At a minimum, you need names and locations of the people you want to report. Otherwise ICE won’t have much to go on. Specific names may not be as important if you have a solid location. For example, if there’s an abandoned house next door that you suspect is being used for human trafficking, take down the address of the house and make close observations of the people coming in and out of the house. Take down the dates and times you see people coming and going, along with descriptions of those people. Get license tag numbers if you can. You may want to look at ICE’s tip form, located on the agency’s website, to get an idea of the types of information sought. Keep in mind that the more information you’re able to provide, the more likely it is that your tip will be useful to authorities. However, don’t imperil your own safety or that of others to get information. You don’t need to play detective, and your tip will be more valuable if the people don’t suspect they’ve been discovered – especially if they are engaged in criminal activities.
You also can conceal your identity by using a public computer, such as one at a library, to file your report, or by using your own computer or other electronic device on a public Wi-Fi network. Sending your report from another location also may be important if you fear that your home network has been hacked or your online activities are being monitored.
Before you start entering your information, read the opening paragraphs regarding tips and how they’re handled carefully and make sure you understand how your information will be used. You may want to take this opportunity to rethink making an anonymous report. If you don’t provide your name and contact information, you’ll have no way to add to your report, and officers will have no way to get in touch with you if they need additional information. You cannot attach files to the web form, so if you’ve taken photos or have any other documents that provide evidence that the people you’re reporting are in the country illegally, you have no way of transmitting this information. Making a separate email address that can’t be traced back to you and entering that as contact information is one way to ensure you can continue to provide information or be available while still remaining anonymous.
After optional contact information, the form asks you to check any number of boxes next to phrases categorizing suspected criminal violations. Keep in mind that you must check at least one. You also must provide information about the violator, including whether the complaint involves a business, an individual, or both. Although you still may remain anonymous, you are required to state whether you have submitted the same information to other law enforcement or government agencies. If you’ve already contacted ICE to report the same individuals, you should not submit more than one duplicate tip. Only report about the same individuals if you have additional information that was not included in your original tip.
Above the button to submit the tip, there is a warning that providing false information could lead to criminal fines or imprisonment. Even though you’re submitting your tip anonymously, do so with this warning in mind. Don’t provide false information to ICE for the intention of harassing someone if you have no real reason to suspect they’re engaged in criminal activity.
You may want to write the facts down before you call so you can communicate them in a logical way. Keep in mind that the more details you have, the more likely it will be that ICE will investigate the matter. If all you have to go on are suspicions or gossip that you heard from someone else, you may not be ready to submit a tip. ICE won’t investigate unless there is some real, concrete evidence of criminal activity.
You might want to look at getting a virtual phone number online, or using an app that will provide you with a virtual number that isn’t connected to your personal number. Keep in mind that even though the tip line is anonymous, the agency may still be able to collect and gather information such as where you’re calling from. The extent to which you go to protect your anonymity really depends on the reasons you want to remain anonymous, and from whom you want to remain anonymous. If you simply don’t want the people you’re reporting to know that you reported them, for example, it probably doesn’t matter to you that a law enforcement agency could potentially track your call. On the other hand, if you’re concerned about being implicated in the criminal activity you’re reporting, or if you’re reporting people who have a close relationship to you (such as extended family members or co-workers), you may want to take additional precautions.
The ICE tip line is toll free, and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call 866-DHS-2-ICE to report suspicious criminal activity such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism, or other violations of immigration law. If you are outside the U. S. , Mexico, or Canada, you can call 802-872-6199. If you’re calling the ICE tip line, it cannot be to submit a tip that duplicates information you’ve already submitted online. General illegal activity can be reported anonymously to U. S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT. If you want to report kidnapped or exploited children, call 1-800-843-5678 to submit your report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The information you provide will be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further investigation.
The ICE tip line exists primarily for the benefit of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The HSI force investigates international crimes that threaten national security, such as terrorism, cyber crimes, and drug trafficking. While you can report illegal immigrants using the ICE tip line, you may be able to find a better place to submit that tip unless you have reason to believe the individuals you’re reporting are engaging in criminal activity. Remember to provide as many concrete, factual details as you have so law enforcement officials have something to go on.
Keep in mind that local police do not have jurisdiction to simply arrest someone for being in the country illegally, because local police departments do not enforce federal immigration laws. To file a report with state or local law enforcement, you must have facts that would give officers probable cause to search or arrest individuals for violation of a state criminal law. Be careful not to put your own safety, or that of friends or family, in jeopardy while you are gathering information about criminal activity. However, the more details you are able to provide, the more valuable your tip will be. For example, if you have names and addresses of the individuals engaging in criminal activity, and can point to specific dates and times when you witnessed that activity, law enforcement know where and when to investigate.
You may have the ability to file a report online or over the phone. When doing so, take steps to make sure the tip can’t be traced back to you or your home if you feel such steps are necessary to protect yourself. Typically, you simply want to make sure that the people you’re reporting don’t find out the report came from you. Where that’s the case, it may not matter that the police could potentially trace your call.
Most law enforcement agencies, especially in larger metropolitan areas, have toll-free hotlines that are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For general tips, you also may be able to call the local police department’s non-emergency line. You may be asked for your name, but you can refuse to give it. Depending on your location, this phone line may not be available 24 hours a day. If you want to call to report criminal activity in progress, or if there is an imminent threat of violence or other hostilities, try to get somewhere safe and call 911 immediately.
