FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Saturday, April 19, 2025 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Hector Fong | [email protected]  

Bethany Khan | [email protected]

Viridiana Vidal | [email protected] 

Las Vegas, NV –  Ahead of Easter, there has been a surge in immigration enforcement activities in Las Vegas, with reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents (working with other federal law enforcement agencies such as FBI, ATF, US Marshals, among others) and often operating in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) held a virtual media availability Friday, April 18th, 2025 to discuss the on-going surge and debrief specific instances.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) has confirmed ICE activity through firsthand accounts, active social media monitoring and verification, outreach from impacted family members requesting assistance, and triaging with attorney partners providing legal support. As the exact number of Nevadans detained remains unclear, NIC urges members of the media to demand answers from ICE, Governor Joe Lombardo, and Sheriff Kevin McMahill about how many members of our community have been separated from their families and loved ones.

This week, Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) has received reports and has been able to confirm numerous instances of ICE activity, including at the following locations:

SUNDAY: 

*4/13: ICE enforcement at residence (Nellis & Stewart) 

MONDAY: 

*4/14: A local business (Sunset and Decatur) 

TUESDAY: 

*4/15: Valley View & Sahara

*4/15: Bonanza & 10th Street

*4/15: ICE enforcement at residence

WEDNESDAY: 

*4/16: Freedom Park

*4/16: La Favorita Market (Twain & Palos Verdes)

THURSDAY: 

*4/17: ICE enforcement at residence (Eastern & Bonanza)

*4/17: Indoor Swapmeet (Eastern & Owens)

*4/17: Galleria & Gibson

*4/17: ICE detention conducted before school drop off 

*4/17: ICE detention conducted after school pick up

Additionally, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) had received multiple reports from reliable sources that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers were at Tesla Gigafactory in Reno. While we are still actively working to confirm details, there are pictures circulating on social media of CBP officials at the Tesla Gigafactory. There is lack of clarity from the authorities of which agencies are participating in immigration detentions, which further adds to the fear and confusion in the community, given federal agencies’ use of plainclothes officials and unmarked cars in Las Vegas this week. NIC demands answers from Governor Lombardo, Congressman Amodei, ICE officials, and Elon Musk about why CBP was at the Tesla Gigafactory.

“The Nevada Immigrant Coalition urges the community to know and assert their rights. All Nevadans, regardless of immigration status, have rights and deserve due process. We are deeply alarmed by the surge in ICE enforcement across Nevada this week. While the full number of individuals detained is still unknown, the impact is clear: Families are being separated without warning and children are being ripped from their loved ones. Our community is living in fear and innocent people are being deported without accountability or justice. These attacks go beyond immigration. This is part of a broader, coordinated effort by this administration to silence dissent – criminalizing advocacy, threatening nonprofits, and targeting communities that dare to speak out. An attack on immigrants is an attack on all of us,” said Bethany Khan, spokeswoman for the Culinary Union and member of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC). “Ahead of Easter weekend, the NIC urges our community to stay alert and know your rights. From the Las Vegas Strip to the Tesla Gigafactory in Reno, immigrant workers help power Nevada’s economy, contributing billions to our state each year. We are here to stay. We are organizing and we will continue to fight for our families, our neighbors, and our future.”

“The biggest fear right now in the community is that folks don’t actually know which agencies are being deputized to act as ICE officers and detain Nevadans on ICE orders,” said Martha Menéndez, Nevada immigration attorney and member of the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC). “Due process is under attack every day, but that doesn’t mean our rights don’t exist – they do, and we strongly encourage people to assert them. Everyone, regardless of status, should be prepared. If you are a legal permanent resident, carry your valid green card. If you have a valid work permit or a court document that shows you have deferred action or another type of protection, carry a copy of it with you. If you’re a U.S. citizen and are worried about being profiled, carry proof of your citizenship, such as a copy of your passport or passport card. Avoid carrying IDs, a passport, or a voter card from another country, as those can be used against you in immigration proceedings. Most importantly, remember that you have the right to remain silent and the right to speak to a lawyer. You do not have to answer questions about where you were born or your immigration status until you’ve spoken to an attorney. Stay alert and stay safe.”

“Recent escalations by ICE nationwide have demonstrated that ICE, much like other federal agencies, isn’t interested in following the law,” said Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of the ACLU – Nevada. “They’ve effectively covered their faces in many of these actions, accosted people in their vehicles or on the streets who have no idea who they are, and have disregarded basic norms, including detaining an American citizen yesterday. People in our community have citizenship interviews scheduled and don’t know what they should be doing because ICE has arbitrarily revoked visas elsewhere and detained people never even accused of violating a law. By engaging in severe violations of due process to censor speech, attack universities, racially profile people, and stir division, the federal government is eroding what little trust people had in it. We will continue to push back against civil liberties violations and we will forever remain unwilling to bend the knee to tyranny.”

Immigrant workers pay taxes, fund public services, strengthen our economy, are loved community members, and are essential to Nevada’s workforce. According to FWD.us analysis, immigrants make up 24% of Nevada’s labor force and contribute an estimated $20.2 billion to the Nevada economy annually.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) is urging the members of the immigrant community to know their rights, have family preparedness plans in place, and be aware of ICE officers in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles. The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) will post all breaking news and confirmations of ICE activity in Nevada on Instagram and Twitter (X).

ALERT TO COMMUNITY: Enforcement actions aren’t exclusively limited to ICE officials and may include other federal agencies in Las Vegas. Beware that ICE agents aren’t always in uniform. They are often in plainclothes or wearing badges labeled:

*ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives)

*DHS (Department of Homeland Security)
*FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

*DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)

*USMS (U.S. Marshals Service)

*BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons)

*ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

*HSI (Homeland Security Investigations – a division of ICE)

TO FIND LOVED ONES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN DETAINED: Search the ICE Detainee Locator.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition urges Nevadans to know which documents to carry in order to protect themselves during targeted ICE activity.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS:

If ICE stops you . . .

*You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer any questions regarding your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the United States.

*Do not physically resist a government official, and do not run away.

*If you have any valid immigration documents, show them to the ICE officers.

If ICE comes to your home . . .

*You have the right to not open the door.

*You may remain silent and not answer any questions.

*You have the right to refuse any official wishing to enter without a warrant. A warrant must be shown to you and must have your correct name and address on it.

If ICE takes you into custody . . .

*Ask to speak with an attorney.

*Do not sign any document that you do not understand. Even if the ICE officers are persistent and want to pressure you, do not sign.

*Request to see the immigration judge. In most cases, you may be able to ask for bail in order to be released from custody.

*You have the right to request to contact your country’s consulate for help.

*If you have minor children, let the officers know that you are the parent or primary caregiver. 

*ICE may “exercise discretion” and let you go.

###

ABOUT THE NEVADA IMMIGRANT COALITION: 

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC), founded in 2006, ensures immigrant, refugee, and new American voices are heard at a local, state, and federal level to advocate for humane and fair immigration policies. The coalition focuses on strengthening a network that provides services, resources, and deportation defense to immigrants and refugees across the state while strategically organizing around issues that are important to all Nevadans. We believe in working towards a Nevada that welcomes, respects, and protects everyone regardless of their immigration status.