NIC urges community to know and assert your rights, and to be aware of ICE officers in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Hector Fong | [email protected]  

Bethany Khan | [email protected]

Viridiana Vidal | [email protected] 

*Confirmed ICE activity in Northern Nevada*

Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) cancels Immigrant Lobby Day at NVLEG, urges community to know and assert your rights, and to be aware of ICE officers in plainclothes and unmarked vehicles

LAS VEGAS, NV – With confirmation of increased enforcement activity in Northern Nevada where more than 30 immigrants were detained by ICE, the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) is cancelling Immigrant Lobby Day originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at the Nevada Legislature in Carson City, Nevada, citing growing safety concerns for immigrants and their families during heightened ICE activity. NIC demands answers from Governor Lombardo and local elected officials on how many Nevadans have been separated from their families, to ensure that due process was followed for each and every detention and deportation of a Nevadan, and is calling attention to the lasting trauma, economic impact, and family separation caused by the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant and mass deportation agenda.

The Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) urges 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).

“Across the country, the Trump Administration has used ICE to detain DACA recipients, U.S. citizens, and green card holders. For over a decade, Immigrant Lobby Day has been a powerful day of action every session for immigrant Nevadans to share their stories and advocate for policies that protect working families,” said Laura Martin, Executive Director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) and NIC Steering Committee member. “Other than the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the first legislative session since 2011 without an Immigrant Lobby Day, which is a stark consequence of how Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda continues to sow fear, disrupt our economy, and undermine democracy in Nevada. From the Las Vegas Strip to the State Capitol in Carson City, immigrants help power Nevada’s economy, contributing billions to our state each year. Immigrant workers are here to stay. We are organizing and we will continue to fight for our families, our neighbors, and our future.”

“ICE has been deploying plainclothes officers and unmarked vehicles to conduct targeted enforcement in Northern Nevada, creating a chilling effect that is keeping immigrant families from safely accessing their own elected representatives to share their stories as we advocate for a better future. These enforcement operations are not law and order, they are state-sanctioned terror designed to silence and isolate immigrant communities,” said Leo Murrieta, Executive Director at Make the Road Nevada and NIC Steering Committee member. “This is more than just a disruption, it’s an attack on our fundamental rights. Families are being torn apart, children are losing their parents, and workers are being pulled away from their jobs. This is the reality of Trump’s deportation machine and it’s happening right here in Nevada. We will not stand for this terror, and we call on Governor Lombardo and elected leaders to ensure due process is being followed for every detention and deportation, and that ICE reports regularly and timely exactly how many Nevadans have been separated from their families throughout our state.”

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) urges the community to know and assert their rights. All Nevadans, regardless of immigration status, have rights and deserve due process.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS:

If ICE stops you . . .

*You can ask the officers if you are being detained, if you are not, then you are free to leave.

*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 are over 18 or over, and a non-citizen, an immigration officer may request to see your immigration documents.  If you have your documents, the law requires you to share them if you have them.

*If you do not have your immigration documents, you still have the right to remain silent and ask for an attorney.

*Do not provide false documents to officials.

If ICE comes to your home . . .

*In most circumstances, you are not required to open the door for ICE if they don’t have a judicial warrant.  A Judicial warrant is a document that is signed by a judge.

*You have the right to remain silent and not answer any questions.

If ICE takes you into custody . . .

*You have the right to ask to speak with an attorney.

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

*In certain cases, you can request to see the immigration judge. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to ask for bail 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.

TO FIND LOVED ONES WHO MAY HAVE BEEN DETAINED: 

Search the ICE Detainee Locator.

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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 Nevada Immigrant 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.

Follow the Nevada Immigrant Coalition (NIC) *on Instagram and Twitter (X).