Family Safety Plan
Complete this plan with your family and share it with your trusted person. Print this page and keep a copy somewhere safe.
Document Preparation
Gather and secure these documents now. Make copies. Store originals and copies in separate safe places.
Digital Backup
Take photos of all documents and store them in a secure cloud service (Google Drive, iCloud) with two-factor authentication enabled. Give your trusted person access to this account.
Emergency Contacts to Memorize
If your phone is taken, you need to know these numbers by heart.
Your Trusted Person
The person who will care for your children and manage your affairs. Write their number here and memorize it:
___-___-____
Your Attorney
Your immigration lawyer. If you don't have one, memorize a legal aid hotline number:
___-___-____
Your Consulate
If detained, you have the right to contact your country's consulate. Know their phone number.
___-___-____
If Someone Is Detained
If a family member or community member is taken into ICE custody, act quickly.
Immediate Steps
- Stay calm. Panicking will not help them. You need to think clearly.
- Call their attorney or a legal aid hotline immediately.
- Call the ICE Raid Hotline: 1-844-363-1423
- Find where they are being held. Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System or call 1-888-351-4024 (ICE ERO). You will need their full name, date of birth, and country of birth or A-number.
- Do not sign any voluntary departure documents on their behalf.
- Secure their belongings: car, apartment, personal items, pets.
- Activate the family safety plan. Ensure children are with the trusted person.
The Bond Process
Getting Someone Released
- A detained person may be eligible for bond (bail). Bond amounts vary.
- An immigration judge sets the bond amount at a hearing.
- Bond can be paid at any ICE field office with a cashier's check or money order.
- Having an attorney at the bond hearing dramatically increases the chance of release.
- Some organizations provide bond funds for people who cannot afford to pay.
Children's Safety
If You Are a Parent
The most important thing you can do for your children is prepare now. Without a plan, your children could end up in the foster care system.
Protect Your Children
- Guardianship documents: Sign a temporary guardianship form naming your trusted person. Have it notarized. Give copies to the school and your trusted person.
- School authorization: Submit a form to your children's school listing who is authorized to pick them up.
- Medical authorization: Give your trusted person written permission to make medical decisions for your children.
- Talk to your children (age-appropriately). They should know who to call, where to go, and that it is not their fault.
- School safety: Inform the school principal that you are an immigrant family. Ask about the school's policy on ICE access. Many school districts have adopted sanctuary policies.
- U.S. citizen children cannot be deported. If your child is a citizen, make sure they have their birth certificate and passport accessible.