Nevada AG Vows To Protect The Rights of Undocumented Immigrants In Contact With Law Enforcement

Following yesterday’s announcement that Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford’s office “will be a bulwark” against any effort by the Trump administration “to impose unconstitutional mandates, override our system of checks and balances, or intrude upon the rights of any Nevada resident,” his office released two “Know Your Rights” documents to inform immigrants and employers of immigrants of their legal rights.

In their announcement this afternoon, Ford highlights he will protect the rights of undocumented immigrants: “Every resident of Nevada has basic rights that protect you when you have contact with law enforcement, regardless of your citizenship or immigration status—including undocumented immigrants.”

Today, AG @AaronDFordNV announced the publication of two “Know Your Rights” documents to keep immigrants and employers of immigrants informed of their legal rights.

The documents, available in both English and Spanish, can be found at https://t.co/plt4D6ZJnd. pic.twitter.com/4YoW3Po0ge

— NV Attorney General (@NevadaAG) November 20, 2024

In yesterday’s warning to the incoming Trump administration, Ford emphasized that “There is no one way to be a Nevadan. The residents of our great state -whether they’ve been here for 3 weeks or are third- generation Nevadans,” implying he will legally resist Trump’s Day One Agenda which includes a targeted, mass deportation of criminal migrants and the reversal of the Biden-Harris administration’s immigration and border policies.

Since President Biden assumed office in January 2021, an estimated 10-15 million foreign nationals illegally crossed the border and approximately two million are unaccounted for. According to reports, Nevada has seen an increase of 562 percent in the state’s undocumented immigrant population since 2021.

“The research literature has generally found that increases in immigration raise state and local governments’ spending — particularly on education, health care, and housing — more than their revenues,” the report said. According to FAIR US, in 2023 illegal immigration cost Nevada taxpayers an estimated $2 billion, or nearly $2,000 per Nevada household annually.

The “Knowing your rights” documents provide instructions to immigrants and employees what to provide and how to react to federal and state law enforcement and immigration agents. The documents reference the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, American Immigration Lawyers Association, federal law and Executive Order 33166 since in August, 2020 by former President Bill Clinton.

Resources listed in the documents are provided by the following entities: National Immigration Law Center, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, Catholic Charities of Northern and Southern Nevada, UNLV Immigration Clinic, Immigration Center for Women and Children, American Immigration Lawyers Association directory, National Immigration Justice Center, Culinary Union 226, ACLU, American Red Cross, and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.