Immigration coalition addresses rumblings of expanded ICE presence in Southern Nevada

This story was originally published by Nevada Current on April 15, 2025.

Amid rumblings and fear of a larger presence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Southern Nevada this week, attorneys and immigration groups are urging people to plan ahead but not to panic.

The Nevada Immigration Coalition hosted a virtual press conference Monday to address the concerns they are hearing in the community.

Numerous immigration attorneys told coalition members that they’ve heard there are “expanded and ongoing ICE activities this week in Las Vegas,” said Laura Martin, the executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada.

“ICE raids have a devastating impact not only on the detained person but their families, businesses and communities as a whole,” Martin said. “Immigrants in Nevada are the backbone of Nevada’s community and economy. ICE enforcement actions ripple through the schools, churches and businesses we attend.”

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office didn’t respond to questions from Nevada Current about whether their offices have had recent contact with ICE officials regarding potential enforcement efforts happening in the Las Vegas area. ICE also didn’t respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump has ramped up deportation efforts and targeted previously protected immigrant populations for removal since resuming office. To aid in his goal of higher enforcement, Trump rescinded a 2011 policy prohibiting immigration enforcement in “sensitive” places such as schools, churches, and hospitals.

Immigration agents have also targeted legal permanent residents, visa holders, and at least one individual the Trump administration admitted it wrongfully removed.

Federal immigration authorities also revoked the visas of international students across the country, including four last week from UNLV.

Martha Menendez, a Nevada immigration attorney and member of the coalition, said Las Vegas hasn’t seen major enforcement actions of the type ICE has executed in other parts of the country. However, as immigration efforts intensify, there is concern that could change soon.

“There has been a lot of misinformation and chaotic information happening,” Menendez said. “The fact that people are calling and people are scared makes a lot of sense to me.”

In general, Menendez said across the country immigration agents are using tactics immigration advocates and attorneys “haven’t seen before,” including arrests “without identifying uniforms or gear or arrests without any indications of why” the person is being detained.

“This isn’t necessarily what we are seeing in Nevada,” she said. “These are federal agents who can easily do that here. That’s one reason why attorneys are also more nervous and sensitive right now. We are seeing a lot of actions we would never imagine we would be seeing.”

Martin said they’ve heard several reports from the community of people potentially being detained including “eight men being arrested from a work site” in Downtown Las Vegas. Martin did not identify the work site. Organizers are trying to determine if the arrests were carried out by plain-clothed immigration agents, who have deployed similar tactics across the country.

“We’ve also heard from some attorneys in the attorney community that there are possibly 100 ICE agents who have moved into the area to complete an enforcement operation,” Martin said.

Menendez said attorneys she has talked with haven’t heard of any situation in Southern Nevada of agents showing up at people’s homes.

LVMPD had previously said that its officers “will not enforce immigration violations” or won’t stop, detain or arrest people “on the grounds they are an undocumented immigrant.” If someone is arrested or charged with other alleged crimes, the department will notify ICE officials.

The passage of the Laken Riley Act, over the opposition of a majority of Democrats in Congress yet supported by Nevada’s entire Democratic congressional delegation, now allows law enforcement to contact ICE when people are detained for nonviolent offenses like shoplifting even when they haven’t been convicted of a crime.

The coalition also warned people to be weary of misinformation going around.

Bethany Khan, a spokeswoman with the Culinary Union, said there were “unfounded rumors” being shared on social media that employees with temporary visas were being laid off.

“Folks need to be really cautious about sharing those rumors,” she said. “We are not expecting 100s of folks to be terminated. That is not correct.”

Know your rights

While groups are uncertain if potential enforcement could happen relatively soon, Menendez said immigrants should be aware of their rights, and plan for the worst case scenario.

“We want people to be prepared,” Menendez said. “Not because we want them to be scared. Because we want them to protect themselves.”

Menendez said if ICE agents come to people’s homes, they should request to see a judicial warrant before they open the door.

A judicial warrant, which is signed by a federal or state judge, is different from an administrative warrant, which comes from an immigration agency or another federal agency but is not signed by a federal or state judge.

If agents don’t have a judicial warrant, “they do not have the right to come in to arrest you,” Menendez said.

If agents have a judicial warrant, “then the one person listed on that warrant should head outside,” she said.

People at risk “of being deported or separated from their family in any way” should “prepare a family plan” and “have all the necessary documents in one place,” she said.

ICE agents, like other law enforcement, can enter public stores and businesses, “but can’t come into the backroom unless someone with authority allows them to,” Menendez said.

“If you are stopped, do not tell them anything,” she said. “That’s one of the biggest rights we have: the right to remain silent. You should probably give them your name but no more.”

This includes gathering necessary immigration and financial documents, custody arrangements and even a plan for someone to take care of pets.

“While we may have dark days ahead, we will always work to protect our freedoms, our families and our communities,” Martin said. “We deserve a brighter future and will continue to fight for it. We’ve stood up to oppression before and have made it to the other side.”

The Nevada Attorney General’s office has published “Know your rights” pamphlets for individuals immigrants and for immigrant employers.