CHURCH/RELIGIOUS CENTER ICE PROTOCOL

Implement security protocols to prevent unconstitutional entry and protect employees’ and congregants’ rights

Host training: Make sure all pastors, employees, and volunteers know what their rights are and how to protect them

Designate responsible parties: Have an official list of designated staff and volunteers that are in charge of response to an ICE presence

Publicize your support: Signal to parishioners and the wider community that this institution is opposed to unconstitutional entry by federal agents

Recruit other congregations to participate and promote policies to business owners within the congregation

PREVENTING UNCONSTITUTIONAL ENTRY

REVIEW AND COMMUNICATE “PUBLIC” AREAS    Public areas are accessible by law to ICE agents. These include lobbies, waiting rooms, and parking lots. Designate “private” areas that are not accessible without a judicial warrant and train pastors, staff, and volunteers on these locations.

USE A DOOR LOCK PROTOCOL    If interior doors that lock exist separating public from private areas, create a new protocol requiring them to be locked during hours that an entry door is open. Agents may access private areas through public spaces.

INSTALL DOORS AND LOCKS    Where possible, install new interior doors or install locks on existing doors separating public and private areas.

REVIEW ALERT PROTOCOLS    There should be a way to let all people present within the church know when federal agents are attempting entry. Designated staff or volunteers should lock any interior or exterior doors to prevent unconstitutional entry and give designated staff to review any warrants that are presented. People should not run to the exits; ICE agents can say that people who are running are likely violating immigration laws.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: EDUCATION FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

RIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL SEARCH AND SEIZURE    In order to make arrests or search private spaces, agents must have a signed judicial warrant. Train designated staff and volunteers to recognize features of an authentic judicial warrant. (See examples under the “Resources and Aid” tab.) Create a protocol that ONLY designated individuals may verify a judicial warrant. Train those not authorized to verify to notify designated staff immediately.

RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT    You do not have to share information with federal agents about which staff are present, their immigration status or country of origin. You do not have to disclose any information – as with any law enforcement agency, you have the right to remain silent. That means no one needs to show ID, employee records, time cards, etc.

RIGHT TO RESTRICT ACCESS    Staff and volunteers can say they are prohibited from granting entry until the arrival of a designated staff pointperson or consultation with legal counsel. You have the right to refuse access to private areas, and to refuse requests to open locked doors.

RIGHT TO DECLINE A SEARCH    You can review any warrants they provide, but no matter what, you do not have to consent to a search.

RIGHT TO REQUEST COUNSEL    You can decline to answer questions and state that church policy is for legal counsel to review any warrants before access is granted.

RIGHT TO RECORD    You have the right to record any interactions with federal agents and to release surveillance footage later.

RIGHT TO INFORM    You have the right to alert all present to the presence of federal agents, and to broadcast information about how staff and patrons can protect their Fourth Amendment rights (such as by repeating, “You do not have to answer their questions, you do not have to reveal your country of origin, you do not have to show them ID…”).

THE FOLLOWING CHOICES COULD PUT YOU IN LEGAL JEOPARDY

Encourage trained individuals to both act respectfully and assert legal rights of those present. The following actions are not within the legal rights of those present:

Physically impeding the passage of federal agents

Providing false information

Helping employees flee the premises

Refusing entry to private areas after being provided a judicial warrant specifying the correct company name and address, properly signed and dated by a judge including a timeframe within which the search must be conducted with a description of the premises to be searched and a list of items or people to be seized

REVIEW PUBLIC & PRIVATE ACCESS

If federal agents seek entry:

Where could we install a poster that clearly states our unwillingness to comply with illegal searches?

Which entrances or exits are open to anyone seeking access during church hours? (In other words, which are left unlocked?)

Which of these could be locked for some or all of the day?

How else could we restrict access to designated individuals only?

For workplaces with public areas:

Once federal agents are inside, how could they access private areas where employees are present?

Where could we post signs designating “PRIVATE” areas?

Which staff/volunteers could be given the responsibility of screening people as they enter?

How could those individuals alert others to the presence of federal agents?

Where would we position our printed “Federal Agent Protocol”?

How could those employees alert others to the presence of federal agents?

Could we install doors or locks to restrict access between the public and private areas?

CREATE A FEDERAL AGENT PROTOCOL

Federal agents seeking to make immigration arrests may come to your church for three reasons:

1. A “raid” or operation to detain employees or parishioners at random

2. A “targeted operation” to detain specific people

3. A Form I-9 audit

“Raids” and “targeted operations” are most common, and you may not know the difference because in 2025 federal agents have sometimes pretended to be looking for a specific person, but ultimately detained many workers, as in the case of a Kansas City restaurant in which a dozen workers were detained.

SAMPLE AGENT ENGAGEMENT PROTOCOL

This sample protocol includes information adapted from the National Immigration Law Center

BEFORE AN OPERATION
1. Decide if designated employees or legal counsel will be summoned in the event federal agents enter.
2. Decide if any staff or volunteers will be allowed to grant entry to agents after reviewing warrants for accuracy, or if they will be obligated to deny entry until designated employees or legal counsel can be consulted.
3. Decide on alert protocol: How will all staff, volunteers and parishioners be alerted to agent presence?
4. Decide on door/lock protocol: Who will close or lock doors separating public and private areas?

DURING AN AN OPERATION
1. Alert staff to the presence of ICE agents, direct relevant staff and volunteers to implement security protocols like closing or locking doors separating public and private areas.
2. Verbally deny entry and request to see badges, ID and any warrant.
3. When ICE shows you an administrative warrant with a person’s name on it, you do NOT have to say if that person is present.
4. You do NOT have to take the ICE agents to the person named on the warrant (even if he or she is in the church at the time).
5. Do NOT help ICE agents sort people by their immigration status or the country they are from.
6. Observe and record the agents, taking note of whether they are complying with what’s written in the warrant.
7. If the agents are searching areas not listed in the warrant, object to those searches by voicing your objection and noting it.

WHAT IF FEDERAL AGENTS TRY TO STOP, QUESTION, DETAIN, OR ARREST AN EMPLOYEE OR CONGREGANT?
ICE agents may try to stop, question, or even arrest a person without the proper authority. The best way for workers to protect their rights is to STAY SILENT and ASK FOR AN ATTORNEY. Workers do not have to hand over any IDs or papers to federal agents. All workers have this right. Any information that workers give to federal agents can be used against them later. Ask agents where any arrested people are being taken. This will help families and/or lawyers find the person later.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OPERATION
1. Save any company surveillance footage.
2. Write or record these things after they leave: How many ICE agents were present (inside and outside)? How were the agents dressed? How were they armed? Did the agents make you or the workers believe you could not move or leave? Did the agents mistreat anyone? If yes, how?
3. Make a list of people who were arrested and immediately notify their family members.
4. Assign staff to help them find reliable immigration attorneys who represent people currently in detention. You can find them through organizations like AILA and in the Resources and Aid tab of this website.
5. Help each family account for their immediate legal, financial and other needs.

WHAT TO DO AFTER FEDERAL ARRESTS OR I-9 AUDIT
After an ICE raid, staff or congregants may face deportation or be detained. This could impact the congregation morale. Here is what you can do to provide support to the staff and community.
1. Offer support to the affected person’s family. Families are often left without childcare options, an income source, or access to food without their family member who is detained or facing deportation. This is also an opportunity to engage the congregation that may feel demoralized.
2. Contribute to an immigration legal fund. A person facing deportation will need a good lawyer, and may get the option to be free on bond until their hearing. That means they can stay with their families and communities during this time. They may need your help and their co-workers’ help to raise money for the lawyer or bond. You can contribute to an immigration legal fund for this purpose. Or you can set one up.
3. Provide a reference for future jobs. Let the affected individuals know you can provide a reference to their potential future employers.