Know Your Rights with ICE

A Note from the American Civil Liberties Union

West Virginia is no stranger to pulling the shortest straw. 

Since its inception, this state and its people have been subject to ruthless natural resource extraction, harmful legal systems, and widespread social and political manipulation. Although the state has found itself in the grip of the so-called Make America Great Again movement, there are many here who empathize with their immigrant neighbors and are working hard behind the scenes to support them. 

We have long leaned on our values of community and caring for friends and neighbors to survive. And now, many of those same communities are going to bat for those who are being terrorized by ICE. 

From Wheeling to Lewisburg and from Shepherdstown to Huntington, West Virginians are organizing in private chats, in coffee shops and in each other’s homes. We are planning and we are mobilizing with a simple mission: take care of each other as best we can. 

This can look like helping people get groceries, driving kids to school, or holding someone’s hand as they walk into government buildings, terrified of being disappeared by the government into a deadly and overcrowded immigrant detention system. It looks like connecting people with attorneys, peacefully documenting the actions of ICE officers, and helping people get to doctor appointments. 

This isn’t a right or left issue; this is a human issue.  Our state is a village, and we must continue taking care of our own.

Below are some tips from the American Civil Liberties Union to help you better understand your rights while organizing with your neighbors. 

If you are not a U.S. citizen and are stopped or questioned by the police or ICE, you should:

• Remain silent.

• Remain calm.

• Say “no” when asked to search.

• Never show false documents.

• Never lie about being a U.S. citizen.

You DO NOT have to answer questions about:

• Your immigration status.

• Where you were born.

• How you entered the country.

For bystanders:

• Record the interaction (consider boundaries + safety).

• Alert local advocates with specific information.

• Contact the family or emergency contact of the person being detained (if you know it).

• Write down everything you can remember and collect info from other witnesses.

Do not interfere or escalate the situation:

• Do not touch, push, or hit an officer.

• Do not run away; if you leave the situation, walk calmly.

• Remember: ICE agent misconduct cannot be challenged on the street.

For more Know Your Rights information, please visit: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights