Know Your Rights
Below are materials from our partner groups to help you know what your rights are and how to assert them. Remember that you have rights, but that the police may ignore them.
1. You have the right to film the police
If you witness law enforcement interacting with a neighbor, the single best thing you can do is to record a video of the interaction with your phone. This is the guidance we hear consistently from immigration advocates, racial justice advocates, and organizations that support unhoused neighbors.
Whether it’s ICE, MPD, or agents interacting with unhoused neighbors, recording the interaction captures important evidence. You have the right to film so as long as you do not interfere with the interaction. Learn important tips for how to record the police in the video below from Witness.org.
2. “Am I free to go?”
If you are stopped by law enforcement officers, your goal should be to leave the conversation as quickly and safely as possible.
To do this you can ask the officer, “Am I free to go?”
Learn more about your rights when interacting with law enforcement in the webinar below from the National Lawyers Guild.
3. “I do not consent to a search.”
Law enforcement officers are allowed to pat down outside of your clothes if they have a reason to suspect you are armed and dangerous. For anything more, they need a warrant or your consent.
You should not agree to be searched, even if you think police will not find anything illegal. Say, “I do not consent to this search.”
The webinar above from National Lawyers Guild discusses this in more detail.
4. If you are stopped, remain silent.
If you are stopped, detained or arrested, it is safest to say nothing.
If law enforcement officers are persistent in asking you questions, you can say, “I am going to remain silent. I want to speak to a lawyer.”
Read more in this Know Your Rights guide from National Lawyers Guild, or in the short informational video below.
5. Assert these rights
Knowing your rights is a great first step. Asserting your rights is even better.
Practice saying the phrases here out loud so they come easily to you if you ever need them.
Additional Resources
Download printable versions of Free DC’s Know Your Rights materials.
Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid (MSMA) has compiled a comprehensive drive of approved Know Your Rights resources.
See also: We Have Rights, an empowerment campaign to prepare for and safely defend our rights during encounters with ICE.
National Homelessness Law Center’s Know Your Rights thread for unhoused neighbors.