CBCGB welcomes people from every cultural background. While we began as an Asian heritage church, we have always sought to serve the broader community. Recently, there have been questions about our rights and about what to do if federal agents arrive on the church campus, if we witness enforcement activity, or if we are approached by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

We hope these collected resources are helpful to you. If you would like to share any more helpful resources, please email safeguardingteam@cbcgb.org.

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.  Leviticus 19:34

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: ICE Enforcement. 

A Guide for Immigrants, Families & Communities, both in English and Chinese (see PDFs below).

• First, the person being arrested or detained has the right to remain silent. They do not have to answer questions about their immigration status, citizenship, where they were born, or how they entered the United States. The person can state, “I am exercising my right to remain silent,” and refuse to speak with ICE agents until they have spoken with an attorney. 

• Second, the person being arrested or detained has the right to hire and speak with a lawyer. Only licensed attorneys and accredited representatives may provide immigration legal services.

• Third, the person being arrested or detained has the right to refuse to sign documents. ICE may ask people to sign voluntary departure forms, waivers of rights, or other paperwork. The person being arrested or detained has a right to read and understand any document before signing it.  

In the event of contact, both detainees and bystanders can ask these questions. 

• Am I being detained? • Am I under arrest? • What is the reason? • Do you have a warrant?  • Can I see it? • Where are you taking me? • What agency do you work for? • What are your names and badge numbers? • How can my family or lawyer contact you?  

Bystanders have the right to:

• The right to observe ICE officers and record the encounter from a reasonable distance, so long as they do not interfere with the officers. 

• The right to remain silent. 

• The right to refuse entry. If ICE agents approach a home where a bystander resides, the bystander can refuse entry without a judicial warrant.