What Is the 'Know-Your-Rights Card' and Who's Behind the Initiative Helping Immigrants Across the Country

The "Know-Your-Rights Card," designed by the nonprofit Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has become an essential tool for millions of immigrants in the United States. The small red card, available in 19 languages, provides key legal information to undocumented immigrants who might encounter federal agents amid the Trump administration's crackdown.

The card serves as a quick reference for undocumented individuals on how to exercise their constitutional rights. It outlines protections under the Fifth Amendment—the right to remain silent—and the Fourth Amendment—the right to refuse entry to a home without a judicial warrant. The card also advises individuals not to sign any documents without consulting an attorney and to ask agents if they are free to leave if approached outside their home.

The card's red color was chosen deliberately, symbolizing a stop sign or a referee's penalty card, signaling the importance of asserting one's rights, as The New York Times explained during a recent piece.

"All people in the United States, regardless of immigration status, have certain rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution," explains the ILRC's official website. "The ILRC's red cards give examples of how people can exercise these rights in real situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home.

The card itself reads:

You have constitutional rights:

• Do not open the door if an immigration agent is knocking.
• Do not answer any questions from an immigration agent if they try to speak with you. You have the right to remain silent.
• Do not sign anything without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to talk to a lawyer.
• If you are outside your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave. If they say yes, leave calmly.
• Hand this card to the agent. If you are inside your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.

The idea for the card goes back to 2006, after a spate of immigration raids at workplaces fueled fear among immigrants and the ILRC came up with the idea. However, since recent changes in immigration enforcement policies, the organization has received orders for approximately nine million cards—more than in the previous 17 years combined. TODEC, a legal center with offices in three rural counties in California has already handed out over 500,000, according to the BBC.

While large orders for the card, available through an official website, may require a fee, the ILRC makes the red card available for free download from its official website, cautioning against social media sellers who charge for it.

While immigrant advocacy groups emphasize the card's role in protecting constitutional rights, immigration officials have criticized the use of such initiative. Thomas D. Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stated, "They call it 'Know Your Rights.' I call it 'How to escape arrest."

Despite it's widespread use, the ILRC is quick to point out that the cards "do not provide individualized legal advice" and signals that "community members are encouraged to check in with a trusted legal service provider for questions about their situation."