Safety, Solidarity, and Allyship: A Guide for the Household Industry

Let’s take a deep breath together. The news lately has been heavy, and if you are feeling a knot in your stomach, you aren’t alone.

The places we used to consider safe zones—playgrounds, school drop-offs, and quiet neighborhood streets—don't feel as protected as they once did. We know this reality creates a burden for many in our community, and it places a responsibility on those of us with privilege to step up and offer real protection rather than just well wishes.

Who We Are & Why We’re Sharing This

Before we dive into the guide, we want to be transparent about our practices.

At Adventure Nannies, we have always held ourselves to high standards. We exclusively work with families who provide legal, on-the-books employment and only place candidates who are legally authorized to work in the United States. We want to be explicit: we do not place undocumented workers, and we do not profit from families who are underpaying for undocumented labor. Every nanny placed through our agency benefits from legal protections, written contracts, and fair pay.

But we also know that nannies and families in our community are part of a much larger, vibrant ecosystem. A household often relies on a whole team—gardeners, housekeepers, pool technicians, and maintenance crews. As a Certified B Corporation™, we operate with the conviction that business can be a powerful force for good. This guide is for the industry at large. It is a resource for allies to ensure that our homes and neighborhoods remain safe, dignified workplaces for everyone, regardless of their role.

The Reality: Documentation Isn't Always a Shield

We need to be direct about a hard truth. In this current climate, holding legal status or papers is not a guaranteed shield against harassment, racial profiling, or even illegal detainment.

We have heard too many stories of household staff—whether they are nannies, landscapers, or contractors—being stopped by neighbors, private security, or local police simply for existing in the neighborhoods where they work.

Allyship means recognizing that profiling happens before documents are ever checked. It means understanding that the fear is real even for those with every legal right to be here. We stand with our community, and we believe that protection is a collective action.

The Responsibility: Moving From Passive to Active

Let’s be clear: In this enforcement landscape, having papers isn't always enough to protect our colleagues of color from racial profiling and harassment. If you move through the world with the privilege of whiteness or are white-passing, you have a shield that many of your peers—documented or not—do not possess.

It is your responsibility to use that privilege. When you witness an enforcement action, you aren't just a bystander; you are a necessary witness. Your goal is to remain on the scene to document the truth and ensure the safety of any children involved. To do that effectively, you must film and observe in a way that prevents agents from removing you for obstruction. You need to stay standing so you can stand up for them.

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Know Your Rights: The Foundation

Before we discuss paperwork, we must discuss rights. Whether you are a nanny, a neighbor, or a bystander, knowing these rights is a form of armor. These rights travel with you regardless of your status.

The Golden Rule: Do Not Run. If you see agents (who often wear vests that say "POLICE" even if they aren't local PD), every instinct might scream at you to flee. Please fight that urge and stay put. Running can be interpreted as suspicious behavior and can give agents a legal justification to detain you.
The "Free to Go" Standard: Agents often rely on confusion to get voluntary compliance. Look them in the eye and ask: "Am I free to go?" If they say YES, walk away calmly. If they say NO, say clearly: "I choose to remain silent. I would like to speak with a lawyer."
The Red Card Tool: If you are nervous to speak—or worried that your accent might be used to profile you—carry a Red Card (available from the ILRC). You can hand this to an agent to assert your rights in writing so you don't have to say a word.

Download our "Know your rights" cheat sheet here.

The Duty to Witness: Bystander Intervention

If you see enforcement actions or harassment in public spaces, you are not just a bystander; you are a necessary witness.

Don't Just Watch—Document (The S.A.L.U.T.E. Method)

Passive watching doesn't help. Use the S.A.L.U.T.E. method to gather intelligence that defense lawyers can use later to challenge an arrest.

How to Film Safely and Legally:

Keep Your Distance: Stand at least 10 feet away. You need to be close enough to record but far enough that you are clearly not physically interfering with the officers.
Be Discreet: Take your phone out slowly. Do not make sudden movements.
State Your Intent: As soon as you hit record, say clearly to the camera: "I am documenting this for legal purposes and I am not interfering." This creates an immediate audio record that you are complying with the law.
Do Not Engage: Do not shout at the officers or try to physically get in between them and the person being detained. Your job is to be a silent, steady witness.

What to Record (S.A.L.U.T.E.):

S - Size: How many agents? How many vehicles?
A - Activity: What are they doing? (Traffic stop, questioning a group?)
L - Location: Exact cross-streets or landmarks are most helpful.
U - Uniform: Look for "HSI" or "ERO" patches. Note that "POLICE" vests may be misleading.
T - Time: Check your watch. The precise minute matters.
E - Equipment: Are weapons drawn? Are they using physical restraints?

A Note on Mental Health

Living under a constant cloud of surveillance creates toxic stress. For nannies of color, or staff in mixed-status families, this is a chronic stressor that affects health and sleep.

We cannot fix the system overnight, but we can connect people to support that understands their cultural reality:

Immigrants Rising offers a "Mental Health Connector" that links people with culturally competent therapists.
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) provides specific support groups for cross-cultural communities.
For Families: Talk to your children. Use age-appropriate resources like the guide "When Children Are Afraid of a Parent’s Deportation" (via the National Child Traumatic Stress Network) to help them process their feelings. Or age-appropriate books like those found on this great list.
And we cannot stress enough, build community. Lean on your friends. Share your fears. They probably have the same ones. We are always stronger together.

Protecting the Sanctuary: Hardening Your Home

Your home is a workplace, but it is also a private sanctuary. You have the power—and the Constitutional right—to protect everyone inside it. The Fourth Amendment is strongest at your threshold. Allyship means hardening that threshold to protect those within.

The Policy: Instruct everyone working in your home—verbally and in your contract—to never open the door to unexpected visitors, especially law enforcement, without a judicial warrant.
The Script: Empower your staff with a script so they don't feel pressured to be polite and waive their rights. The script is simple: "I am a household employee and do not have permission to let you in. I do not consent to a search."

Know Your Warrants (This is Critical)

If agents knock, ask them to slide the warrant under the door or hold it to a window. Not all warrants are created equal.

Judicial Warrant: This is signed by a Judge or Magistrate and will say "United States District Court." You legally must comply with this warrant.
Administrative Warrant (Form I-200/I-205): This is signed by an immigration officer (DHS/ICE), not a judge. This does not grant authority to enter a private home without consent. You can—and should—refuse entry.

How to Start the Conversation

You don't need to interrogate your employee to keep them safe. Try this approach: "With the increase in enforcement activity, I want to make sure everyone working in our home is safe. We don't need to discuss your personal history, but I want to set up a safety plan. This includes a policy that you never open the door to law enforcement without a judicial warrant, which protects our family's privacy and your safety."

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Practical Tools: The Proof of Employment Letter

Once you have established rights and safety protocols, you can layer on additional protections to help protect your staff members, especially anyone who does not possess the shield of white privilege. One of the most practical ways to support the people working in your home and neighborhood is to provide proactive documentation.

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The Strategy: If a staff member is questioned about why they are parked on a street or entering a gate, their word is unfortunately not always treated with the respect it deserves. A formal letter on household letterhead can de-escalate a situation instantly.

Who needs this? Everyone. Your nanny, yes, but also your housekeeper, the gardener, and the pool cleaner.
Why it matters: It provides immediate, verifiable proof that this person belongs here. It stops the suspicion narrative in its tracks.
Action Item: We have provided a template for this letter at the bottom of this post. Print it, sign it, and ensure every person working on your property has a copy in their glove box or wallet.

Download Your Allyship Toolkit

Preparation is the antidote to panic. We aren't going to leave you with just a blog post and good intentions. We have synthesized these tools into a tangible Allyship & Safety Toolkit.

This toolkit includes:

Link to Download: Allyship & Safety Toolkit

Filling these out and using them is an act of solidarity. It says to your community, "I value you, I will fight for you, and you are safe here."

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