Your Rights During an ICE Workplace Raid in California: A Survival Guide

If ICE agents show up at your job, what you do in the first few minutes matters. You have constitutional rights during a workplace raid, even if you don’t have legal immigration status. Those rights don’t disappear because federal agents are standing in front of you.

This ICE workplace raid survival guide for California breaks down exactly what happens during a raid, what your employer is required to do under state law, and the specific steps you can take to protect yourself.

What Is an ICE Workplace Raid?

A workplace raid happens when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrive at a job site to question workers and apprehend individuals they believe are in the country without authorization. These operations have escalated sharply since January 2025.

In June 2025, ICE conducted large-scale raids at job sites throughout California. In September 2025, a single raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia resulted in roughly 475 arrests, the largest single-site enforcement action in DHS history.

California has been a primary target. Raids have hit agricultural operations, construction sites, manufacturing plants, and service businesses, sometimes involving coordination with other federal agencies like the FBI and DEA.

What Are Your Rights During a Workplace Raid?

Your constitutional rights apply regardless of your immigration status. Here is what you are legally entitled to do:

• You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born, how you entered the country, or your immigration status. You can say: “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”
• You have the right to refuse to sign documents. Do not sign anything without speaking to an attorney first. Anything you sign can be used against you in removal proceedings.
• You do not have to consent to a search of your personal belongings. If agents ask to search your bag, pockets, or vehicle, you can say: “I do not consent to a search.”
• You have the right to an attorney. If you are taken into custody, you can request to speak with a lawyer before answering any questions.
• You can carry a “Red Card.” Organizations like the ACLU and ILRC distribute Know Your Rights cards (sometimes called Red Cards) that you can hand to an agent instead of speaking. These cards assert your constitutional rights in writing.

Do not run, physically resist, or provide false documents. Stay calm, be polite, and clearly state that you are exercising your rights.

What Your Employer Must Do Under California Law

California’s Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450) places specific obligations on employers when ICE shows up. This law applies to all public and private employers in the state.

Under AB 450:

• Employers cannot voluntarily allow ICE agents into nonpublic areas of the workplace without a judicial warrant.
• Employers cannot voluntarily hand over employee records (including I-9 forms) without a subpoena or judicial warrant.
• If an employer receives a Notice of Inspection for I-9 forms, they must notify all current employees within 72 hours.
• Employers must share the results of any workplace inspection with affected employees.
• Employers who violate these requirements face civil penalties ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per violation.

There is a key limitation to know about. A federal appeals court has blocked California from enforcing the provisions that would penalize employers for allowing agents into nonpublic areas or giving access to records without a warrant.

However, the employee notification requirements remain fully enforceable.

Judicial Warrant vs Administrative Warrant

This distinction is critical during a raid. ICE agents frequently arrive with administrative warrants (Form I-200 or I-205), which are signed by an ICE supervisor, not a judge. Administrative warrants do not authorize agents to enter private spaces or force entry into a home or nonpublic workplace area.

A judicial warrant is signed by a federal judge or magistrate. It specifies the location to be searched and the items or persons to be seized. Only a judicial warrant compels an employer to grant access to nonpublic areas.

If agents present a warrant, ask to review it. Look for a judge’s signature. If it is signed only by an ICE official, your employer has no legal obligation under California law to grant access to restricted areas.

Steps to Take if ICE Arrives at Your Workplace

Here is what to do in real time:

• Stay calm and do not run. Running can create legal problems and escalate the situation.
• Do not answer questions about your immigration status. Say: “I choose to remain silent” or hand agents a Know Your Rights card.
• Ask if you are free to leave. If agents say yes, walk away calmly. If they say no, you are being detained, and you should clearly state that you want to speak with a lawyer.
• Do not sign anything. Especially do not sign a voluntary departure or removal order. Signing a voluntary departure waives important legal rights.
• Try to remember details. Note how many agents were present, what agency they identified with, badge numbers, and what happened during the encounter.
• If you are able, report the raid. Contact your local rapid response network.

The best time to protect yourself is before enforcement action occurs:

• Carry proof of any legal immigration status at all times.
• Memorize the phone number of an immigration attorney and an emergency contact.
• Create a family emergency plan. California residents can complete a Caregiver Authorization Affidavit to give a trusted adult temporary authority over children.
• Gather important documents (birth certificates, immigration paperwork, medical records) and keep them in a safe, accessible place.
• Know your A-number if you have one. Family members can use it to find you through the ICE detainee locator.

How to Report an Illegal ICE Raid in California

In December 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta launched an online portal for reporting potentially unlawful conduct by federal agents.

If you witnessed or experienced a raid where agents violated your rights, entered nonpublic areas without a warrant, used excessive force, or engaged in racial profiling, you can submit photos, videos, and a description of what happened.

The portal is confidential, but does not replace calling 911 for crimes in progress.

What to Do After an ICE Workplace Raid

If you or a coworker were taken into custody, act quickly. Contact an immigration attorney as soon as possible. Use the ICE detainee locator to find someone who has been taken into custody.

Document everything you remember about the raid while the details are fresh. And check whether your employer complied with AB 450’s notification requirements.

The immigration system is designed to move fast and pressure people into giving up their rights. Knowing your rights before enforcement action happens is the single most effective way to protect yourself.

If you or someone you know is facing immigration enforcement, speak with a qualified immigration attorney right away.