Texas National Guard troops have been sent to Illinois, allegedly staging at an army reserve training center in Elwood, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune. They are expected to begin operations on Wednesday.

The deployment comes after the Trump administration announced on Sunday, Oct. 5 that they plan to send National Guard troops to the Chicagoland area for 60 days. The state of Illinois and the city of Chicago sued the administration, aiming to block the deployment.

As troops are deployed, here is a list of constitutional rights afforded to individuals in the United States as someone either concerned about their rights around ICE, protest and more.

Lee la guía en español, aquí.

If you are approached by an U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officer (ICE):

• You have the right to remain silent if questioned or arrested. You are not required to discuss your immigration/citizenship status with any officials. You can state you wish to speak with an attorney. 
• Do not sign any documents without a lawyer present. 
• If you are at home, you do not have to open the door. ICE agents must have a signed warrant to come into your residence. ICE warrants for deportation are different from a valid criminal arrest warrant because they are administrative warrants and are acting on civil, not criminal authority. 
• If you are outdoors, you can move to an indoor space that is safe.

If you are approached by an ICE office on campus:

• ICE officers may enter public areas of campus, but cannot access residence halls, classrooms, or offices (restricted areas) without consent or a criminal warrant signed by a judge.
  • Administrative (civil) warrants do not authorize ICE to enter nonpublic spaces or private residences without permission.
  • Students have the right to refuse entry to their residence hall room or home unless officers have a criminal warrant. 
• You have the right to remain silent and not sign or provide documents without a lawyer present. FERPA protects student records; employees should not release information or documents to ICE without direction from the Office of General Counsel.
• Call Public Safety or the Office of General Counsel if ICE attempts to enter a restricted area.
  • Public Safety: Lincoln Park: 773-325-7777 | Loop: 312-362-8400
  • Office of General Counsel: 312-362-8865
  • Public Safety does not ask members of the DePaul community about their immigration status or have records relating to immigration status. They would assist to enforce a valid criminal warrant. 
  • The university recommends not interfering with agent activities. You may ask officers to wait in a common area while you contact the proper university office.
• If a member of the DePaul community is detained by ICE, students should call James Dorsett (312-362-5171) or Gretchen Frickx (312-362-6595), staff members at the department of Global Engagement. 
  • Dorsett and Frickx are also the points of contact for international students if they are detained.
  • Faculty and staff should call Bob Wachowski, the director of Public Safety, at 773-325-7762.

What to do if a loved one is detained, how to find the detained person and tracking court hearings: 

• Here are the National Immigrant Justice Center steps to take. 
• Resurrection Project has compiled a list of Chicago organizations legal immigration services. The Immigration Bond Fund provides bond payment assistance for individuals detained by ICE in Illinois,  Indiana, Wisconsin and Kentucky. 
• Find out the A# of the person, and search it here. When a center is identified you can contact to make visits, phone calls and send money. 
• An individual’s court hearing can be tracked with their A# or by calling 800-898-7180. 

Finding a lawyer: 

• Individuals should ask an immigration judge for representation if they do not have it because an immigration court system does not guarantee a lawyer for people that cannot afford it. 
• Resources can be found at the National Immigrant Justice Center for those looking for representation and understanding court cases. 
• Historically, non-citizens who have been arrested do not qualify to receive free representation from a public defender in Chicago. However, in 2022 a law was passed to make it more accessible for non-citizens to get a public defender.
• Public defenders office arrest hotline is 844-817-4448, and the Immigration Division contact is pdimmigrationunit@cookcountyil.gov and 312-603-0636.

What to do if you’re unhoused

• You should keep a photo ID on you at all times, any medications, a charged phone and an emergency contact.  
• The Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness offers guidance on if encampments are cleared. 

Know your rights as a protester: 

• You are allowed to protest and take photos from the sidewalk and street – it is public property.
• If you’re arrested, you have the right to remain silent. To report police or National Guard misconduct, this is the hotline: (800-529-7374) If legal assistance is needed after being arrested at a protest (872-465-4244).
• Use social media in a manner that doesn’t spread panic or fear. Make sure you’re following accounts with verifiable information. 
• Recording and reporting immigration agents: Local nonprofits The Resurrection Project and the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights have made hotlines support detainees and to report suspected immigration activity. 

Rights to Protest on campus:

• You have the right to free speech and peaceful demonstration on campus, as laid out in DePaul’s guiding principles of free speech and expression. 
• Peaceful protest is allowed, but activities can’t block walkways, entrances or disrupt university operations.
• Advance approval is required to use campus spaces like the Quad or Student Center for demonstrations.
• You may respond to speech with speech — including through counter-protests — as long as others’ rights are respected.
• The university can regulate time, place and manner of demonstrations to maintain safety and campus order.

Additional resources: 

• ICIRR’S family support network hotline: 1-855-435-7693
• National Immigrant Justice Center’s (NIJC) Legal Deportation Assistance: immigrantjustice.org
• Organized Communities Against Deportations’ (OCAD) Resource Guide: organizedcommunities.org

Resources on Campus: 

• University Counseling & Psychological Services
• Office of Multicultural Student Success
• Cultural and Resource Centers
• International Student & Scholar Services
• DePaul Sanctuary

Sofia Joseph contributed to this report.

Related Stories: 

• Know your rights: How DePaul plans to respond to ‘immigration raids’
• A letter from the La DePaulia editors
• Photo Gallery: Downtown protest draws thousands over ICE, military deployment