Legal Issues: Students/Scholars

What to do if contacted by the FBI or other Governmental Authority

In addition to keeping your immigration documents and status in good order, you should familiarize yourself with your rights and responsibilities as a non-citizen of the United States so that you are able to respond appropriately to any contact initiated by a US governmental authority.

For an outline of your rights, please see the following document created by the American Civil Liberties Union:
www.aclu.org

For additional comment and explanation concerning the rights of non-citizens in the US, please see the following links:

You should be allowed to contact your consulate for advice and assistance before entering into a formal interview or meeting with a representative of a US governmental agency: http://www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/ . You should also keep with you the number of an attorney.

To locate an attorney in the South Bend area, contact the St. Joseph County Bar Association: 574-235-9657. Low-income families can seek help from the South Bend office of Indiana Legal Services, 574-234-8121, or from Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic, 574-631-7795.

Please contact the Immigration Services office with any questions or concerns about your immigration status and documentation: 574-631-5243 or issa.nd.edu .