HomeImmigration
ICE at the door? Don't open it.
Where criminal law and immigration meet: what to do when agents knock, and why a plea deal can touch your status.
Call for a free 15 minutes(405) 708-0813
Know this first
General information. Immigration law is its own world; ask before you sign or plead anything.
You can stay silent
Everyone in the U.S., citizen or not, has the right to remain silent and to refuse to sign papers they don't understand.
U.S. Constitution, Amendments IV and VThe door
Ask them to slide the warrant under the door. An ICE administrative warrant is not signed by a judge and does not by itself let agents into your home without consent.
Never lie, never fake
Don't lie and don't show false documents. Silence is a right; a false statement is a new problem.
Pleas have consequences
A guilty plea to some crimes can lead to deportation. The Supreme Court says defense lawyers must warn non-citizen clients about that risk before a plea.
Padilla v. Kentucky (2010)
What to do right now.
- Keep the door shut
Talk through it. Ask for a warrant signed by a judge.
- Stay silent
Don't answer where you were born or how you got here.
- Don't sign
Nothing you can't read or don't understand.
- Call
Free 15 minutes before any plea in a criminal case.
Other kinds of trouble