The New York City Department of Education has released Know Your Rights, a free child-friendly comic aimed at informing readers, including undocumented immigrants, about their rights in case they’re confronted by the likes of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Know Your Rights cover art by David Hahn
Created by writer Alex Segura, artist David Hahn, colorist Ellie Wright, and letterer Taylor Esposito, the comic also includes a foreword by Kamar H. Samuels, the chancellor of New York City Public Schools, and additional resources for staying safe from non-local law enforcement.
As can be seen on the cover (Easter eggs and all), the book was created in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Project Open Arms, and the Civics for All Comics Group. Its release comes amid Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani‘s greater Know Your Rights campaign to keep New Yorkers safe during the World Cup.
Also available are a Spanish language version of the comic, a poster featuring Samuels and Kwame, teaching resources, and a lesson plan. As the book’s introduction notes, “Please be advised that the guidance in this comic book applies in New York City only. Guidelines in other parts of New York State, or other states, may be different.”
