How Should I Respond to a Police Officer Asking for My Immigration Information?

Immigrants are often stopped by law enforcement for questioning, and may even be arrested without cause. Here are some steps you can take to deescalate police encounters and how to get legal assistance if you’ve been arrested or detained.

Carry Your Proof of Immigration With You

Adults over the age of 18 should carry proof of immigration status with them at all times. Parents of children under 18 should carry their child’s papers. If an immigration or law enforcement agent requests to see your immigration papers, you must provide them if you have them available. If you don’t, remain silent and do not answer any questions about your immigration status.

Stay Calm and Don’t Fight or Argue with Police

You should stay as calm as possible when dealing with police officers, even if they’re arguing with you or trying to arrest you without cause. If you resist law enforcement, you could face criminal charges, even if the first reason the police arrested you was invalid. Comply with police orders for your safety and fight wrongdoing in the courtroom.

Exercise Your Right to Silence

You have the right to stay silent if you wish, but if you choose not to, what you say will likely be twisted and used against you in some way. It is in your best interest and the interests of your family to avoid answering police questions after identifying yourself as required. Politely let the police know you decline to answer their questions or say, “no comment.”

Do Not Give Consent for a Property Search

If the police ask to search you, your home, or your other property, do not agree to it. They may legally search you or your property if they have a probable cause, a warrant, or if you allow them to. Ask to read the search warrant if police officers claim they have one.

If no official warrant is available, you should decline the search. Let law enforcement officers know that you don’t consent to the search. However, if they continue to search your property or person despite not having provided consent, you should not fight with them or argue.

Call an Criminal Immigration Attorney

If you have been detained or interviewed by law enforcement officers as an immigrant, it’s critical that you understand your rights and strive to protect them. Reach out to experienced Connecticut immigration lawyer J. Christopher Llinas now at 860-530-1781.

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Christopher Llinas

J. Christopher Llinas is a Connecticut criminal defense and immigration attorney with over 25 years of legal experience. He is the founder of Iron Chris Criminal Defense & Immigration, based in Middletown, CT. Chris earned his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire School of Law) in 1997 and holds a B.A., magna cum laude, in English from Salisbury University. During law school he served as a teaching assistant for Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law, and competed in moot court and trial advocacy programs. He began his legal career as an Assistant Public Defender, defending clients in felony, misdemeanor, and traffic matters. He later served as an Assistant State's Attorney, prosecuting criminal and traffic cases — giving him a firsthand understanding of how the prosecution builds its case. He has also served as a law clerk, legal aid attorney, and in-house corporate counsel before dedicating his practice to criminal defense and immigration. Chris is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Maryland, the U.S. District Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), the National College of DUI Defense (NCDD), and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). His practice covers DUI and OUI defense, drug charges, weapons charges, violent crimes, juvenile matters, probation violations, federal criminal defense, and immigration removal proceedings throughout Connecticut.