Your safety matters to us. We recommend connecting with your attorney to create a safety plan and to discuss what risky situations look like for you in today’s climate, using the guidance below as a starting point.

You may want to include your emergency contact in the conversation with your attorney, so you can all stay on the same page.

If you don’t have an attorney: 

• You can visit our Get Help page to see if you are eligible to apply for Her Justice services. 
• Please refer below to our Community Based Organization Resource Guide for a list of organizations who may be able to help you. 
• For additional resources, visit New York State’s Office of New Americans website or call their hotline at 1-800-566-7636. 
• For additional resources, sign up for the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) newsletter or call their hotline at 800-354-0365. 

Advising your client about the best courses of action in our current climate is nuanced — it’s part safety planning, part risk assessment, and part legal strategy.  
 
We advise creating a safety plan together and discussing what risky situations look like for your client in today’s climate, using the above guidance below as a starting point.  
 
Please connect with your Her Justice mentor for a case-specific consultation tailored to your client’s situation. 

Safety Planning

Her Justice encourages you to work with your attorney to create a safety plan that you share with your family and friends. Consider using Human Rights First’s Ready Now App to organize this safety plan. 
 
Here are top things to consider:

• Emergency Contact 

• • Have you identified someone you trust who can take action for you in an emergency — like contacting your attorney and looking after your children — and asked them to be your emergency contact?

• • Does your emergency contact know important information, like: 

• • • your attorney’s contact information. 

• • • Your family’s contact information.  

• • • Your alien registration number (A#) 

• • • Your date of birth 

• • • Your country of origin

• Childcare 

• • Do you have guardianship documents finalized for children in your care?  

• • Have you spoken to your children about what they should do in the event of an emergency? Are they aware of who their guardians are and how to contact them?  

• Medicine and Medical Needs 

• • Do you have a guardian or trusted person aware of any of your family/children’s medical needs? Do they know where their doctor’s office is located? Do they have access to their insurance information? Are they able to refill medications?  

• • Carry necessary medications with you when you leave the house. If you are detained, it is more likely you will have access to them if they are with you. 

• Bank Accounts and Assets  

• • Does a trusted person have access to your bank accounts? 

• Legal and Travel Documents 

• • Keep important original documents (birth certificates, passports, medical records, power of attorney forms) in one safe place that someone you trust can access.

• • Make physical and digital copies of your documents. 

• • Consider carrying copies of your legal documents with you. 

• Memorize Key Numbers  

• • Write down and learn the phone numbers of your lawyer and emergency contact. Do not rely only on your cell phone. 

• Prepare Your Household 

• • Once your emergency plan is ready, have a conversation to share the plan with your children, trusted family members, and friends. This can ease anxiety. 

• • Talk to family or roommates about what to do if immigration agents come to your door. Practice not opening unless a judicial warrant is shown.

Risk Assessment

Part of making a safety plan is to think about situations that may increase your personal risk. When weighing your risk, it may be increased by factors like:  

• Not having immigration status.  

• Having criminal convictions or charges. 

• Social media posts.  

• Traveling domestically or internationally. 

• Driving without a driver’s license. 

• Going to areas ICE officers frequently patrol.  

Make The Road New York: Immigration Know Your Rights Information   

Immigrant Defense Project: Know Your Rights with ICE

The Legal Aid Society: What You Need to Know About ICE Encounters

NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs: Know Your Rights Resources for Immigrant New Yorkers

We Have Rights: Emergency Plan Development 

Newsweek: What To Do If ICE Comes To Your Home

National Immigration Law Center: Know Your Rights: Trump’s Registration Requirement for Immigrants

For questions about the legal system: Legal Information Guides|en español

• Divorce
• Spousal Support
• Orders of Protection
• Child Custody and Visitation
• Child Support

Explore other options to get help: Legal Services Resource List

Explore options for non-legal support: Community-Based Organization (CBO) Resource Guide

Documented.info: Information Sharing for NYC Immigrant Communities 

Family Legal Care: Family Law Explained Videos