What documents can ICE legally request from motorists and pedestrians during stops?
Executive summary
ICE’s public guidance and forms pages note that ICE handles FOIA and immigration records but directs requests for individual immigration “A-files” to USCIS, not ICE [1]. Community guides and legal sites say officers commonly ask for government ID, immigration documents (green card, visa, I‑94, work permit) and proof of legal presence during encounters [2]. Available sources do not provide a single, authoritative list from ICE stating exactly which documents agents may lawfully demand during routine stops; ICE’s FOIA and forms pages and outside guidance together form the available record [1] [3] [2].
1. What ICE itself says about records and documents
ICE’s public FOIA page emphasizes that ICE manages and responds to FOIA requests and posts many documents online, but for “individual immigration records” (A‑files) it directs requestors to USCIS — indicating ICE separates custody of core immigration case files from its FOIA/records functions [1]. ICE’s forms and legal notices repositories exist but the documents indexed there are not presented in the sources as a short, on‑the‑street checklist of what ICE officers can demand from motorists or pedestrians [3] [4]. In short, ICE’s official online presence discusses record access procedures but, in the sources provided, does not publish a concise list telling officers or the public exactly which documents may be required during stops [1] [3].
2. What legal and community resources say people are commonly asked to produce
Legal help pages and immigrant‑rights guides compiled by lawyers and advocates list the documents ICE or immigration‑related officers commonly request during encounters: government‑issued photo ID (passport, driver’s license), immigration status documents (green card, visa, I‑94), work permits, USCIS approval notices and pending petitions [2]. Those community resources also give practical advice — do not present false documents, ask “Am I free to leave?” and refuse consent to searches without a warrant — reflecting commonly reported practice even when sources do not quote a specific ICE regulation authorizing each request [2].
3. The gap between on‑the‑ground practice and formal documentation
Available sources show a gap: outside legal guides document what migrants and travelers are often asked for, while ICE’s own public pages focus on FOIA procedures and forms rather than field guidance for stops [2] [1]. The Federal Register and regulations docket entries in the search results relate to administrative information collections and other ICE programs, but the snippets do not supply a definitive statutory or regulatory list that answers “what ICE can legally request during a traffic or pedestrian stop” [5] [6]. Therefore the precise legal boundary — when an officer may demand ID, when a refusal can be lawful, or when a warrant is required to search — is not enumerated in the provided reporting [5] [6].
4. Broader enforcement practices and context that matter
ICE’s evolving enforcement priorities and internal memos have prompted litigation and outside scrutiny, and advocacy groups have used FOIA to seek details about ICE’s practices and tools [7] [8]. For example, organizations have targeted ICE use of surveillance products and pursued FOIA suits to clarify what data ICE accesses — illustrating why people and advocates seek clear rules about what agents are allowed to demand or access during encounters [8]. The American Immigration Council’s FOIA work and litigation show that outside groups frequently must compel disclosure to understand ICE’s on‑the‑ground practices [7].
5. What is not answered by the available reporting
Available sources do not state a definitive statutory list of documents ICE may lawfully demand of motorists or pedestrians during a stop, nor do they cite an ICE field manual passage that spells out those limits (not found in current reporting). The materials here do not resolve whether a given request (for example, for a phone or social media login, or for underlying USCIS case files during a roadside stop) is lawful in specific circumstances; those questions require statutes, case law, or ICE policy documents not present in the provided set [1] [8].
6. Practical takeaways and where to look next
Based on community legal guidance and ICE’s public pages, individuals should expect that officers may ask for government photo ID and immigration‑status documents and should understand FOIA/record request channels (USCIS for A‑files; ICE FOIA for ICE records) [2] [1]. For authoritative limits on what ICE can legally compel during stops — and the Fourth Amendment or statutory constraints on searches and demands — requesters and advocates should pursue FOIA disclosures from ICE and USCIS or consult court decisions and the specific ICE policy manuals, which are referenced in FOIA litigation and administrative dockets in the sources but are not reproduced here [7] [8]. Available sources do not provide those manuals or a complete legal analysis in this set [1] [8].