ICE and your rights in 2026: what to do on the street, in a car, at home, and if a family member is detained

ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) is a federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that handles arrests, detention, and deportation of non-citizens. Regular city or state police report to local government and handle criminal and traffic matters.

• ICE can arrest you for violating immigration law, even if there is no crime.
• Agents are often in plain clothes or in vests that say POLICE. You have the right to ask: "Which agency are you with?"
• Separately there is CBP, the border agency (airports, the border), and since 2025 there are also USCIS special agents with arrest powers.

Your basic rights (to remain silent, not to consent to a search, to ask for a lawyer) are the same with any of these agencies.

Yes, it can. A pending application by itself does not give you status and is not a guarantee against detention.

• The highest risk is for people whose parole or other permission to stay has already expired and who have no decision yet.
• The Ukraine Immigration Task Force writes that hundreds of Ukrainians have already ended up in immigration detention, including people with pending applications.
• An I-797 receipt helps show that you are acting lawfully and waiting for a decision, so carry a copy.

If your parole is expiring or has already expired, discuss your risk with a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative) in advance, not after you are detained.

Mass deportations of Ukrainians have not been officially announced, but individual detentions and deportations do happen. As of 10/15/2026, we have not found new systematic reports in October of arrests specifically of parolees or TPS holders.

• While your parole or TPS is valid, you are in the US legally.
• TPS for Ukraine ends on 10/19/2026. As of 10/15/2026 there is no official DHS decision on an extension; lawyers believe an automatic 6-month extension applies by law, but DHS has not confirmed this. Details on the TPS page.
• The highest risk is for people with expired parole and no valid TPS, with criminal cases, or with an existing removal order.

The risk is higher if you have no valid status document, have arrests or convictions, or already have a removal order. But people with no criminal history are also detained.

• According to the Ukraine Immigration Task Force, among Ukrainians, drivers (truck, Uber, delivery) are often detained, because they are the ones most often stopped on the road.
• Since November 2025, there have been known cases of detentions right in USCIS offices after green card interviews, including spouses of US citizens with an overstay.
• Expanded expedited removal has applied nationwide since 2025.

The best protection is valid documents, renewals filed on time, copies of receipts with you, and an attorney's contact in your phone.

A US citizen cannot be deported, but mistaken stops and short detentions of citizens do happen, so adult citizens should carry ID.

A green card holder is a permanent resident, but not a citizen. They can be detained and sent to immigration court if there are grounds for deportation: for example, certain criminal offenses (aggravated felony, drug crimes, domestic violence), document fraud, or a false claim to citizenship.

• A green card cannot be taken away "on the spot": only an immigration judge can take away the status.
• Do not sign Form I-407 (abandonment of status) under pressure.

Stay calm, do not run, and do not resist, and use your constitutional rights, which everyone has regardless of status.

1. Ask: "Am I free to leave?" If yes, calmly walk away.
2. If not, say: "I want to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer." You do not have to answer where you were born or how you entered.
3. Do not consent to a search of yourself or your belongings: "I do not consent to a search."
4. Do not sign anything without a lawyer.
5. Never lie and never show fake documents: this is a separate serious violation.

ILRC publishes "red cards" with these phrases in English, and there is a Ukrainian version. You can simply hand the card to the agent.

An agent can approach you and start a conversation, but you do not have to answer questions about your status or place of birth.

• Ask whether you are free to go. If yes, walk away calmly, do not run.
• If you are being detained, stay silent and ask for a lawyer.
• Remember that adults 18+ are required to carry proof of registration (I-94, EAD). Many lawyers advise: if your document is valid, calmly show it; if your status is unclear or your document has expired, it is better to stay silent and ask for a lawyer right away.
• Do not carry documents that could hurt you (for example, someone else's or fake ones).

Remember the agent's name, badge number, vehicle number, and any witnesses: your lawyer will need this.

Stop in a safe place, turn on the interior light, keep your hands on the wheel, and follow direct orders.

• The driver must show a driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance when asked.
• You do not have to answer questions about your status, place of birth, or how you entered: "I want to remain silent."
• Passengers also have the right to remain silent.
• If they want to search the car, say: "I do not consent to a search." Do not physically interfere.
• Do not lie and do not show fake documents.

In many states regular police can pass information to ICE, so a valid driver's license, insurance, and careful driving are the best prevention.

You do not have to open the door. Speak through the closed door and ask them to slide the warrant under the door or show it through a window.

• A judicial warrant is issued by a court and signed by a judge or magistrate; it must have your name and address. Traditionally, only this kind of warrant allows entry without your consent.
• An ICE administrative warrant, Forms I-200 (arrest) or I-205 (removal), is signed by an ICE official, not a judge.
• Important caveat: according to media reports (AP) citing whistleblowers, an internal ICE memo of 05/12/2025 allows entering a home with an I-205 for people who already have a final order of removal. The legality of this is being challenged.

Say: "I do not consent to your entry." If agents come in anyway, do not physically resist, stay silent, and remember the details for your lawyer.

Yes. The right to remain silent (5th Amendment) and the right not to consent to a search (4th Amendment) belong to all people in the US, not just citizens.

• Say once: "I am exercising my right to remain silent", and then stay silent.
• Do not sign any documents without a lawyer, especially in English that you do not understand. With a signature you can agree to "voluntary departure" or deportation without a court hearing.
• Staying silent is not the same as lying. False answers to a federal agent are a separate offense.

If you are detained, you have the right to contact a lawyer, but unlike in criminal cases, the government does not provide a free lawyer in immigration cases.

Inside the country, they should not search your phone without your consent or a warrant, so do not give your password and do not unlock your phone voluntarily.

• At the border and when entering through an airport, the rules are different: CBP has broader powers to inspect belongings and devices.
• USCIS checks social media when reviewing applications. Since 08/19/2025, support for anti-American or terrorist views on social media is an "overwhelmingly negative factor" in discretionary decisions.
• Do not post anything that contradicts what you stated on USCIS forms.

Adults 18 and older must always carry proof of immigration registration. The penalty for violating this is a fine of up to $5,000 and/or up to 30 days in jail (per uscis.gov).

• For U4U parolees, this proof is the I-94 (USCIS says directly: even if the parole period has already ended). An EAD (work permit card) also works.
• You can carry a printout or show it on your phone.
• It is useful to have copies of I-797 receipts for pending applications (re-parole, TPS, EAD).
• A driver's license, if you are driving.
• Your lawyer's or organization's phone number, written on paper, not only in your phone.

It is safer to keep your original passport at home and carry a copy.

Show your I-94 as proof of registration and the I-797 receipt for your pending application, so it is clear you are waiting for a decision.

• Under USCIS rules, parolees are considered registered even after their parole ends, so the I-94 remains proof of registration.
• But proof of registration is not proof of valid status. Expired parole by itself does not protect you from detention.
• If you have valid TPS or an EAD with an extension notice (for TPS Ukraine, through 10/19/2026), carry those too.

In this situation it is especially important to have a plan and the contact of a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative). Americanization can help you submit an expedite request for your application.

Drivers are stopped most often, so it is important for you to have a full set of valid documents and a clean driving record.

• A valid driver's license (for a CDL, check that it does not expire at the same time as your EAD or parole), registration, insurance.
• Proof of registration (I-94 or EAD) and copies of I-797 receipts.
• Do not drive with an expired license or without insurance: this is a reason to be stopped and for your information to be passed on.
• During a stop, show your driving documents; you can stay silent about your status.
• Save your lawyer's number and agree with your family on whom to call.

If your EAD or parole is expiring, take care of the renewal in advance: driving with expired documents is the biggest risk.

You need to go: missing biometrics or an interview can lead to a denial. But the risk of detention at an interview exists, and you need to prepare for it.

• Since November 2025, the media have reported ICE detentions in USCIS offices after green card interviews, including spouses of US citizens with an overstay and no criminal history. There are no official statistics.
• Biometrics means taking fingerprints and a photo; we have not found reports of mass arrests specifically at biometrics appointments.
• For an interview, especially if your status has already expired, it is best to go with a lawyer. Leave your family the lawyer's number, copies of your documents, and your A-number.

Americanization helps prepare for interviews, but if there is a risk of detention, we recommend a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative).

You can fly, but assess the risk: an airport is a place where documents are always checked, and there are no official statistics on ICE detentions at airports.

• TSA accepts a foreign passport, an EAD card (I-766), and a REAL ID driver's license as ID. Without an acceptable document, since 02/01/2026 you can go through TSA ConfirmID verification for $45.
• Fly only with a valid document. If your passport is expired, your EAD has expired, and your parole has ended, the risks are much higher.
• Carry proof of registration (I-94/EAD) and copies of I-797 receipts.

Leaving the US is a completely different story: without advance parole you may not be allowed back. See travel.

Expedited removal is deportation by an officer's decision, without immigration court. As of 10/15/2026, it is also applied to parolees, so for people with expired parole the risk is real.

• Since 01/21/2025, the expansion applies nationwide to people who were not "admitted or paroled" and who cannot prove 2 years of continuous presence in the US (the D.C. Circuit allowed this on 07/17/2026).
• For parolees: on 08/11/2026, the same court in CHIRLA v. Mullin removed the protection for people with parole, and the decision says the government continues to apply expedited removal to parolees.
• It is useful to have copies of evidence of more than 2 years of presence: lease, utility bills, taxes, I-797 receipts with dates.

If your parole has expired, discuss the risk with a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative).

Use the official ICE Online Detainee Locator System.

1. The most accurate search is by A-number (9 digits; if it has fewer, add zeros at the beginning) and country of birth.
2. Without an A-number: by first and last name exactly as in the documents, and country of birth. The system finds only an exact match.
3. People under 18 are not in the system, and newly detained people may be added with a delay. The data may be up to 8 hours old.
4. Once you find them, call the facility to confirm and ask about visiting rules (you will need a government photo ID).

If you cannot find them, try again in a few hours and contact a lawyer: they can reach the local ICE office.

Look for a licensed attorney (a member of the state bar) or an accredited representative from an organization recognized by the Department of Justice (DOJ-accredited).

• Free and low-cost organizations are in the EOIR list and the pro bono list.
• The Ukraine Immigration Task Force has a directory of legal help for Ukrainians: ukrainetaskforce.org.
• Check the attorney's license on the state bar website.
• Do not trust "notaries" (notario) or consultants who promise results.

Detention and deportation require an actual attorney: Americanization does not represent people in court and does not handle such cases.

It depends on how the person entered and what is in their case. For many people, mandatory detention without bond now applies, and the question is being decided in the courts.

• In September 2025, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) decided that people who entered without inspection at the border are not eligible for bond. Courts in different circuits disagree on the interpretation.
• On 10/02/2026, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear this question; a decision is likely by summer 2027.
• When a bond hearing is not granted, lawyers sometimes file habeas corpus in federal court; this is complicated and expensive.

How this applies to your specific relative (a parolee) can only be told by a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative).

Make a family plan in advance: it is the most useful thing you can do today.

• Choose an adult who will pick up the children, and arrange caregiving permission at school and with a notary (power of attorney; requirements depend on the state).
• Give a trusted person copies of passports, I-94s, I-797 receipts, birth certificates, and your A-number.
• Write down your lawyer's number and learn it by heart.
• Think about access to your bank account, rent payments, and your car.
• Children who are US citizens remain citizens; decide who they will stay with.

Do not ignore it: an NTA (Notice to Appear) means a removal case has been opened against you in immigration court.

1. Immediately contact a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative).
2. Find your A-number in the document and check the hearing date in the EOIR system.
3. Always attend all hearings: not showing up usually means a removal order in absentia.
4. Notify the court and USCIS of every change of address.

Since 02/28/2025, USCIS has been issuing NTAs to people without status after denying their applications much more often than before.

Through the official EOIR Automated Case Information system: acis.eoir.justice.gov.

• You need your A-number (it is on your EAD, I-797 receipts, and the NTA) and your citizenship.
• The system will show the date and place of the next hearing, or the decision, if there is a case.
• If it says the A-number was not found, most likely there is no court case. But new cases do not appear right away.
• The system is not suitable for bond information: contact the court directly.

Do not panic, but do not ignore it either: first find out what this document is and who it is from.

• Check whether it is a real letter (sender's address, your A-number, case number): scammers also send "immigration notices" demanding money.
• Compare it with your current status: valid parole, TPS, pending applications, and I-797 receipts.
• Do not pay or sign anything until you show the letter to a lawyer.
• Check whether there is a court case through EOIR.

Such letters need to be reviewed with a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative): the consequences depend heavily on your situation.

ICE does not publish an official map of raids, and unofficial trackers and posts in group chats are often inaccurate.

• Do not share unverified photos and rumors: they spread panic and may be fake.
• Your protection does not depend on a map: valid documents, proof of registration with you, knowing your rights, and a plan for your family.
• Local immigrant rights organizations often have rapid response hotlines; find one in your city.