How to Send Money to an ICE Detainee: Online, Mail, Fees, and Uses

To send money to an ICE detainee, you deposit funds into their individual trust fund account at the facility holding them, either electronically through the facility’s approved payment vendor or by mailing a U.S. Postal Service money order. Once the money posts, the detainee can use it for commissary purchases and phone calls. The exact vendor, mailing address, and payee name depend on the facility, because ICE runs a mix of federally operated centers and privately contracted ones, and each has its own approved platforms.

Information You Need Before Sending Anything

Three pieces of information have to be correct before you deposit a dollar: the detainee’s full legal name as it appears in federal records, their Alien Registration Number (A-Number), and the specific facility where they are held. The A-Number is a seven-, eight-, or nine-digit identifier assigned by the Department of Homeland Security and appears on any prior correspondence from DHS or the immigration court.¹

If you don’t have the A-Number or don’t know where the person is being held, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov.² A few things to know before you search:

Name searches require an exact match. “John Doe” will not return results for “Jon Doe” or “John Doe-Smith.” Include hyphens if the last name has them.
A-Numbers must be entered as nine digits. Pad shorter numbers with leading zeros.
The locator does not cover anyone under 18.
It covers people currently in ICE custody and anyone held by Customs and Border Protection for more than 48 hours.

Check this information again right before you send money. Detainees get transferred, and funds routed to the old facility can be delayed or rejected while staff sort out the error.

Depositing Online or By Phone

Most facilities accept electronic deposits through a third-party vendor. Common platforms include AccessCorrections, Western Union’s Quick Collect, and ConnectNetwork. Each facility has an assigned code (sometimes called a “code city” or facility code) that routes funds to the correct trust account, and you will need it along with the detainee’s ID number and last name.³ The facility’s page at ice.gov usually lists the vendor and code, and a phone call to the facility will confirm both.

To use Western Union’s Quick Collect, you can deposit online, call 1-800-634-3422, or visit a Western Union agent in person. The “Pay To” field, code city, and state code are all facility-specific, so a wrong entry sends the money to the wrong place. Some facilities also have on-site kiosks where visitors can deposit cash or use a debit card in person.⁴

If you expect to send money more than once, setting up an account with the vendor ahead of time makes each deposit faster. You will need your own ID and a credit or debit card; walk-in agent locations also take cash.

Mailing a Money Order

Money orders are the standard mail-in method. Some facilities accept only U.S. Postal Service money orders; others also take cashier’s checks.⁵³ No facility accepts personal checks or cash by mail. If you send either, it comes back.

How you make out the money order matters as much as what type you use. At some facilities, it must be payable to ICE, with the detainee’s full name and A-Number written at the bottom.⁵ At others, particularly privately contracted facilities, it should be payable to the detainee and mailed to a designated lockbox address. Confirm both the payee name and the mailing address with the specific facility before you send. Put your name and return address on the envelope so it can be returned if there is a problem. Don’t put anything else in the envelope. Letters, photos, and other enclosures will not be forwarded to the detainee and will not be returned to you.³

Fees and How Long It Takes

Every method has a service fee. Kiosk deposits at facilities generally run a few dollars per transaction; online card deposits may run somewhat higher. The vendor’s platform shows the exact fee before you confirm, and it varies by deposit amount and payment method. Save the confirmation number or the receipt in case of a discrepancy.

Electronic transfers through authorized vendors usually post to the trust fund within 24 to 48 hours. Money orders sent by mail take significantly longer once you factor in postal transit and processing on the facility’s side. If timing matters, electronic deposit is the better option by a wide margin.

Commissary Deposits Are Not Bond Payments

This is the single most consequential mistake families make. A commissary deposit puts money into the detainee’s personal trust account for supplies and phone calls; that is what everything above describes. A bond payment is a separate lump sum paid to ICE so the detainee can be released while their immigration case continues. Bond payments go through ICE’s online bond portal, CeBONDS, and must be sent by Fedwire or ACH bank transfer. ICE does not accept Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, or any similar service for bond payments, and verification and posting typically take one to two hours after payment is received.⁶

The same distinction is what protects you from a common scam. Callers posing as ICE agents or police, sometimes using spoofed numbers that look legitimate on caller ID, demand immediate payment to “stop an investigation” or “vacate an arrest warrant.”⁷ ICE agents and police do not call people to warn them about pending arrests, demand money over the phone, or ask for Social Security or credit card numbers on a call. If anyone demands a bond payment through Western Union, MoneyGram, Zelle, or a similar transfer service, it is a scam.⁶

What the Money Can Be Used For

Once funds post, the detainee can spend the balance at the facility commissary on items like hygiene products, snacks, writing materials, and other approved supplies. The selection varies by facility.⁸

The balance also pays for phone calls, which for most families is the reason they are depositing money in the first place. At most facilities the detainee enters a PIN, dials, and chooses to bill the call to the trust account.⁵ Without a positive balance, calls beyond any free-call provisions aren’t possible. FCC rules cap per-minute rates in immigration detention, but even at capped rates calls add up, so factor that into what you deposit.⁹ Some facilities also offer tablet-based messaging and video visits through separate platforms.¹⁰ ICE detention standards also require that detainees be notified of their ability to use personal funds to pay for legal services, though specific allowable expenditures beyond commissary and calls depend on facility rules.⁸

What Happens to the Balance on Release, Transfer, or Deportation

When a detainee is released or transferred, the facility must return all receipted funds and personal property. Staff verify the detainee’s identity, match the records against the original inventory, and return cash funds and property before the person leaves. The detainee signs a receipt confirming they got everything.¹¹

If a detainee is deported or leaves without collecting their belongings, the remaining property is treated as abandoned and turned over to ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations.¹¹ Unclaimed balances don’t sit waiting indefinitely. If your family member is being moved, confirm the new facility before depositing more, because funds at the old location may take time to follow the detainee or may need to be reclaimed separately.

1
USCIS. Glossary
2
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instructions for Depositing Money into Detainee Trust via Wachovia Lockbox
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. North Lake Processing Center
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detainee Manual
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Post a Bond
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Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. ICE Agent Imposter Scam
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE/DRO Detention Standard – Funds and Personal Property
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eCFR. 47 CFR Subpart FF – Incarcerated Peoples Communications Services
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tablets at ICE Facilities
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2.5 Funds and Personal Property