Jan 16 2026

Know Your Rights as a U.S. Citizen

ICE agents in Minneapolis violently detain and arrest U.S. citizen for one reason: he refused to prove his citizenshipe

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and an assortment of other masked Federal officers are arresting U.S. citizens for not showing ID or “proof” of citizenship on the streets, at traffic stops, and in warrantless door-to-door searches in the Twin Cities.

ICE is planning to station agents to “check documents” on the jetbridges at the Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport.

With all this happening, we’ve posted a new know-your rights FAQ for U.S. citizens, “Do I have to show ID as a pedestrian, passenger in a car, at my home, or at the airport for a domestic flight?” (Also available here as a printable one-page PDF.)

This know-your-rights guide is for U.S. citizens. The law is different for foreigners: U.S. law requires foreigners in the U.S. for more than 30 days to register with the U.S. government and carry  their papers “at all times”.  But there are many other good resources for non-U.S. citizens. We’ve found few clear guides to the rights of U.S. citizens in situations like those today in Minnesota, in which U.S. citizens are being (illegally) required to prove their right to walk the streets, live peacefully in their homes, or travel within their own country.

This guide is a work in progress. We’ve posted it quickly because the need seems urgent. We welcome suggestions for corrections or changes.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *