Know Your Rights
Empowering community members with the knowledge to protect themselves
About Know Your Rights
Our volunteers make ACLU Know Your Rights whistle packs for individuals and Know Your Rights at Work materials for businesses.
Your donations help provide supplies. We also need volunteers to hand out these resources in the community. Knowledge is one of the most powerful tools we can offer.
Community in Action
Young people leading the way
Students from Madison Meadows Middle School spent an afternoon assembling Know Your Rights packages — sorting and collating materials that will be distributed to local businesses so employees and customers know their constitutional rights if ICE ever comes to their workplace.
This is what community protection looks like: the next generation showing up, doing the work, and making sure their neighbors are informed and prepared.
What's in the package
A whistle in every package
Every Know Your Rights package we distribute includes a small metal whistle on a keychain. If someone is approached by ICE or feels unsafe, a whistle can alert neighbors, draw attention, and signal that help is needed — a simple tool that can make a real difference in a frightening moment.
These are donated and assembled by volunteers. You can help keep them stocked — whistles are on our wish list below.
How You Can Help
Supplies and volunteers are both needed to keep Know Your Rights materials flowing to the community.
Supplies Needed
- Copy paper
- Snack size zip-lock bags
- Whistles
- Money to buy red cards
Volunteer Your Time
- Assemble ACLU Know Your Rights whistle packs
- Distribute materials to individuals in the community
- Deliver Know Your Rights at Work packets to local businesses
About the Red Cards
The red card is one of the most important tools we distribute. It fits in a wallet and tells someone exactly what to do — and what not to do — if ICE stops them. It reminds them of their constitutional rights and instructs them to stay silent and ask for a lawyer.
Download and Print Your Own
The ILRC (Immigrant Legal Resource Center) offers a free red card PDF you can download and print at home. This is a great option for individuals, families, and organizations that want to make their own.
Download the ILRC Red Card (PDF)Puente's Version — With La Migra Hotline Number
Puente Human Rights Movement is one of Arizona's most trusted and long-standing immigrant rights organizations. They operate the 24-hour Línea de Defensa — a rapid response ICE reporting hotline at (480) 506-7437. When ICE activity is reported, Puente coordinates with a network of localized rapid response groups across Arizona so that volunteers can respond quickly. Puente offers their own version of the red card — with their hotline number printed on it — as a free download on their website.
Download Puente's Red CardOrder Professionally Printed Cards — Vega Printing
We order our red cards from Vega Printing, a family-owned immigrant business in Arizona. They print red cards for several organizations. When you order, ask for the Sam Cooley Red Card version — that is the version we use, which includes Puente's Línea de Defensa hotline number. Supporting Vega means supporting an immigrant-owned small business while getting professional-quality cards your community can rely on.
Visit Vega PrintingWant to Make and Distribute Your Own Packs?
Know Your Rights materials save lives — and the more people and organizations distributing them, the better. Whether you want to build your own packs from scratch or take ready-made packs from us to hand out, we would love to help you get started.
Make Your Own Personal and Business Packs
We can walk your organization through exactly how to assemble both personal Know Your Rights whistle packs and Know Your Rights at Work packets for local businesses. We will share our materials list, instructions, and everything you need to run your own pack-building event. Reach out and we will help you get set up.
Get Packs from Us to Distribute
If your organization would rather distribute than build, we can provide you with ready-made packs to hand out in your community. This is a great option for groups that are already doing outreach and want to add Know Your Rights materials to what they are already offering.
Support Know Your Rights
Help us put life-saving information in the hands of people who need it most.
Get Involved