Demand for ‘know your rights’ red card surges amid Trump’s deportation policies

Washington: Veronica Velasquez, an undocumented immigrant from the Philippines living in Los Angeles, always carries a small red card in her wallet. Known as a “know your rights” card, it reminds immigrants of their constitutional rights when dealing with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the US.

The card, created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) nearly two decades ago, is available in 19 languages. Since Donald Trump took office again on January 20, following his promise of “the biggest deportation in the history of the country,” demand for the red card has surged.

The ILRC reported receiving requests for nine million cards since the November 5 election—more than the total distributed over the past 17 years.

A tool for protection

The red card informs immigrants of their rights under the US Constitution. It advises individuals to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment and refuse to answer ICE agents’ questions. It also instructs them not to allow agents into their homes without a judge-signed warrant, a protection under the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Inspired by the red cards used in football matches to remove players from the field, the ILRC introduced this card in 2007 to help immigrants targeted in workplace raids.

The organization distributes the cards through nonprofits, businesses, schools, churches, clinics, and food banks. Templates are also available for download.

The card is printed in English on one side and the user’s native language on the other. It is available in Punjabi, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Creole, Russian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Chinese, and several other languages, reflecting the diversity of the immigrant population in the US.