Protesters in front of a banner that says "Your actions save lives, free them all"

Enforcement

The Department of Homeland Security detains and deports hundreds of thousands of immigrants every year. The massive immigration enforcement regime has devastating effects on immigrant families and communities. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has been at the forefront of campaigns locally and nationally to fight back against immigration enforcement and protect immigrant rights. 

The ILRC provides resources and support to communities and organizations working on immigration enforcement issues, including background explanations, strategy tools for campaigns, legal and policy analyses, and ongoing assistance to campaigns fighting against unfair immigration enforcement.

Popular Resources

A map of the U.S. highlighting states with pro-immigrant policies.

State Map on Immigration Enforcement

This map focuses on state laws that regulate the state’s involvement in immigration enforcement.
A map of the U.S. highlighting counties who work with local law enforcement.

National Map of Local Entanglement with ICE

The map represents the degree to which local policies limit assistance in immigration enforcement.
U.S. map pointing counties with 287(g) agreements.

National Map of 287(g) Agreements

This map represents the 137 total jurisdictions across the country that currently have 287(g) agreements under the jail enforcement and Warrant Service Officer models.
First four pages of this resources staked on one another.

Local Policy Interventions for Protecting Immigrants

On this resource, we identify the key policy intervention and link to examples of where state and local governments have taken this on.
First four pages of this resource stacked on each other.

Open Records Laws for Immigrant Rights Advocates

This toolkit and webinar provides advice for how immigrant rights advocates can use public records act requests to get information on how immigrants are treated by local and state government agencies.
Illustration of an ICE agent and a sheriff shaking hands.

The Role of Sheriffs and the Arrest-to-Deportation Pipeline

This short fact sheet helps explain the role and power of sheriffs and their engagement with ICE.
Sample page annotated for advocates

Annotated Detainer Form 2021

This sample ICE detainer is annotated to highlight what advocates should look for, and explains some of the legal problems with detainers.
Image of a carousel depicting the shifting nature of carceral facilities.

Carceral Carousel

This report details select case examples of jails and prisons that closed for one purpose, only to cage a different group of people.

Latest Resources

Practice Advisory
Resources

HR1 Fees at USCIS and EOIR
Publication Date
09/18/2025
This practice advisory provides information about recently implemented fee increases at USCIS and EOIR. These fee increases are a result of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” also known as HR1. This advisory explores what we know and what we still don’t know about the fees, how to pay them, and potential future changes.
Public Comments / Sign-on Letters
Resources

ILRC Comment Opposing the Imposition of ICE Fines
Publication Date
07/28/2025
On July 28, 2025, the ILRC submitted a comment opposing a new government rule that imposes massive civil fines—sometimes up to nearly $2 million—on immigrants who entered the U.S. without authorization or did not leave after a removal order.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources

FAQs: How Denaturalization Works
Publication Date
08/05/2025
Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a memo listing out its priorities for civil enforcement cases. In that memo, the DOJ states that it will be focusing on denaturalization cases. This memo - along with statements made by administration officials and members of congress - has sparked a lot of attention on denaturalization and questions about who could be denaturalized. This has caused a lot of fear and uncertainty in communities, but denaturalization is not as straightforward as you might think.
Toolkit & Reports
Resources

Immigration Dragnet: The New Era of 287(g)
Publication Date
07/29/2025
Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”) authorized the creation of a program that allows state and local law enforcement agencies to act as immigration enforcement agents.This policy brief reviews the recent history of 287(g) agreements and how they’ve proliferated, describes the three 287(g) agreement models, examines a case study of escalating 287(g) programs in Florida, delves into the programs’ dangers and harms, and provides some recommendations for local communities that want to stop 287(g) agreements in their tracks.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources

Immigration “Wellness Checks” For Children: What sponsors, household members, and young people need to know

Publication Date
07/16/2025
Community members across the country are reporting visits from immigration and other federal officers seeking to meet with certain children who entered the United States unaccompanied. These children are often referred to as “unaccompanied children” (UCs) because at the time they were arrested by immigration (such as crossing the border), they were not with a parent or legal guardian. Although these visits are sometimes described as “wellness checks,” they are part of a broader, coordinated effort to locate and deport some vulnerable young people and their sponsors. It is crucial for families and immigrant communities to stay informed, exercise their rights, and seek legal support when needed.
Practice Advisory
Resources

Responding to DHS Motions to Recalendar
Publication Date
07/01/2025
In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security has begun filing thousands of motions to recalendar administratively closed proceedings. This trend is raising questions about how attorneys and accredited representatives can respond to these motions and protect their clients’ interests, particularly in cases that have been administratively closed for many years. This advisory explores those questions and offers strategy considerations when determining how to proceed in each case.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources

Know Your Rights Solidarity Signs (English/Español)
Publication Date
06/02/2025
The ILRC has prepared free, downloadable signs to help you let your local communities know that you stand with them! Tell ICE that you are prepared to defend your guests, patrons, students, patients, or clients from unlawful entry or intimidation.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources

Protections Against Immigration Enforcement From Court Orders
Publication Date
05/27/2025
Given the Trump administration’s vow to carry out mass deportations, ICE has already expanded its enforcement actions and gotten increasingly aggressive about its tactics. But advocates should be aware that there are legal protections against these abuses of power. These protections from unfair and unlawful actions come from court battles that have been litigated and won. Knowledge is power and knowing these cases will be a powerful tool to have if ICE oversteps and violates immigrant’s rights.
Practice Advisory
Resources

Gonzalez v. ICE Advisory for Criminal Defense Attorneys
Publication Date
05/20/2025
Step by step explanation for criminal defense counsel of how to identify ICE detainers that may be issued in violation of the Gonzalez v. ICE class action. This class action settlement applies nation-wide to limit ICE’s issuance of detainers. This advisory walks through the basics of the case and how to monitor and respond to any violations of the settlement.
FAQs & Explainers
Resources

Arrest-to-Deportation Pipeline
Publication Date
05/16/2025
Despite the real risk of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) visiting someone’s home, below is the primary pathway in which most vulnerable immigrants will find the highest risk of deportation. This infographic maps out the United States’ arrest-to-deportation pipeline and offers a glimpse of the multiple ways immigrants can be pushed into removal proceedings, from initial contact with law enforcement to immigration detention. Because there are regional differences in local law enforcement policies, variances in which cities participate in federal immigration enforcement programs, and new state-specific laws that serve the deportation machine, this infographic is NOT exhaustive.
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ILRC Resources on 287(g)

Check out our map of 287(g) agreements and various resources to fight 287(g) in your community.
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Related Products

Webinar
Webinar

Challenging a Deficient NTA
Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereira v. Sessions in 2018, there has been a long line of caselaw about whether a Notice to Appear (NTA) missing the time, date or location of proceedings strips the immigration court of jurisdiction to hear a case, triggers the stop-time rule in various contexts, or is sufficient for the issuance of an in absentia removal order. In this webinar, we will discuss how to challenge a NTA that is missing the time, date, or location of proceedings, and we will review the latest caselaw on this topic, including Matter of Fernandes, 28 I&N Dec. 605 (BIA 2022). We will also discuss best practices for preserving arguments for appeal, even when BIA or circuit court caselaw is not on our side.
Webinar
Webinar

Challenging a Deficient NTA
Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Pereira v. Sessions in 2018, there has been a long line of caselaw about whether a Notice to Appear (NTA) missing the time, date or location of proceedings strips the immigration court of jurisdiction to hear a case, triggers the stop-time rule in various contexts, or is sufficient for the issuance of an in absentia removal order. In this webinar, we will discuss how to challenge a NTA that is missing the time, date, or location of proceedings, and we will review the latest caselaw on this topic, including Matter of Fernandes, 28 I&N Dec. 605 (BIA 2022). We will also discuss best practices for preserving arguments for appeal, even when BIA or circuit court caselaw is not on our side.
Webinar
Webinar

Requesting Bond and Parole for Asylum Seekers
In this webinar, we will discuss how asylum seekers, including recent entrants, can seek release from immigration custody via bond and parole. We will review eligibility for bond and parole for arriving aliens, and the implications of Matter of M-S-, 27 I&N 509 (AG 2019) on asylum seekers. We will also discuss who may seek bond before the immigration judge and strategies for the bond hearing. This webinar will leave advocates armed with tips and best practices when representing asylum seekers requesting release from detention.
Video
Video

Resources for Non-Citizen Protesters
At this critical time when hundreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets to affirm that Black Lives Matter, the right to join in any type of protest is critical to a functioning democracy. Whether you are calling out institutional racism, police brutality, or ICE, this webinar will provide special considerations for noncitizens thinking about participating in protests. In particular, we will provide information on best practices for noncitizen protesters, potential immigration consequences stemming from a criminal arrest or charges, and how immigrant rights work intersects with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Webinar
Webinar

Hot topics: Adjudication and Enforcement Trends

In this webinar, we will take a look at current policies impacting referrals to immigration court and enforcement trends, with an eye towards any changes in the first months of the Biden administration.

National Map of Local Entanglement with ICE

A map showing the degree to which local policies limit assistance in immigration enforcement
View more