Know Your Rights
Know your rights. Know where to get help.
Free, practical legal education for Afghans in the United States and the advocates helping them. What your rights are right now, how to prepare for check-ins, court dates, and appointments, what to do if a family member is detained, and how to find a qualified lawyer without getting scammed. Led by immigration attorneys, in Dari, Pashto, and English.
Updated October 10, 2026 · National presentation held today
Know Your Rights sessions are free, open to everyone, and offered in Dari, Pashto, and English. We do not ask about your immigration status, and we do not share attendee information with the government.The October 10, 2026 national presentation, its slides, and its handout are posted below in English, Dari, and Pashto as they become available.
October 10, 2026
The national Know Your Rights presentation.
On Saturday, October 10, 2026, AfghanEvac convened a free national Know Your Rights presentation on Zoom, with more than 200 registrants and live interpretation in Dari and Pashto. It was led by immigration attorneys Arwa Zakir Kakavand, Spojmie Nasiri, and Laila Ayub, with legal professional Sweeta Azimi, and convened with the Afghan-American Community Organization, the South Asian Bar Association of San Diego, the California Immigration Project, the Afghan Refugee Empowerment Fund, and Project ANAR. Nowruz Media was the media partner.
English
Full presentation recording, October 10, 2026. About 90 minutes.
Dari · دری
Full presentation with live Dari interpretation.
Pashto · پښتو
Full presentation with live Pashto interpretation.
Slides and handout
The presentation slides in English, Dari, and Pashto, plus red cards in Dari and Pashto from ILRC and the Project ANAR family emergency preparedness toolkit.
Share it
Forward this page to one person who needs it. The recording is free to share, in any language, with family, friends, case managers, and anyone who works with Afghan newcomers.
The presentation is general information, not legal advice, and watching it does not create an attorney-client relationship. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
What we cover
What happens in a session.
A Know Your Rights session is a plain-language walk through the rights everyone in the United States has during an encounter with immigration enforcement, regardless of status, and the practical steps that protect a family before anything happens.
Sessions are led by immigration attorneys who work on removal defense and asylum every day, with interpretation, and with time for questions. You do not need any legal background to attend, and you do not need to share your name or your status. Nothing you ask is recorded or reported. Sessions are for Afghans and Afghan allies, their families, case managers and resettlement staff, attorneys and accredited representatives, and volunteer advocates.
Your rights during an encounter
The right to remain silent. The right to refuse a search without a warrant. What a valid judicial warrant looks like and how it differs from an administrative one. What to say and what not to say.
If someone is detained
How to find a detained family member, what happens in the first days, how bond works, and why contacting a lawyer quickly matters more than almost anything else.
Check-ins, appointments, and immigration court
How to prepare for an ICE check-in or ISAP appointment, a USCIS interview, or an asylum office appointment, and what to bring. What a Notice to Appear is, why you must never miss a hearing, how to change your address with the court, and how to ask for a Battle Buddy to go with you.
Family preparedness
Documents to keep copies of and where. Who to call. Planning for children. What information to give a trusted person in advance.
Documents and records
Which records matter for Afghan cases, including employment verification, letters of recommendation, badges, and evacuation-era paperwork, and why you should preserve them even if no one has asked for them.
How to find a lawyer
The official directories, how to tell a real lawyer or accredited representative from a notario, and what questions to ask before you hire anyone.
Where to keep learning
The AfghanEvac explainers, the case guide, the pathways tool, and the resources that help you and your advocates after the session ends.
Legal help
How to find a lawyer.
AfghanEvac does not recommend individual lawyers and does not match people to attorneys. These are the official directories anyone can use, and they are free.
EOIR List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers
The Department of Justice list of organizations offering free legal services to people in immigration proceedings, organized by immigration court. Open the list
National Immigration Legal Services Directory
A searchable national directory of nonprofit immigration legal services providers, by state and county. Search the directory
ImmigrationLawHelp.org
Free and low-cost immigration legal help, searchable by location and by the kind of case. Search by location
Beware of notarios and unlicensed consultants
In the United States, a notary public is not a lawyer and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative may represent you. Ask to see a bar number or accreditation, and never sign a document you have not read or cannot get a copy of.
Never hand over your original documents, and always get a written agreement and a receipt for any money you pay.
Set expectations
What we cannot do.
- We cannot give you legal advice about your case, by phone, by email, or at a session.
- We cannot tell you which lawyer to hire, and we do not keep a referral list.
- We cannot represent you in immigration court or before any agency.
- We cannot predict what will happen in your case or promise any outcome.
- We cannot intervene with ICE, USCIS, EOIR, or the State Department on an individual case.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions.
Is the session really free?
Yes. Sessions are free and open to anyone. We never charge, and we never ask for payment or documents.
Will you ask about my immigration status?
No. We do not ask, and we do not share attendee information with any government agency.
Will there be interpretation?
Yes. Sessions are offered in Dari, Pashto, and English. Tell us on the request form which language your community needs.
Can you bring a session to my community?
Often, yes. Use the request form and tell us your city, the size of the group, and the language needed. We partner with local organizations to host.
I missed the October 10 presentation. Can I still watch it?
Yes. The recording is posted above in English, Dari, and Pashto as soon as it is ready, along with the slides and handout. Share it with anyone who needs it.
I already have a lawyer. Should I still attend?
You are welcome to. Nothing in a session replaces your lawyer’s advice, and if the two ever conflict, follow your lawyer.
Get involved
Bring a session to your community.
Tell us your city, your community, and the language you need. We will get back to you. And share the October 10 recording with anyone who could not join live.
Related
AfghanEvac is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. This page is general information only. It is not legal advice, it is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation, and nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. AfghanEvac does not recommend individual attorneys, does not maintain a referral list, and cannot intervene in an individual case. Immigration law and policy change frequently; information here is current as of the date shown. If you need legal help, contact a licensed attorney or a Department of Justice accredited representative directly.