At home: keep the door closed, ask officers to show any warrant, and do not consent to entry if you do not wish to. At work: public areas and private areas are treated differently; public access alone does not give officers unlimited authority over workers. In either setting, stay calm, do not run or physically resist, and ask for a lawyer if questioned or detained. This U.S.-focused guide reflects information available as of October 4, 2026. It is general information, not individual legal advice.
First, distinguish the place and the document
ICE encounters do not all work the same way. At a home, the key questions include whether someone consents to entry, whether officers have a court-issued warrant that covers the place and purpose, and whether they claim an emergency. At a workplace, the boundary between areas open to the public and restricted areas matters. The document’s issuer, signer, named person or place, and scope all matter; a paper labeled “warrant” does not automatically authorize entry into every private space.
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| Situation or document | What the guidance says | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Home; ICE/DHS administrative warrant | NILC says an agency-issued immigration warrant, signed by an officer, is not by itself a judge-signed warrant authorizing entry into a private home. NILC warrant guide | Who issued and signed it, the person and address named, its scope, and whether officers claim an exigency. Ask to see the document without opening the door. |
| Home; judicial warrant | NILC describes this as a court-issued warrant signed by a judge or magistrate, not an immigration judge. Its stated scope matters. NILC warrant guide | Court heading, judge or magistrate’s signature, date, named person or address, and what the warrant authorizes. |
| Workplace public area | Officers may enter areas open to the public, but that alone does not give them unlimited authority to detain or question workers. NILC employer guide | Whether the area is genuinely public and whether officers are moving into a restricted area. |
| Workplace private area | NILC says consent or appropriate judicial authority is needed for entry to private areas; any warrant’s scope matters. An employer can accept a warrant without consenting to a broader search. NILC warrant guide | Who may consent for the employer, which rooms or areas the document covers, and whether officers go beyond that scope. |
| I-9 audit | NILC says employers have three work days after notice to produce I-9 forms. This is a records process, separate from consent to a worksite search. NILC employer guide | The audit notice, the applicable deadline and requirements, and advice from counsel. |
The table summarizes general guidance, not a substitute for a lawyer reviewing the actual document and circumstances.
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If ICE comes to your home
- Keep the door closed. Speak through the door or a window. Calmly ask officers to identify themselves and show credentials. NILC advises asking them to pass a warrant under the door or show it through a window rather than opening the door to inspect it. NILC guidance for encounters and detention
- Check the document’s basics. Look at who issued it and who signed it, the person or address it identifies, and what it authorizes. A court heading and a judge or magistrate’s signature are practical indicators of a judicial warrant; an ICE or DHS form signed by an officer is a different kind of document. These are initial checks, not a legal determination of validity.
- State your choice clearly. If you do not want officers to enter, say that you do not consent to entry or a search. Do not physically resist or run if officers enter anyway. You can remain silent and ask for a lawyer. NILC guidance for encounters and detention
- Get legal help promptly. The document, a claimed emergency, and the person’s circumstances can affect the legal analysis. Contact a qualified immigration lawyer or local legal-aid organization for advice about the specific encounter.
What the reported ICE memoranda change—and do not settle
In a February 17, 2026 FAQ, NILC discussed a leaked May 2025 memo instructing ICE officers that they could force entry into certain homes using an administrative Form I-205 when a resident had a final removal order. NILC also described a January 2026 memo broadening warrantless-arrest instructions. NILC’s legal position is that these memos do not change the law and that the home-entry instruction likely violates the Fourth Amendment and federal law. That is NILC’s legal assessment; the guidance does not establish that a court has conclusively resolved every application of the reported instructions. NILC FAQ on leaked ICE memos
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If ICE comes to a workplace
For workers
- Stay calm, do not run or physically resist, and ask, “Am I free to leave?” If told yes, walk away calmly. If not free to leave, you can remain silent and ask for a lawyer. NILC workplace guide
- Do not hand over documents voluntarily without understanding what is being requested. If detained, ask where you are being taken. Do not lie or obstruct officers.
- If safe and lawful in context, note what happened, including officers’ identities and actions, and preserve relevant surveillance footage. Contact counsel promptly.
For employers
- Make public and private boundaries clear in advance with signs, closed or locked doors, and visitor rules. Decide who is authorized to speak for the employer or consent to a search.
- If officers enter a public area, do not assume that gives them access to private areas. Review any warrant and its scope. NILC says an employer may accept a warrant while declining consent to a broader search; avoid casual consent to a search of private areas.
- If an administrative warrant names an employee, NILC says the employer need not volunteer whether that person is at work or escort officers to them. Do not lie or physically interfere; direct questions to the employer’s representative or counsel.
- Review and retain copies of documents officers show, and if safe, document what occurs and whether officers appear to go beyond a warrant’s scope. Consult counsel promptly.
For an I-9 audit
An I-9 audit is a separate employer records process, not the same thing as officers entering or searching a worksite. NILC says employers have three work days after notice to produce the forms and recommends notifying workers and any union representative and consulting an immigration attorney. Verify the notice and current requirements with counsel before responding. NILC workplace guide
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to get employment-rights help
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) lists free hotlines for covered employment-rights questions, including I-9 document concerns and discrimination:
- Worker hotline: 1-800-255-7688. The DOJ page lists hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern. DOJ IER hotline
- Employer hotline: 1-800-255-8155. DOJ IER hotline
DOJ says the INA protects people with permission to work in specified situations involving citizenship-status or national-origin discrimination, hiring, firing, recruitment, and employment-verification documents; IER also addresses retaliation or intimidation. DOJ says covered IER charges generally must be filed within 180 days. That deadline concerns IER charges, not every kind of workplace complaint. DOJ: Filing an IER Charge DOJ Immigrant and Employee Rights Section
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