What legal rights do I actually have as an immigrant, and how do I protect them?

Sor Juana spent her life studying what people were allowed to know, think, and say. Legal rights are similar—they exist whether or not you know about them, but knowing them changes everything. Here's what matters: you have rights regardless of immigration status. The right to remain silent. The right to refuse a search without a warrant. The right to access to an attorney. The right to medical care in emergencies. These aren't gifts. They're baseline. That said, the systems are designed to make you doubt that. You might feel like you need to cooperate, to prove yourself worthy, to be smaller. That's the fear talking, not the law. Start here: keep documents organized (passport, visa, any notices). Know the phone number of an immigration attorney before you need it. Understand that documentation you provide to one agency can sometimes be shared with others—it's complicated and worth understanding in your specific situation. Build a support network that knows your situation. Someone needs to know where your documents are, who your attorney is, what your wishes would be in a crisis. Don't navigate this alone because you think you should. Knowledge is protection. Sor Juana would tell you to ask questions, learn the rules, and then decide which ones serve justice.