As immigration enforcement activity increases across North Carolina, particularly in Charlotte, families are seeking reliable information, legal assistance, and trustworthy alerts. Staying informed and prepared is one of the strongest protections communities can rely on. The following overview brings together key local, state, and national resources available in 2025 to help individuals and families stay safe, informed, and connected.
The Carolina Migrant Network offers a Spanish-language Know Your Rights guide that explains what to do if you encounter immigration agents, along with an emergency hotline serving the Charlotte area. These tools help community members protect themselves during everyday interactions as well as urgent situations.
Residents in Charlotte can also subscribe to real-time WhatsApp alerts about confirmed ICE activity. This channel helps families safely move throughout the city and avoid areas where enforcement operations have been reported.
Community organization Siembra NC continues to provide education, organizing campaigns, defense strategies, and resource guides aimed at protecting migrants, building community power, and shifting the immigration conversation statewide. Their project Ojo Obrero offers a public map of historical ICE activity throughout North Carolina and an app that includes alerts and educational tools.
For families choosing to limit travel during enforcement surges, Compare Foods in Charlotte is offering free grocery delivery using the code NOFEE2025 at compareclt.com
A range of national groups have developed guidance and tools to support immigrants, advocates, and communities of faith. The ACLU’s 2025 guidance for places of worship outlines strategies for protecting congregants and responding safely to immigration enforcement at churches, temples, and other sacred spaces.
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) has published a factsheet explaining how recent federal policy changes—particularly the rollback of protected areas—threaten community safety. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) offers detailed recommendations for local policy interventions that can reduce the harm of ICE collaboration.
The National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) provides a comprehensive Know Your Rights guide focused on what individuals should and should not say during encounters with immigration agents. For rapid community response, the Legal Aid Justice Center has assembled an emergency toolkit with templates, protocols, and actionable steps.
People seeking legal assistance can use the Immigration Advocates Network’s national legal services directory, which provides an up-to-date list of nonprofit immigration legal providers. The American Immigration Council has also published an overview of recent executive orders and their impact on communities nationwide.
There are several guides available to help community members understand what to do if they or someone they know is stopped by ICE. These include bilingual resources explaining how to respond during a traffic stop or home encounter, as well as information summarizing possible legal options for individuals detained under current enforcement priorities.
Freedom for Immigrants offers an extensive guide to the detention system, including a frequently asked questions section about ICE detainers. Immigrants Rising provides multilingual educational materials, rights information, and training resources for students and families.
For communities building defense strategies, Just Futures Law and Mijente created a deportation defense toolkit that offers step-by-step planning materials. There are also guides explaining how to pay immigration bonds online and how to participate in court-watch programs through the Community Justice Exchange.
In times of heightened immigration enforcement, access to accurate information can save lives, protect families, and strengthen communities. These resources offer legal support, community organizing tools, safety strategies, and practical guidance for responding to emergencies. Sharing these tools widely—and staying connected—remains one of the most powerful ways to protect one another.
