Pennsylvania – Know Your Rights Resources
These Know Your Rights materials were created through a joint effort by several leading immigrant advocacy organizations across Pennsylvania. The Community Justice Project, Church World Service Lancaster, Justice at Work, Esperanza Immigration Legal Services, the Nationalities Service Center, and HIAS Pennsylvania worked together with a shared mission: to equip immigrant communities with trusted information, practical tools, and the confidence to understand and exercise their rights in any situation.
This collaboration reflects a collective commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals, strengthening families, and ensuring fair treatment for all—regardless of immigration status, national origin, or language.
Whether you are undocumented, have a pending immigration case, hold a visa, or are a lawful permanent resident, you have rights under U.S. and Pennsylvania law. Below is a clear and expanded overview of the protections every immigrant and Latino resident should know.
You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, place of birth, or how you entered the country.
Tell officers: “I choose to remain silent.”
You can present a Know Your Rights card instead of speaking.
ICE cannot enter your home without a judicial warrant signed by a judge.
An ICE administrative warrant (Form I-200 or I-205) is not enough.
Ask for the warrant to be slipped under the door—do not open it to check.
You can request legal representation before answering questions.
Even if you cannot afford an attorney, you can seek free or low-cost legal help through nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania.
You can say: “I want to speak to a lawyer.”
You do not have to consent to officers searching your home, car, or belongings without proper legal authority.
Say clearly: “I do not consent to a search.”
Under Pennsylvania and federal law:
Your employer cannot retaliate against you for reporting unsafe conditions or wage theft.
You must be paid for all hours worked, regardless of immigration status.
You are protected from discrimination based on race, nationality, or language.
Labor authorities do not ask about immigration status when you file a complaint.
Hospitals must treat you in a medical emergency, regardless of status or ability to pay.
Every child in Pennsylvania—documented or undocumented—can enroll in public school.
Schools cannot ask for your immigration status or that of your child.
They also cannot require a Social Security number to enroll.
Under Pennsylvania law:
You cannot be discriminated against because of your ethnicity, accent, national origin, or immigration status in housing, employment, or public services.
You can file complaints with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC).
You can make a phone call.
You can ask to contact your consulate.
You do not have to sign any documents without talking to a lawyer.
Signing papers may affect your immigration case or cause you to be deported.
Every immigrant family—especially mixed-status families—should prepare:
Emergency contact list
Power of attorney for child care
Copies of important documents
Legal assistance contacts
This helps protect your family if someone is detained unexpectedly.