Schools in Los Angeles Distribute 'Know Your Rights' Cards to Help Immigrant Students 'Assert Constitutional Rights'

Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District are fighting President Donald Trump's mass deportation plans by distributing cards and other resources to remind undocumented immigrants about their legal rights.

The red cards, also known as "Know Your Rights" cards were put together by the LA Mayor Karen Bass' Office of Immigrant Affairs with the aim to help immigrant Angelenos "assert their constitutional rights in encounters with federal law enforcement officials," the Community Resource Guide for Immigrant Angelenos said.

The red cards are about the size of a credit card, are available to citizens and non-citizens and can be obtained in 16 different languages from Spanish to Haitian Creole.

Recommendations labeled in the cards include suggestions to not open the door to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, as they are not allowed to enter a home unless they are invited in or have a warrant signed by a judge.

The cards also specify that ICE is not allowed in private spaces, such as a doctor's office, without a warrant.

They also remind people that when interrogated by federal immigration officials, they have the right to stay silent and hand the red card to the officer.

The initiative to help undocumented migrants with possible encounters with law enforcement came on the heels of Trump's announcement that his administration would allow ICE as well as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to conduct arrests in sensitive areas, such as schools, churches and offices, reversing a 2011 policy that prohibited arrests being made in such places.

Demand for the so-called "red cards" has been so high that Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) officials temporarily suspended their program that allowed non-profits to access the cards for free. According to Border Report, the quickest way to get a card is to print one on your own.

As part of its efforts to help undocumented immigrants, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has also relaunched its LA Unified 2025: We Are One campaign, which aims to "formalize and amplify" the district's efforts to "cultivate welcoming learning environments for all students."

According to a Nov. 2024 school board resolution, LAUSD is considered to be a "sanctuary district" and a safe zone for families threatened by immigration enforcement, according to district officials.