As immigration enforcement efforts spark protests and concerns across Southern California, advocacy organizations are sharing critical resources to help residents understand and protect their rights and report illegal activity.
Here’s what you need to know.
Free Speech and Protest Rights
Individuals participating in protests may distribute flyers, chant, picket, and hand out literature in public spaces such as sidewalks, parks, and plazas. These activities are generally protected under the First Amendment, provided they do not block access to buildings or disrupt counterdemonstrations, according to ACLU Southern California.
However, protestors may not block sidewalks or entrances, interfere with opposing protests, or engage in obscene or knowingly false speech that incites violence. Marching in the streets often requires a permit, and demonstrators must follow local traffic laws.
Speech activity is broadly protected in public areas and many government-owned facilities that are open to the public. However, these protections do not apply in federal buildings, courthouses, or on private property without consent. Some privately owned spaces open to the public, such as shopping malls, may allow limited free speech activity under specific rules.
Immigration and Citizenship Questions
You are not required to answer questions about your immigration status or where you were born. Noncitizens are required to carry immigration documents, but they are not required to present them unless asked to do so by an agent. Never provide false information or documents.
If contacted by the FBI, you do not have to answer questions. Politely request to speak with a lawyer. You may decline interviews or agree to speak only with legal counsel present.
Your Rights During Law Enforcement Encounters
Individuals have the right to remain silent, refuse searches, and ask for an attorney if arrested. Regardless of immigration status, everyone is protected by the Constitution.
If stopped by the police, remain calm and do not attempt to flee. Ask if you are free to leave. If not under arrest, you may walk away. You have the right to refuse to answer questions and to decline searches unless an officer has reasonable suspicion of a weapon.
In a vehicle stop, drivers must show their license, registration, and insurance.
Passengers also have the right to remain silent and may request to leave if they are free to do so. Officers may search a vehicle without consent only if they believe it contains evidence of a crime.
If You Are Arrested
Do not resist arrest. Ask to remain silent and request a lawyer immediately. Do not sign or say anything without legal representation. You have the right to make a local phone call, and police may not listen if you are calling an attorney.
Noncitizens should speak only to their lawyer about immigration matters. An arrest may impact an individual’s immigration status, and any documents signed without the presence of counsel could have lasting consequences.
For more information or legal assistance, click here.
LAUSD
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Unified School District began distributing “red cards” — small, wallet-sized guides that outline constitutional protections for immigrant families. The cards offer instructions on what to do if approached by immigration agents and are part of a broader campaign to reassure students and families that schools remain safe spaces.
Available to citizens and non-citizens alike, the documents were created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and are available in 16 languages, from Spanish to Haitian Creole to Tigrinya. Click here to access them.
Southern California Rapid Response Network
Residents can also call their county’s Rapid Response Network to report ICE activity and enforcement actions
Here is the contact information
- Central Valley: 559-206-0151
- Kern County: 661-432-2230
- Los Angeles: 888-624-4752
- Boyle Heights (L.A.): 323-805-1049
- Orange County: 714-881-1558
- San Bernardino/Riverside: 909-361-4588
- CHIRLA: 213-353-1333
- ORALE (Long Beach): 562-276-0267
- Immigrant Defenders: 213-833-8283
- Immigrant Rapid Response Hotline: 805-870-8855 (Santa Barbara, Ventura & San Luis Obispo)
How to Report Vandalism, Graffiti and Illicit Activity in L.A. County
In the event of an emergency or if you witness a crime in progress, call 911 immediately.
For non-emergencies, tips can be submitted anonymously through L.A. Crime Stoppers or through the city’s Bureau of Street Services.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department also allows residents to file police reports online for certain non-violent crimes.
To report graffiti in unincorporated areas of the county, residents can use the Public Works reporting system.
Additional concerns, including other public nuisances or infrastructure issues, can be reported through the county’s general services portal.
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