Immigrants & Immigration

A safety plan is a list of steps that you and your family can take to stay safe if something happens with your immigration status. This could include being stopped by immigration officers, taken into custody, or deported. A safety plan can help you: 

• Know what to do in an emergency; and
• Who to contact, and what steps to take to protect each other.

Emergency contacts
Keep a list of emergency contacts. Include information for family or friends you can trust to help you in case of an emergency. Write down their contact information in your plan. Tell the people you’ve added to your emergency contacts that you’re listing them, and that other family members or your child will reach out to them if you cannot. Consider including the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) Family Support Network Hotline, (855) 435-7693, and the contact information of local organizations supporting immigrants.

Child care plan
If you have children, a safety plan can ensure the safety and well-being of them in your absence. Make sure your child knows where to find your list of emergency contacts and how to call people.

It’s important to choose a trusted adult who can care for your child if you cannot. The best way to make sure your child will be cared for is to appoint a legal guardian. If you have more than one child, you need a guardianship for each child. This is even if you are choosing the same adult to care for all your children. When someone is made the guardian of a child, they can do many things a parent can do, like work with the child’s school, make medical decisions, and apply for benefits on behalf of the child. You should trust the adult you’re naming as guardian to take care of your child according to your wishes and the best interests of your child.

Important note: The person you pick as a guardian must be an Illinois resident who is 18 years of age or older. The person also can't have a felony conviction of a crime involving harm to a child and not legally disabled. Illinois law doesn’t say whether the guardian must have legal immigration status. However, it’s recommended that a guardian is a US citizen, green card holder (LPR) or have some other lawful immigration status.

There are three types of guardianships in Illinois. The short-term guardianship does not require parents to go to state court. This makes it ideal for people who are afraid to go to state court for immigration reasons. This is also a good option because your child is protected as soon as the short-term guardianship is signed. Learn more about the types of guardianships for immigrant families from Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. This video is also available in Spanish. 

It’s important to talk to your child so they know who will be taking care of them if something happens to you. Make sure your child knows what to do and who to contact if they can't reach you have been detained.

Your child’s school, doctors, and after-school programs should know that your child has a guardian if you cannot care for them. You can give them a copy of the guardianship, so they know how to reach the guardian if needed. The guardian should also know about any medical conditions or medications your child has. This is so they can step in immediately to help with care if needed.

Ensure that all your children have passports. If your child was born in the US, you can apply for a United States passport for them. If your child was born in your home country, check with your embassy or consulate about getting a passport. You can find information about consulates located in Illinois on the Chicago Consular Corp website.

Financial plan
It’s important to know what to do with your money and property if you’re detained or unable to make financial decisions. An important first step is choosing someone to be your power of attorney (POA). That person will be able to access your property, and make financial decisions for you. This includes selling property, working with your bank, and managing your business if you own one. You can choose what your POA can have access to. You can limit their access to only if you are unable to manage your finances. If you are detained or deported, and you haven’t chosen anyone as a power of attorney, only a legal guardian or someone else named on the account will be able to handle your finances. This usually means a spouse. Read more about Powers of Attorney for Property.

Creating a financial plan is important so your POA or joint owner knows what to do if you are detained or deported. The plan should list your bank accounts, job and pay stubs, property like a home or car, and bills that need to be paid. To learn more about creating a financial plan, the Resurrection Project provides information on Protecting Your Assets: A Financial Wellness Guide for Immigrants in the US. The first half of the video is presented in Spanish, and the second half in English. Read more about information on financial plan considerations.

Communicate plans with your family
All members of your household, including any children, should know the agreed upon safety plan. This includes what to do when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents come to your house. Ensure everyone knows where important documents and the emergency contact list are stored and who they need to call. 

Share your plan with trusted family and friends outside your home too so they can help people in your household with their plan . If anything changes about your emergency contact list or your safety plan, let everyone know about the change. Talking about the safety plan regularly can help reduce stress. Your family and friends will feel confident that they know what to do if something happens to you.

Keep important documents safe and in one place
Keep yours and your family members’ important identification and immigration documents in a safe place. Examples of important documents include:

• Passports,
• Copies of green cards,
• Copies of immigration documents, including application receipts, notices to appear in immigration court, Form I-94 Arrival/Departure records,
• Copies of any guardianship papers for children,
• Mortgage/rental agreements,
• Birth certificates, and
• Marriage or divorce certificates.

You may want to buy a fireproof safe or rent a safety deposit box to store paper documents. You can also keep other records there, such as tax forms, pay stubs, criminal records, or civil court documents.

It’s important everyone in your household knows where these documents are kept and how to get them if you cannot.

Have know your rights information
There are “Know Your Rights” cards that inform you of what your rights are as an immigrant. For example, you have the right to remain silent if you are questioned by an immigration officer and you have the right to contact a lawyer. Consider keeping one of these cards on you at all times. Consider keeping one of these English or Spanish language cards on you at all times. 

Consider keeping a copy of your rights in English and your own language next to or taped onto your front door. That way you can see it if immigration officials come to your home. 

The National Immigrant Justice Center has information on planning ahead to protect your family in the event of deportation, and The Resurrection Project has a video and resources covering emergency planning for immigrant families. The Illinois Immigration Coalition has know your rights resources for Illinois residents.