Written by ASAP’s expert immigration lawyers · Updated
These documents are samples of a court warrant (left) and an ICE warrant (right). Government officials must have your permission OR a court warrant – a document signed by a judge – before they can enter your home. ICE warrants are ICE forms signed by ICE officers and do NOT give them permission to enter your home without your consent.
What are the differences?
A court warrant is issued by a court. An ICE warrant is issued by ICE or U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A court warrant is signed by a judge. An ICE warrant is signed by an ICE officer.
If a government official is at your door, you are not required to open the door unless the official has a court warrant, and you can ask to see a warrant before you open the door. For example, you can ask the official to slide the warrant under the door, or to show it to you through a window or door viewer.
Even if the warrant is a court warrant, you can review it carefully before opening the door to make sure it lists your name and address, has not expired, and is signed by a judge.
If government officials do not have a warrant, you can decide whether to open the door or not.
You can also call your lawyer if you have one, and find legal help here. You can also read other safety measures.
The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) aims to provide factual information about current immigration laws. This information is not legal advice.
All legal content is written and legally reviewed by ASAP’s team of expert immigration lawyers. ASAP’s expert lawyers have decades of experience in immigration law and litigation. Collectively, they have won hundreds of cases. Our lawyers are admitted to the Bar in several U.S. states, hold law degrees from universities including Harvard, Yale, and UCLA, and have won multiple awards for their legal work.