FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2026
CONTACT
Lilly Gonzalez, media@nipnlg.org
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Immigration Project has released a community explainer walking people through how to arrange care for their pets in case they are detained or deported. The resource is free, available in three languages, and written for community members rather than lawyers.
Amid escalated immigration enforcement, families have spent recent months building emergency plans—powers of attorney, school pickup arrangements, someone to call. Pets have often been the piece nobody knew how to plan for. The guide fills that gap with concrete steps a person can take in an afternoon.
It covers:
- Naming a trusted emergency caretaker and giving that person real instructions, including whether they should keep the pet, surrender the pet to a shelter, or help send the pet to reunite with their owner abroad.
- Adding a secondary contact to a pet’s microchip, or getting the pet microchipped in the first place, and keeping the registry information current
- Updating ID tags with a second phone number, and using a medical alert tag if the pet takes medication or needs a special diet
- Sharing photos with loved ones, including of any unique markings, so loved ones can make flyers if a pet goes missing
- Researching the vaccines and veterinary records a destination country requires, and gathering those records now, for anyone who wants their pet to join them if they are deported
“I’ve authored a lot of resources over the years. As an animal lover, this one is among the most meaningful to me,” said Michelle Méndez, Legal Director at the National Immigration Project. “When a family gets taken, the animals in that home have no idea what happened and no way to ask for help. They’re counting on a plan somebody made ahead of time.”
ICE has detained people at home without notifying local animal shelters, even when officers knew animals were left behind. Pets have gone days without food, water, or medication. Reporting over the past year has documented animals wandering streets all over the country including New Orleans, Los Angeles, Denver, and the Twin Cities. In Minnesota, one rescue organization reported a surge in family pets left behind after ICE arrests.
“I commend the National Immigration Project for creating this guide, and call on everyone, lawyers, advocates, social workers,and animal welfare organizations to distribute this list so pets and those who care for them can have a plan,” said Madeline Bernstein, President of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Los Angeles.
The guide also addresses what to do when there is no family member or friend who can step in. It advises contacting local shelters and rescue organizations ahead of time about temporary foster care, and asking whether they would adopt the pet out or help reunite the pet with their owner after deportation. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have opened help lines to help pet owners dealing with immigration enforcement. A rescue in South Florida told the press, "This is all we're getting now: pets with deported and detained owners. Nobody calls for anything else." Another rescue in Nashville noted, “It did not cross my mind that I needed to be prepared for an onslaught of displaced pets from deported immigrants."
“Although shelters and rescues are already caring for an unprecedented number of pets as families face economic hardships, it is important for people to proactively reach out to ensure their pet has the best chances of reuniting with them or finding a new loving home. This guide makes that point clear,” explained Sahana Ramdas, Animal Law Fellow and Program Associate with George Washington University School of Law’s Animal Law Program.
“Ultimately, this guide will help prevent family pets from becoming another victim of immigration enforcement,” said Méndez.
The explainer is available at nipnlg.org, with downloadable PDFs in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Organizations are encouraged to print it, hand it out at know-your-rights sessions, and post it where people gather.
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The National Immigration Project is a membership organization of attorneys, advocates, and community members who believe that all people should be treated with dignity, live freely, and flourish. We litigate, advocate, educate, and build bridges across movements to ensure that those most impacted by the immigration and criminal systems are uplifted and supported. Learn more at nipnlg.org. Follow the National Immigration Project on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, and Threads at @NIPNLG.