If you were detained by ICE for a longer time, who would be able to access your money, your car, your real estate, or your personal property?
First, think about how your accounts and assets are used in your household right now.
How could they be used by your trusted helper to take care of your dependents or to help you, in case you are detained by ICE?
If you are only detained for a day or two, you could be dealing with emergency issues and probably won't need to worry about these tasks. But as time goes on, your trusted helper may need money or access to your accounts in order to keep your household going while you are detained.
Next, choose one or more trusted helpers that you can trust with your assets and accounts. Share the following information with them as soon as you can, so that they will already have all the information if you are detained for more than a day or two.
This is a longer list, but you don't have to do it all at once! Just try to share a few of these things at a time. The most important ones are at the top of the list:
Paycheck information: How are you paid? What is the address where your trusted helper can pick up your paycheck for you? What times of the month are paychecks issued?
You will probably need to sign a power of attorney form (resources) or to make arrangements in advance with your work for someone to actually be allowed to pick up your paycheck.
Bank information: What bank do you use and what is the account number?
Consider signing a power of attorney form (resources) so that your trusted helper will actually be allowed to access your account.
Some other ways to allow access include: opening a joint account, filling out part of a check from your account to your trusted helper (for them to complete and submit), or sharing information needed to access the account such as a PIN number directly with the trusted helper. Although these ways to share bank access may be simpler than power of attorney, they can also create some risk if your trusted helper does not act as you would want. Also, these kinds of access will be in effect all the time, even when you are not detained by ICE.
Bill information: Each account with a monthly bill will need your trusted helper to either keep paying or, after some time, perhaps decide to close/cancel your account. This includes:
rent payments
utility payments (electric, gas, water/trash, cable, phone)
car insurance payments
car lease payments
medical payments
You should share a complete list of all the accounts that you pay each month with your trusted helper. For each one, write down the name of the company who sends you the bill and explain how to pay (online website, paper bill).
Vehicle information: What cars or trucks do you drive? If the trusted helper who is taking care of your dependents has their own vehicle, then they could wait some time to decide what to do with your vehicles. But if they would need to use your vehicle immediately (to help your dependents in an emergency), consider sharing a spare key to your vehicle.
If you want your trusted helper to be able to sell your vehicle (in case you are detained by ICE for a longer time), you will need to sign a power of attorney form (resources) and tell your trusted helper where to find the title document for the vehicle.
Personal belongings and storage spaces: If there are items that your trusted helpers need, explain how to find them. For example, do your children have any special clothing or toys? If you have important items in a rented house or apartment or storage space, consider signing a power of attorney form (resources) or else share a spare key with your trusted helper.
Any other instructions.
You can use a legal process called power of attorney in case you are detained. This gives your trusted helper more power to access your accounts and assets. Here's how it works:
You must set up a Power of Attorney in advance! This isn't something that your "trusted helper" can do on their own after you are detained. (This rule protects your legal rights as the owner of the accounts and assets.)
We recommend that you contact COSPU (see contact information on the First things first page) for trusted help in setting up your Power of Attorney.
On the form, you specify exactly which powers the "trusted helper" should have. It is very important to only give power of attorney to someone you trust completely, to act as you would wish.
If you have more than one trusted helper, make sure they know each other, and know who has guardianship or power of attorney (if you decide to assign these).