Know Your Rights & Legal Observer Training — ICE

What KYR Trainings Cover

KYR trainings educate individuals — particularly immigrants and community members — on their constitutional rights regardless of immigration status.

At Home

• You are not required to open the door for ICE
• Agents need a judicial warrant signed by a judge (not an administrative ICE warrant) to enter
• Ask to see the warrant through a window or slipped under the door

In Public

• You have the right to remain silent
• Ask: "Am I being detained?" and "Am I free to go?"
• Do not run
• Do not sign anything without a lawyer

At Work

• ICE may enter public-facing areas (lobbies, parking lots) without a warrant
• ICE cannot access private/employee-only areas without a judicial search warrant or employer consent

If Detained

• You retain the right to remain silent
• You have the right to a phone call
• You have the right to an attorney
• Do not sign any documents without legal counsel

Data & Privacy

• Guidance on protecting personal data and phone security during encounters

Key KYR Resources (Updated for 2026)

Upcoming & Active KYR Training Sessions (as of Feb 9, 2026)

What It Is

A Constitutional Observer (also called a legal observer or ICE observer) is a trained community member who documents law enforcement and immigration enforcement activity without interfering. The practice is rooted in the National Lawyers Guild's Legal Observer® Program, established in 1968, and draws from the Black Panther Party's 1966 copwatch patrols in Oakland.

Today's observers are specifically focused on ICE and CBP operations.

What Constitutional Observer Trainings Teach

Based on the COPAL MN / Immigrant Defense Network Handbook — the standard training material used across Minnesota and increasingly nationwide.

Core Rights of Observers

• Recording law enforcement activity in public is lawful and protected by the First Amendment
• You have the right to remain silent and to observe from a safe distance

Safety Protocols

• Maintain at least 8 feet from ICE agents at all times
• Never obstruct or interfere with enforcement operations
• If asked to step back, comply immediately and document that you are doing so
• Wear visible identification (yellow vests, observer badges) when possible

After Recording

• Immediately copy video files to a second device without renaming the original
• Edit only the copy
• Notify the Immigrant Defense Network or your local organization so they can track and assist the person detained
• Do not post video that clearly identifies a detained individual on social media — share it with the person's family, friends, or lawyer first

De-escalation

• Control yourself first, then help calm those around you
• The goal is recording, not confrontation

Key Legal Observer Training Programs & Sign-Ups

The COPAL MN Constitutional Observer Handbook

This has become the de facto national standard for observer trainings. It was developed by COPAL MN and the Immigrant Defense Network and is referenced by training sessions run by the Minnesota DFL, Indivisible chapters, and groups in Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and beyond.

What Observers CAN Legally Do

What Observers Should NOT Do

Risks to Be Aware Of