To find someone detained by ICE, start with the Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov. It covers everyone currently in ICE custody and anyone who has been held by Customs and Border Protection for more than 48 hours.1U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System If the online search comes up empty, call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024, where staff can check internal records the public site doesn’t show. The hours after an arrest are disorienting, but a few concrete steps almost always turn up an answer.
Using the Online Detainee Locator
The locator offers two ways to search: by A-Number or by biographical information.
To search by A-Number (Alien Registration Number), enter the nine-digit number along with the person’s country of birth. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, pad the front with zeros to reach nine. To search by name, enter first name, last name, and country of birth. The match must be exact. “John Doe” won’t find “Jon Doe” or “John Doe-Smith,” and a hyphenated last name has to include the hyphen.1U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System
When the system finds a match, it returns the name of the detention facility and the supervising ERO field office. Write down both. You’ll need the facility name to arrange visits and calls, and the field office to follow up on the case.
What You Need Before You Search
The A-Number is the most reliable identifier. It’s a unique number assigned by the Department of Homeland Security and can be seven, eight, or nine digits long.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. A-Number/Alien Registration Number/Alien Number Look for it on correspondence from DHS or the Executive Office for Immigration Review, on an immigrant visa stamp, or on documents like a Permanent Resident Card or Employment Authorization Document.3USAGov. Locate Someone Being Detained by ICE for Immigration Violation or Deportation
If you don’t have the A-Number, pull together the person’s full legal name exactly as it appears in federal records, their date of birth, and their country of birth. Spelling is critical. The database matches precisely, so a single wrong letter can return nothing. Old immigration court notices, DHS letters, and any official correspondence are the best places to confirm the spelling federal records actually use.
If every document is gone, you can request records through a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request at first.uscis.gov. As of January 2026, USCIS requires these requests be submitted through the online portal, and you’ll need the person’s written permission to request records on their behalf.4USCIS. Request Records Through the Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act That process takes time, so treat it as a last resort.
When the Locator Shows Nothing
An empty result doesn’t mean the person isn’t detained. A few common situations explain the gap.
Timing is the most frequent reason. People held by Customs and Border Protection don’t appear in the locator until they’ve been in CBP custody for more than 48 hours or have been transferred to ICE.5U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Searching for Someone in CBP Custody Right after an arrest, booking and database updates may not be complete. Run the search again after 48 hours.
Transfers create another gap. ICE moves people between facilities regularly, and during a transfer the person effectively disappears from the system for a while. The detained person receives written notice of the destination facility, but families are not notified, and the person is typically not allowed to make phone calls until they arrive.6U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detainee Transfers – 2019 NDS If someone was in the system yesterday and isn’t today, a transfer is the most likely explanation. Keep checking.
The locator also excludes anyone under 18. Juveniles are handled under different legal protocols and won’t appear regardless of custody status.7U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System Brochure Safety, security, and agency discretion can also keep certain individuals out of the public-facing system.
Calling the ICE Detention Information Line
When the online tool fails, the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024 is the next step. Staff can check internal databases that may have more current information than the public website. Have the same information ready: A-Number or full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth.
This line is especially useful during the 48-hour gap after an arrest, during transfers between facilities, or when a data entry issue is causing the online search to miss someone. Expect hold times, especially during periods of heavy enforcement activity.
Contacting an ERO Field Office
Enforcement and Removal Operations runs 25 field offices across the country, each managing detention and removal within a geographic region.8U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Field Offices If you know roughly where the arrest happened, calling the field office for that area can be faster than the national line.
ICE keeps a searchable directory at ice.gov/contact/field-offices. You can also submit a case inquiry through the ERO Contact Form on the ICE website to request a case review by your local field office.9U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Enforcement and Removal Operations Officers at these offices oversee specific facilities in their region and sometimes have updates that haven’t reached the public database.
Other Ways to Locate Someone
Congressional Inquiry
Your U.S. representative or senator’s office can submit a congressional inquiry to ICE on your behalf. ICE’s Office of Congressional Relations handles constituent casework and asks for the person’s legal name, A-Number, and date of birth. You’ll need to sign a privacy waiver (ICE Form 60-001) authorizing DHS to disclose information to a third party.10U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Office of Congressional Relations This route can cut through delays when other methods have stalled.
Consular Notification
Foreign nationals who are arrested or detained in the United States must be told they have the right to have their country’s nearest consulate or embassy notified. For citizens of 58 countries, the consulate must be notified automatically regardless of the person’s wishes.11U.S. Department of State. Consular Notification and Access Consular officials can communicate with their nationals in custody, check on their welfare, and help arrange legal representation. If a family member is a foreign national, their home country’s consulate may have information about their location.
Immigration Court Records
If the person has been placed in removal proceedings, you can check hearing dates and case status through the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s Automated Case Information System online or by calling 800-898-7180.12U.S. Department of Justice. Immigration Court Information You’ll need the A-Number. This won’t tell you the exact facility, but a scheduled hearing confirms the person is in the system and points to the court location where they’re likely detained.
Finding an Attorney Once You Locate Them
Locating the person is only useful if they can get legal help. People in removal proceedings have the right to be represented by counsel, but the government does not provide or pay for an attorney.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1362 – Right to Counsel The detained person or their family must find and pay for a lawyer, or secure pro bono representation.
Immigration courts are required to provide respondents with a list of free or low-cost legal service providers. The Legal Orientation Program offers group and individual orientations to detained adults and refers people to pro bono attorneys. For unaccompanied children, the Counsel for Children Initiative provides representation in certain cities. People found incompetent to represent themselves may receive appointed counsel through the National Qualified Representative Program. Capacity is limited, so reach out early.
Nonprofit legal services directories let you search for providers by state or by specific detention facility. Attorneys who regularly practice at a particular facility already know the immigration judges there, the facility procedures, and how to get access quickly, so starting that search as soon as you have the facility name can save days.
If you also need to arrange release, a bond hearing before an immigration judge is the path for those who are eligible. Not everyone qualifies. Certain criminal convictions and national security concerns trigger mandatory detention with no bond.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1231 – Detention and Removal of Aliens Ordered Removed The statutory minimum bond is $1,500, and judges often set it higher.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1226 – Apprehension and Detention of Aliens An attorney can walk you through the request and the payment process.
Contacting and Visiting the Facility
Once you know where the person is held, they are entitled to reasonable telephone access during facility waking hours. After making a request, access is generally granted within eight waking hours and must be provided within 24. Calls to legal representatives cannot be limited in number, and time limits on those calls must be at least 20 minutes.16U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Telephone Access – Detention Standard
Many ICE facilities use GettingOut accounts through Talton Communications for messaging and voicemail. Family members can send messages for $0.25 each or leave voicemails by calling (866) 348-6231, option 4, for $1.20 per message.17U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Detention Facilities – Attorney FAQ and Other Information These messages are not privileged and may be monitored, so keep case strategy for attorney calls, which facilities are required to keep private.
For in-person visits, each facility sets its own procedures, including accepted identification, hours, and dress code.18U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detention Standard – Visitation Rules vary widely across facilities, especially those run by private contractors or local jails under federal agreements. Call ahead to confirm what you can bring and when you can come. All visitors are subject to search on entry.