🌎 🗣️ Select Your Language 🌎 🗣️

☝️ Language options include عربي, Harshen Hausa, русский, اردو, español, فارسی, and many others.


ICE PREPAREDNESS TOOLKIT

Last Updated:  2/8/26

Last Reviewed: 9/20/25

This toolkit is intended to provide general information and resources to assist masjids, community leaders, and individuals in preparing for and responding to immigration enforcement situations. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Immigration laws and policies change frequently, and each situation is unique. 

Community members are strongly encouraged to consult with a qualified immigration attorney regarding their specific circumstances. CAIR Pittsburgh and its partner organizations are not responsible for any actions taken, or not taken, based on the information provided in this toolkit or the accompanying website.

🚨 If you or a loved one is detained, please see the URGENT ACTIONS subsection within the IMPACTED FAMILIES section, contact CAIR Pittsburgh, and/or contact a licensed immigration attorney immediately for assistance (click for area attorneys and other legal resources).

TIPS for USING THIS TOOLKIT:

  • ACCESSING CONTENTS OF SECTIONS: To make this document more easily navigable, the contents under many headings have been hidden (“collapsed”).  To see the hidden contents of a section of interest, click the + in front of the text/heading. To hide the contents, click on the – next to the text/heading.  
  • SECTION LIST: You can click on the section(s) relevant to you to be taken to that area directly or browse each section. The sections are:
  • SUGGESTIONS FOR READERS WHO AREN’T FLUENT IN ENGLISH:
    • This toolkit can be viewed in the language you are most comfortable with. Use the language plug-in at the top of this page to select your preferred language. 
    • While the web pages linked in the sections below are very informative, they don’t all have built-in translation options.  If a resource linked doesn’t offer your language as an option or doesn’t have a translation feature:
      • Consider using one a browser extension or or add-on for translating webpages. 
      • Or you can copy and paste the URL of the linked webpage into the “Websites” feature of Google Translate, where you should have the ability to you to select the language you want the website to be translated into.   Once you’ve pasted the website URL or uploaded your document, select your language, then press the blue circle with an arrow, and the website will be translated. 
      • You can also translate documents by selecting the “Documents” feature in  Google Translate and uploading the document you want to have translated, selecting your language, then pressing Translate.
      • FYI, as with many translation tools, translations provided may not be perfect or 100% accurate.
    • Select resources grouped by language in some of the most common languages will be compiled underneath the English version of the toolkit (which has links to translated resources interspersed).  Currently grouped: عربي (Arabic).  Coming soon: Harshen Hausa, Русский (Russian), اردو (Urdu), Español (Spanish). 

For EVERYONE:

👁️‍🗨️ BYSTANDER Best Practices

What to do, say, and avoid if you witness an ICE encounter:

⌨️📱 DIGITAL Security Guidance
🗨️🪧 ADVOCACY Opportunities

For AT-RISK FAMILIES:

  • Videos on Best Practices during ICE Encounters:
    • Red Cards for ICE (عربي, Harshen Hausa, русский, اردو, español): Small printable cards to be kept in wallets etc. that recap and assert your rights and best practices. They can be given to ICE to assert your rights in an encounter. Available in many languages. bit.ly/redcards4ice

    • HANDOUTS ON RIGHTS BASED ON CONTEXT:  FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF with your rights and recommended practices in advance so that you’re more likely to use them in a possible moment of crisis.  Periodically review handouts like these, and perhaps REHEARSE SCENARIOS to ingrain recommended practices as habits that can kick in even in high-stress moments.  Also consider PRINTING some of these handouts and KEEPING THEM READILY ACCESSIBLE IN KEY PLACES, like inside near household entrances, in your vehicle, etc..  But still REVIEW THEM PERIODICALLY in case referencing them during a moment of crisis is not possible.

    • NOTE for people with valid status: general guides that don’t address the immigration status of the targeted individual are often geared towards people who are undocumented or don’t have current valid legal status.  While many of the recommendations are relevant regardless of status, there are some specific FYIs and recommendations for people who have valid immigration status (ex. people with current visas, current green cards, current asylee / refugee status, unexpired TPS).  Specific guidance for people with valid status is below: 
        • CAIR Philly’s handout

        • IDP’s handout

        • SUGGESTIONS:
          • ensure children in the household know not to open the door
          • learn tricks/ruses that ICE uses to trick people into opening the door, and how to handle them – see this info in the first bullet point in this drop-down
      • Work

      • Traveling

      • In Public

    Consider completing and filing the following so that – if you are detained by ICE – people you choose have the legal permission to handle financial matters that need attention, guardian duties, etc..  “Power of Attorney” and “Standby Guardianship” are two categories of forms that many organizations and legal entities suggest.  (Most templates included below are Pennsylvania-specific, but you can search online for templates of these types of forms for your state):

    • “Power of Attorney” Templates & Info: 

    • “Standby Guardian” Template(s) & Info: 

    Consider SAVING AND MEMORIZING key phone numbers such as these in case your phone is inaccessible.  You may also want to print and cut out these hotline cards for you and family members to keep in your wallets.

    Reminder to SAVE, MEMORIZE, and perhaps PRINT or WRITE key phone numbers to keep on you.

    👁️‍🗨️ BYSTANDERS to ICE Encounters: Best Practices

    What to do, say, and avoid if you witness an ICE encounter:

      For IMPACTED FAMILIES:

      🚨 URGENT ACTIONS: What to Do if a Loved One is Detained
      📞🖊️🧍🏾 CONNECTING: How to Contact Detained Loved Ones
      🌎🗣️ TRANSLATION & INTERPRETATION Services & Ideas
      🍲🩺🏠BASIC NEEDS: Basic Material Needs Resource Lists
      • Explore resources that may be helpful with the help of the UnitedWay Helpline: 211
        • In many parts of the country, dialing 211 on your phone connects you to expert, caring help. Every call is completely confidential.  
        • You can also visit the 211 website, 211.org, where can find info on the United Way Helpline for your area as well as resources in your area.
        • If you’re in Pittsburgh or anywhere in Southwestern PA, you can connect by:
          • Calling 211 or 888-553-5778,
          • Texting your zip code to 898-211, or
          • Going online to  southwest.pa211.org to use their resource search tools.
      • Pittsburgh-area folks can use the lists below to find programs that may help with basic needs such as food, housing, utilities, etc.. 
      🫂 COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Tools for Mobilizing People to Help an Impacted Family

      Tools for organizing and coordinating friends and community members to help meet an impacted family’s needs:

      👨‍⚖️ DEPORTATION FAQs

       

      For MOSQUE & ORGANIZATION STAFF & VOLUNTEERS:

      🦺 PROTECTIVE MEASURES: Protecting Attendees and Staff
      • Request FREE “Red Cards” to make available to the community. These are pocket cards about civil rights and best practices during ICE encounters, for targeted people to refer to and give to ICE to assert their rights.  Nonprofits can request them for free.  Available in various languages.

      • Know-Your-Rights PDFs for printing and emailing
        🫂 SUPPORTING IMPACTED FAMILIES: Organizing Community Support for Impacted Families
        • Guides for Surfacing an Impacted Family’s Needs 

        • Resources for community members are listed in sections above

        • Template/Draft Waivers to modify and use if/as you see fit

        • Guide to Starting and Coordinating Visitation Groups– by Freedom for Immigrants

        • Islamic Guidance on Advocacy and Activism:
          • The AMJA (Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America) Annual Imam’s Conference of 2025 focused on “Contemporary Issues in Political and Human Rights Engagement and Social Activism.”  Their guidance can be found here.
        • COMING SOON: 
          • Compilation of Islamic encouragements

        Share this Toolkit!

        Toolkit Feedback Form

        Please share your feedback and recommendations here!

        Select Resources in Additional Languages

        Currently Compiled Below:

        عربي (Arabic)

        Coming Soon:

        Harshen Hausa, Русский (Russian), اردو (Urdu), Español (Spanish)

        (FYI, there are some resources in the “coming soon” languages that are interspersed in the sections above, categorized by subject.)

        عربي (Arabic)

         

        أفضل الممارسات للمشاهدين العابرين (Bystander Best Practices)

         

        الأمن الرقمي (Digital Security)

         

        الدعوة (Advocacy)

         

        قوائم التحقق وأوراق العمل التحضيرية (Preparation Checklists and Worksheets)

         

        أشرطة الفيديو التعليمية: (Guidance Videos)

         

        الحقوق القانونية (Legal Rights)

        النماذج القانونية (Legal Forms)

         

        دعم الترجمة (Translation Support)

         

        إضافي (Additional)

        You can help to sustain and expand our work by sharing our resources and donating to CAIR Pittsburgh.

        Interested in having CAIR pittsburgh talk with your community?