ICE would get in touch with them first to prepare for enforcement activities, and I also asked them about a hypothetical situation in which an immigrant presented an officer with a G-28, which is form called a Notice of Entry of Appearance of an Attorney for attorneys to indicate that they are representing an immigrant.
The sheriffs said they had not heard those rumors, they seemed genuinely surprised, and they said they had no heard of any enforcement activity.
The sheriffs said that they were not sure if ICE would let them know about the activities ahead of time, but that there had been no contact as of yet.
And the sheriffs said that they had not yet come across that situation, but they could not see a reason why they would not respect such a document and try to make contact with that person’s attorney.
Now, I did not personally nor professionally know these sheriffs. They might have been withholding; they might also not have had the correct information themselves. It is possible that the information they gave me was not true. But, they seemed genuine and, at the very least, I felt I had made a really important connection with people who were much more likely to know well before myself if ICE ever did make its way to our small town. And that felt and feels important.
And you, as a neighbor, a friend, or just a general concerned community member can take this same very important step in your own local community. If you feel secure and safe enough, you can contact your local law enforcement to see if they would speak with you as a community member about your concerns and questions about ICE. Some questions you might find useful:
You can ask about their cooperative agreements with ICE, if any, and how those work
You can ask if they have partnered with ICE in an enforcement activity and you can ask what the procedure was for those enforcement activities
You can ask them how they would deal with ICE coming to your town
You can ask them how they would treat a situation in which an immigrant’s status was questionable
You can ask what they would do if an immigrant named an attorney by having their business card or a signed G-28
Different law enforcement officers will have different policies with dealing with the public and the best way to find out is to go ahead and try to meet with them.
You can also reach out to your local representatives, mayors, legislators, community leaders to get their own takes and question their approaches to these situations.
Every little bit of information helps and staying connected helps the most.
The information in this article is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this publication does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Zia Pathways Law or the attorney. Immigration cases are fact-dependent and the law changes frequently. We recommend that you consult directly with a qualified immigration attorney for advice appropriate to your situation.
