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Family Safety

Published: 03/27/2026, Last Update: 03/27/2026

Use this guide to prepare your family and keep them safe.

For rights violations, you can report to We Are CASA’s tip line at 1-888-214-6016 or the Immigrants’ Defense Tip Form (ACLU).

Creating a Family Plan

1: Appoint a Standby Guardian

If you have children, you can appoint a standby guardian for them. This is a trusted adult with specific duties and authorizations to care for your children in case you’re separated from them.

For Marylanders, the Standby Guardianship Project can assist you through the steps to appoint a standby guardian.

2: Know Your Rights and Obligations

Everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status, has certain fundamental rights:

  • You have the right to remain silent.
  • If it is safe to do so, document the encounter.
  • If ICE is at your front door, you may ask if they have a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge with the correct address.
  • You may ask to speak with an attorney BEFORE signing any documents.

Helpful resources

3: Learn How to be Safe When Interacting with Law Enforcement

Regardless of where emergencies occur, you can reduce risk to you and your loved ones using these tactics:

  • Try to stay calm.
  • Do not run or physically resist arrest.
  • Do not lie or offer up false documentation.
  • Remember you have rights. Exercise them. For rights violations, you can report to We Are CASA’s tip line at 1-888-214-6016 or the Immigrants’ Defense Tip Form (ACLU).

At Home

Print out the ICE Home Raids Poster and keep it by the front door. In a stressful situation, this poster will remind you of your rights or what to do.

Helpful videos

At Work

If you are a business owner or manager, designate “private spaces” in your workplace. Specific rules govern how enforcement and ICE can enter these “private spaces.”

  1. Assign a specific response coordinator should there be an enforcement action.
  2. Clearly identify spaces as public or private in your workplace. Private spaces might be locked rooms or private offices.
  3. Clearly label those spaces that are private.
  4. Train your team members to know the difference between public and private spaces.
  5. Train your team members to differentiate between an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant.

At School

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) provides the following guidance:

  • For local superintendents and legal teams: Develop clear response plans to protect students and comply with federal and state laws (MSDE).
  • For educators and school personnel: Learn what “district guidance and legal protocols” means when law enforcement requests information or access to a school (MSDE).
  • Students and parents: Should contact their local school system’s office of legal counsel if they have questions about immigrant students’ rights or about how their school approaches immigrant enforcement (MSDE).

Helpful resource

In Your Vehicle

Print out the ICE pulled over my car! What are my rights? flyer to keep in your car close to the driver or passenger seat. In a stressful situation, this flyer will remind you of your rights or what to do.

Helpful resource

After a Loved One Is Detained

Step 1: Find Someone in ICE Custody

Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System to see where a detained person is. You might have to wait one full day until they show up in the system.

Step 2: Find Free or Low-Cost Legal Services

Check this list of Maryland-specific legal aid organizations or this national directory for more resources.

Step 3: Find Resources for Immigrant Court and Detention

Human Trafficking GET HELP

National Human Trafficking Hotline - 24/7 Confidential
More Information on human trafficking in Maryland
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