Most of us have heard of green cards as they relate to immigration. But what are red cards?
With President Donald Trump holding firm on his promises of mass deportations in his first days in office, there’s a new demand for so-called red cards which are seen as a simple form of help to immigrants in the U.S. regardless of their legal status.
The two-sided, wallet-sized red cards are printed with helpful tips on what to do when encountering a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent and informing the card carrier of their constitutional rights.
RELATED STORY | Churches prepare to protect attendees in case of ICE raids
The Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC), a nonprofit that provides support and advocacy for immigrants, has order forms on its website to obtain these cards for free. However, it had to stop accepting new orders due to an “unprecedented demand” and a “significant backlog" that has only grown since the election.
You can still download the artwork to print your own cards from the ILRC’s website in over a dozen translations. There are also instructions on what type of paper to print them on and how to make them durable.
“The red cards help people defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home or workplace,” the United Farm Workers Foundation stated on its website with a link to direct people to the ILRC’s red cards page. “We ask that people print these cards out and have them handy at all times just in case of emergency.”
RELATED STORY | New Jersey mayor alerts public to ICE raids affecting US citizens
Businesses or attorneys’ offices that want to order over 1,000 of the cards can place orders on RedCardOrders.com but will have to pay a fee for printing them.
This is the text that is printed on the front side of the cards:
You have constitutional rights:
• DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR if an immigration agent is knocking on the door.
• DO NOT ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS from an immigration agent if they try to talk to you. You have the right to remain silent.
• DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING without first speaking to a lawyer. You have the right to speak with a lawyer.
• If you are outside of your home, ask the agent if you are free to leave and if they say yes, leave calmly.
• GIVE THIS CARD TO THE AGENT. If you are inside of your home, show the card through the window or slide it under the door.
This is the text that is printed on the back side of the cards:
"I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand you any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution. I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door. I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights. I choose to exercise my constitutional rights. "
