Waukegan CUSD 60 hosts ‘Know Your Rights’ immigration session with North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic

Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 held a virtual “Know Your Rights” session with the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic to inform families about immigration enforcement, safety planning and legal resources.

The presentation, led by Melanie Contreras, an immigration attorney at the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic in Highland Park, Illinois, focused on how people should respond to encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), what makes an ICE warrant valid, and how schools and employers can reduce risks for undocumented community members. Oscar (identified in the session as a Waukegan CUSD 60 staff member) opened the presentation and moderated questions from participants.

The session’s most repeated instruction from Contreras: “You have the right to remain silent,” and community members were urged to exercise that right if contacted by immigration officers. Contreras said people are not required to answer ICE’s questions or reveal their immigration status; she added, “Do not sign anything” and cautioned against presenting false documents.

Contreras explained that ICE may appear in plain clothes or wear green/beige vests labeled “ICE” and that officers can detain someone only with a valid judicial warrant or probable cause. She demonstrated what to check on a warrant: the person’s full current name and address, a recent date, a short description of why the warrant was issued, and — critically — a judge’s signature. “It has to be signed by a judge,” she said; a warrant signed by an ICE official is not a valid judicial order to enter a home.

The presentation covered different encounter settings. At work and in public, Contreras reiterated the right to remain silent and warned against running away because doing so can create probable cause for police or ICE to stop and question someone. She said private employee-only areas should be preserved so staff have a place to retreat if immigration officers arrive and recommended employers keep I-9 forms secure.

For schools, Contreras advised establishing a safety protocol and a network of allies to protect students and families, noting that laws protect students’ access to K–12 education and limit disclosure of immigration status. She recommended that schools train staff to remain calm, request to see any warrant without immediately opening doors, and know how to verify a judge-signed judicial warrant.

Contreras also recommended that families prepare a safety plan that includes an emergency contact (preferably a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident), memorized A-number or immigration identifiers, a list of lawyers, and keeping original documents (passports, birth certificates, immigration papers) in a secure location. She discussed short-term guardianship documents that allow a designated person to care for children in the parents’ absence and noted guardians should generally not have felony convictions unless appointment is in the child’s best interest.

Attendees were cautioned about notario fraud and advised to consult a qualified immigration attorney or Department of Justice–accredited representative for case-specific advice. Contreras said the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic is offering consultations and provided its phone number: (847) 737-4042, and noted the clinic will provide materials in English and Spanish. She also described a small “red card” summarizing rights to carry in case of detention.

The session covered federal immigration topics mentioned by Contreras — including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and birthright citizenship as matters of federal policy — and emphasized that immigration enforcement and policy details can change, so families should follow trusted sources and seek legal review for their situations.

The presentation concluded with a question-and-answer period and an offer of follow-up consultations and workshops from the North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic.