ICE, ICE, Baby

by Kathleen J. Jennings (

With the threat of  U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) raids in the very near future, we are repeating advice from an older blog post so that companies know what to do if ICE shows up at the door.

What is a company to do if ICE agents show up at a facility?

The first question that you need to ask is this: Do you have a warrant?

If the answer to that question is yes, then the company’s options are limited.

Review the warrant and contact counsel immediately. ICE is a federal law enforcement agency, and a company, like a person, needs to ensure that its 4th amendment (against unreasonable search and seizure) and 5th amendment (against self-incrimination) rights are protected.

Does the warrant seek documents or information? It is absolutely the job of the company’s counsel to respond or possibly even move to quash the warrant.
If there is no warrant, then the company has more options in responding.

Without a warrant, law enforcement cannot enter a company’s private property without the permission of an agent of the company. The company should designate in advance the person or persons who are authorized to interact with members of law enforcement on behalf of the company.

If there is no warrant or court order, the company does not have to provide any documents or information to ICE. The company may voluntarily provide information, such as Motel 6 did in Arizona, when it turned over guest logs to ICE.

If the company has a collective bargaining agreement, does the collective bargaining agreement say anything about the level of cooperation the company can provide to ICE? Some unions are seeking inclusion of provisions in collective bargaining agreements that would limit the employer’s ability to cooperate with ICE. Some model provisions restrict an employer from letting ICE agents into the workplace unless they possess a valid judicial warrant. These model provisions also ban the auditing or sharing of workers’ I-9 employment eligibility verification forms or checking status using the voluntary E-Verify program, except where required by law, from. As enforcement efforts become more aggressive, look for more unions to propose this type of contract language.
[Some unions, such as Unite Here!, which represents many hospitality workers, are also providing training to workers in the handling of encounters with ICE.]

What are the possible future consequences? Will a lack of cooperation result in more federal law enforcement pressure on the company? Or will cooperating with ICE result the loss of a substantial number of workers or unfavorable publicity?

Pro Tip: However a company chooses to respond to a visit from ICE, it should have a written plan of action in place well before anyone from ICE appears at the door. Review that plan with counsel to ensure that the company’s rights are protected.

Kathleen Jennings is a principal in the Atlanta office of Wimberly, Lawson, Steckel, Schneider, & Stine, P.C. She defends employers in sexual harassment and other employment litigation and provides training and counseling to employers in employment matters. She has also handled criminal matters. She can be contacted at

©2019 Wimberly Lawson

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