Community Resources - Immigration
Community Resources
For help finding a resource contact Amy Stotzheim, the Hubbs Center Counselor:
Statement from the Saint Paul School Board Regarding ICE Presence in the Twin Cities
ICE agents are not welcome in Saint Paul. They were not invited to our community, and they have been asked to leave by Governor Walz and numerous local elected officials. The Saint Paul School Board unequivocally joins that call: ICE must leave our community immediately.
Our hearts are broken for the family of Renée Good. We grieve alongside the students and families in the Saint Paul Public Schools community who have been torn from us by ICE enforcement actions. ICE is not making our community safer – they are terrorizing our neighbors, tearing apart families, and creating an environment of fear that harms everyone.
Our community is not safer when people are afraid to leave their homes. Our students cannot learn in an atmosphere of chaos and terror. The presence of ICE in our neighborhoods fundamentally undermines the conditions necessary for children to thrive and for families to feel secure.
Last year, the Saint Paul School Board adopted a resolution providing clear guidance on interactions with ICE. We reiterate that guidance now:
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ICE agents are not permitted on school grounds without a court-signed judicial warrant.
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We will not coordinate with ICE operations.
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We will do everything within our legal authority to protect our students and families from immigration enforcement in our schools.
If anyone observes ICE agents near a school building, they should immediately contact the building’s principal. Contact information for each building’s principal can be found at the school’s website.
Students who feel unsafe attending school in person are able to access online school. If students and families are interested in virtual learning, they should contact their current school’s principal as soon as possible and request enrollment in the SPPS Online School, or contact the Student Placement Center at 651-632-3700.
The Saint Paul School Board stands with our students and families. Saint Paul Public Schools will remain a welcoming place for all children.
Immigrants/Refugees Know your rights Immigrant LAw Center of MN
https://www.ilcm.org/immigration-resources/know-your-rights/immigrants-refugees/
The following information is to assist immigrants and refugees. This is not legal advice. Please consult an attorney for specific legal questions. Last updated February 4, 2025.
General Know Your Rights Information
You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions from ICE or other law enforcement.
You have the right to an attorney. You may have a lawyer with you if ICE or other law enforcement questions you. Do not sign anything without a lawyer.
You have the right to decline a search. Do not open your door. ICE is not legally allowed to enter your home without a proper judicial warrant.
Please review and practice this “Know Your Rights” information. It is available in Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Creole, English, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Encounters with ICE
In public
- Ask, “Am I free to go?” If the officer says yes, walk away. If the officer says no, do not walk away.
- You have the right to remain silent. You do not need to answer questions about your immigration status, where you are going, or what you are doing.
- You have the right to refuse a search of yourself or your belongings. The officer may legally pat down your clothing if they suspect a weapon. Otherwise, you may say, “I do not consent to being searched.”
- You have the right to an attorney. You may say, “I will not answer any questions without my attorney.” Memorize the phone number of an attorney you can call if you are detained.
In your car
- Pull over to the side of the road. Open your window slightly. Keep your hands on the steering wheel.
- When asked, you must provide your license, registration, and proof of insurance.
- You have the right to remain silent. You do not need to answer questions about your immigration status, where you are going, or what you are doing.
- You have the right to refuse a search of yourself or your vehicle. The officer may legally pat down your clothing if they suspect a weapon. Otherwise you may say, “I do not consent to this search.”
- You have the right to an attorney. You may say, “I will not answer any questions without my attorney.” Memorize the phone number of an attorney you can call if you are detained.
In your home
- Do not open your door. Ask for identification.
- To enter your home legally, officers must present a valid judicial warrant. It must have your correct address and name and be signed by a judge. Instruct the officers to hold the warrant up to the window or slide it under the door for your review.
- If the warrant is not valid, you can say, “This warrant is not valid. You may not enter. Please leave.”
- If the officers enter anyway or if the warrant is valid, you still have rights. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.
- Document everything you can during the search including the agency the officers are from, officer names, officer badge numbers, witness information and any actions taken by officers.
At school/work
- Law enforcement may not enter the private spaces of an establishment without a valid warrant or permission.
- Whoever is interacting with the officers should ask for identification and a warrant. The warrant is only valid if it correctly lists the establishment, has the proper date, and is signed by a judge.
- If the warrant is not valid, you can say, “This warrant is not valid. You may not enter. Please leave.”
- If the officers enter anyway or if the warrant is valid, you still have rights. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.
- Document everything you can during the search including the agency the officers are from, officer names, officer badge numbers, witness information and any actions taken by officers
General reminders
- Do not run or resist arrest. This may be used unfairly against you in court.
- Never lie or present false documents. This may be used unfairly against you in court.
- Do not open the door without confirming that the officers have a valid warrant. Opening the door is considered consent to enter.
- Do not answer any questions without an attorney present. Any information may be used unfairly against you in court.
- Read through “Know Your Rights” material, practice scenarios, and prepare documents so you are ready if you encounter ICE.
Detention
If you are detained:
- Request a phone call to your attorney or emergency contact.
- You have the right to remain silent. You should not answer any questions or sign anything without an attorney present.
- Request a copy of all papers your attorney submits to the judge as part of your case.
To find someone detained by ICE:
- Use ICE’s online detainee locator
- Call the local ICE office at (402) 536-4935 (Fort Snelling). Make sure to have the person’s alien registration number written down, if they have one.
- Call the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) hotline number at 1-800-898- 7180 (toll-free) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get information on your case’s status.
Get Legal Assistance
- Contact ILCM’s intake line at 1-800-223-1368, open Monday 10am-1pm, Tuesday 1pm-4pm, Wednesday 10am-1pm, and Thursday 3pm-6pm
- Find low cost immigration help online
- Legal services near you by zip code
- American Immigration Lawyers Association’s online directory
- The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild online directory
- Walk-in (no appointment needed):
- Unidos Legal Clinic (Minneapolis)
- Unidos Family Preparedness Information
- Park Avenue Legal Clinic (Minneapolis)
- Community Action Center (Faribault)
- By appointment
- Brian Coyle Center (Minneapolis)
- Waite House (Minneapolis)
- Other Legal Clinic Options
- Pillsbury United Community Legal Services (Minneapolis)
- Volunteer Lawyers Network Clinics (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Faribault)
DACA
DACA holders still have legal status and can renew their DACA status. To learn more about DACA, please visit our “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)” website page.
TPS
If you have questions about your TPS status, applying, or renewing, please visit our “Temporary Protected Status” website page or our “Fact Sheet: Temporary Protected Status” website page.
Click on a link below to see resources available through other organizations in Minnesota.
LEGAL
Immigration Legal Assistance
Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota
- Free immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees
- Call 1-800-223-1368
- If your case is a priority case, call 651-641-1011. Priority cases include:
- DACA renewals
- U Visa/VAWA/removal of conditions based on abuse
- U visa adjustments
- Special immigrant juvenile status
- Naturalization
- Temporary protected status
- Refugee adjustments
- Detainees (or someone calling on their behalf)
- Link to ILCMN's Immigration Information & Resources
The Advocates for Human Rights
- Free immigration legal assistance to low-income asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, people in immigration detention, and victims of human trafficking.
- 3 Step Intake Process: 1.) Call their intake phone line at 612-341-9845 on Tuesdays 10-12 or Thursdays 12-2, or, complete their online intake form. 2.) Case evaluation may take a few weeks and staff may contact you to ask additional questions or to request additional paperwork. 3.) The intake decision will be made and you will be contacted by phone, email, or mail. If they do not take your case, they will give you information about other agencies that might be able to help you.
- Link to The Advocates for Human Rights' Self-Help Resource Information
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services
- Free legal help to low-income clients in a full range of civil matters
- Help people preserve and maintain life essentials such as income, health, safety, and shelter
- They host clinics including Criminal Expungement Clinics. See upcoming clinics here.
- They will assist with the paperwork and filing, but they do not go to court with you
- Apply online or apply by calling 1-888-575-2954
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Some issues VLN helps with:
- Family
- Civil
- Employment
- Debt collection
- Housing
- Immigration
- Real estate
- Criminal expungement
- Bankruptcy
- Call 612-752-6677 Monday-Thursday from 10 am - 1:00 pm to see if they can help.
- Criminal Expungement Seminars in Minneapolis and other areas in Minnesota. Seminars include a brief presentation and time to meet with volunteer attorneys. They can answer your questions and may be able to connect you with further assistance.
- Free legal help for people with low income, at least 60 years old, or has a disability.
- Free civil legal aid for:
• Debt collection and unfair loans
• Disability-related cases
• Divorce and child custody
• Domestic violence
• Elder abuse
• Housing discrimination and evictions
• Immigration and citizenship
• IRS tax issues
- Directory of MN licensed attorneys to hire for their services
