Vickerstaff Law Office

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Local: 502-442-2039 Toll-Free: 888-832-2944
Vickerstaff Law Office

Call For An Initial Consultation

Local: 502-442-2039
Toll-Free: 888-832-2944

Louisville, Kentucky, Immigration Lawyer

Louisville, Kentucky, Immigration Lawyer

Immigrants in Kentucky: Know your Fourth Amendment rights

| Aug 9, 2019 | Uncategorized

If you’re a naturalized U.S. citizen, you may have studied various amendments of the U.S. Constitution before taking your citizenship tests. However, there are people in Kentucky and elsewhere throughout the country who have been born and raised in the United States who have never read the Constitution. Regardless of your current legal status, if you’re an immigrant, you’ll want to be aware of the protections numerous amendments in the Constitution provide.

The Fourth Amendment is one you’ll want to be well-versed in because it pertains to unlawful searches and seizures. Understanding this amendment and knowing where to seek support if a problem arises are key factors toward avoiding immigration problems in Kentucky or anywhere in the United States.

What constitutes a reasonable search?

When you’re living and working in the United States, you are entitled to a certain amount of privacy. For instance, if a police officer pulls you over in a traffic stop and asks you to step out of your car, you should do it. However, if his or her next request is to empty your pockets or allow him or her to search your vehicle, you do not necessarily have to consent to a search.

It depends on the circumstances, and in most cases, police need to obtain a valid search warrant before searching someone’s vehicle, home, person or property. An exception to the rule might be if police can prove they had reason to believe public safety was at risk when they conducted an unwarranted search.

If Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents knock

What if you’re at home and you hear an unexpected knock at your door? You look through a window and see several people wearing ICE uniforms. Perhaps you open the door and a spokesman for the group asks if they can come inside. Do you have to let them?

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects you from having to allow uninvited guests into your home. In fact, in most circumstances, you can simply step outside and explain that you are not allowing any agent or officer inside your home without a valid warrant.

Arrests, detention, interrogation and other issues

If Kentucky police or ICE officers take you into custody, you may request legal representation before answering any investigative questions. Confirming your identity if an officer asks you to state your name is one thing. Telling them where you were on a certain date at a specific time or answering questions about who lives in your house with you is quite another.

While the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects you against unlawful searches or seizures, if you evoke the Fifth Amendment, you may remain silent unless or until you have legal representation present to provide guidance and support. There are appropriate courses of action to take when someone believes police or ICE has violated his or her personal rights.