The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is aware of recent immigration enforcement activity involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is monitoring reports to ensure that the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing individuals are upheld.
We are paying close attention to reports in which ICE agents detain deaf individuals after issuing commands they cannot hear or understand, as well as situations where effective communication is not provided during ICE detention. The NAD remains attentive to the welfare and access needs of deaf and hard of hearing people who may be affected.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind our community that you have the right to effective communication and to auxiliary aids, including qualified interpreters, captioning, or other services appropriate to your specific needs. Under federal law, ICE officers are required to provide this access without delay or retaliation.
The right to effective communication and auxiliary aids extends to immigration detention facilities and deportation proceedings. In addition, the government must make reasonable modifications to its policies and procedures to ensure accessibility. Deaf and hard of hearing individuals also retain constitutional protections and due process rights in their interactions with ICE.
For more information on specific rights or on how to respond in interactions with ICE, please see below:
What Deaf and Hard of Hearing People Need to Know About ICE, Deaf Equality, https://deafequality.org/2025/09/22/ice/
Immigration, Disability Law United, https://disabilitylawunited.org/immigration/
Know Your Rights: If You Encounter ICE, National Immigrant Justice Center, https://immigrantjustice.org/for-immigrants/know-your-rights/ice-encounter/
Immigrants’ Rights and Detention, American Civil Liberties Union, https://www.aclu.org/issues/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention