ICE Holding Facilities: Locating a Detainee, Visits, and Bond

To find someone in ICE detention, use the Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov. Search with the person’s nine-digit Alien Registration Number (A-Number) and country of birth, or with their full legal first and last name and country of birth. The tool is free, public, and available around the clock to family members, attorneys, and anyone else trying to locate a person in immigration custody.¹

Once the locator shows a facility, that is where the person is being held on immigration matters, and it is the address you’ll use for calls, mail, visits, and any money you want to deposit for them. What follows walks through each of those steps, plus what to do when the locator comes up empty and how bond works if you’re trying to get the person released.

Searching by A-Number

The A-Number is the fastest and most reliable way to search. It is a nine-digit identifier assigned when immigration authorities first open a file on someone. If the number you have is shorter than nine digits, add zeros to the front until it reaches nine. You’ll also need to select the person’s country of birth from the dropdown.²

You can usually find the A-Number on immigration paperwork the person or their family already has: the Notice to Appear, a Permanent Resident Card, or an Employment Authorization Card. If those documents aren’t accessible, move on to the name search.

Searching by Name

Without an A-Number, you can search using first name, last name, and country of birth. The system requires an exact match on the names. A search for “John Doe” will not return “Jon Doe” or “John Doe-Smith.” Hyphenated last names must include the hyphen. Small spelling differences and missing name parts are among the most common reasons a search fails.²

If the first attempt returns nothing, try variations: with and without middle names, with and without hyphens, and with each name the person has used on official documents. Try both a maiden and married surname if relevant.

When the Locator Doesn’t Show a Result

The system has real blind spots. It will not display records for anyone under 18. It also will not show a person who has been in Customs and Border Protection custody for fewer than 48 hours, so there is often a lag between apprehension and appearance in the database.²

Transfers between facilities add another delay. ICE policy is to update the locator within eight hours of arrival at a new facility, though reporting indicates updates sometimes take days. If someone was recently moved, keep checking, and in the meantime call the nearest ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office directly to ask about the person’s location.¹

For a minor in immigration custody, the locator will not help. Contact the ERO field office in the region where the person was last known to be held.

Contacting the Person Once You’ve Found Them

Phone Calls

Phone contact is usually the quickest way to stay in touch. ICE detention standards require at least one working phone for every 25 people held, with an ideal ratio of one per 10. Most facilities run on a collect-call or prepaid debit system, and family members can fund a phone account for the detained person.³

Some calls are free regardless of account balance: calls to legal service providers on ICE’s free list, to consular officials, to immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals, and to the DHS Office of Inspector General hotline. People without funds who are representing themselves are also entitled to free calls to family members helping with their case. Calls related to legal matters must be private, and staff cannot monitor them without a court order.³

Mail

Write the person’s full legal name and A-Number on every envelope. Mail without the A-Number is often returned or discarded. Legal mail from an attorney should be labeled “special correspondence” or “legal mail” with the sender’s title and office on the outside of the envelope.⁴

A facility’s mailing address is not always the same as its physical address. Look up the facility on the ICE detention facility locator at ice.gov and check the “Sending Items to Detainees” tab for the correct address.⁵ All incoming mail is inspected, so don’t send anything that could be treated as contraband.

In-Person Visits

Visitation rules vary by facility, so ICE recommends calling ahead to confirm current hours and any restrictions before you travel.⁶ Many facilities require visits to be scheduled in advance through a dedicated line. Bring valid government-issued identification. Depending on the facility’s security level, visits may be face-to-face, through a glass partition, or by video terminal.

Depositing Money

A detained person can use a commissary account to buy phone credit, snacks, and hygiene items beyond what the facility issues. Deposit methods vary and commonly include money orders, cashier’s checks, and electronic transfers through third-party platforms. Personal checks and cash are generally not accepted. Check the specific facility’s page on ice.gov or call the facility to confirm accepted methods and processing times.

Bond and Getting the Person Released

Many people in immigration detention are eligible for release on bond while their case moves through court. Federal law sets the minimum immigration bond at $1,500, but the actual amount set by ICE or an immigration judge is usually higher. Bonds of $5,000 to $25,000 or more are common, driven by factors like community ties and perceived flight risk. The bond is refundable if the person attends all hearings and complies with any removal order; failure to appear forfeits it.⁷

Some people cannot be released on bond at all. Mandatory detention applies to individuals with aggravated felony convictions, certain drug offenses, firearms charges, and terrorism-related grounds. In those cases, the person stays in custody through the proceedings, with limited exceptions.⁷

Requesting a Bond Hearing

If ICE denies bond or sets an amount the family can’t afford, the detained person can ask an immigration judge for a bond hearing without waiting for the first scheduled court date. A written request to the judge with the person’s name, A-Number, and a clear ask for a bond hearing is enough to get one on the calendar. The judge can raise the amount, lower it, or eliminate bond entirely, so preparation matters.⁸

Posting the Bond

ICE processes bond payments through an electronic system called CeBonds. The person posting the bond (the obligor) must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, law firm, or nonprofit organization, and must verify eligibility with documents like a U.S. passport, birth certificate, permanent resident card, or organizational authorization letter. Payments go through Fedwire or ACH bank transfer.⁹

Anyone without access to banking can use a commercial immigration bond company on the Department of the Treasury’s certified list. These companies charge a nonrefundable fee that typically runs from a few percent up to 20 percent of the bond. Some community-based organizations also help facilitate bond payments for people without financial access.⁹

Getting Legal Help

Immigration court is civil, not criminal, and the government does not provide a public defender. The right is to hire counsel at your own expense. When someone is placed in removal proceedings, they must be given a list of free or low-cost legal service providers in the area where their hearing will be held, and the first hearing cannot be scheduled sooner than 10 days after the Notice to Appear is served unless the person requests an earlier date in writing.¹⁰ Calls to providers on that free list are free from the facility, which is often the most practical way for a detained person to reach counsel.

Reporting Abuse or Unsafe Conditions

If you believe a detained person is being mistreated or held in unsafe conditions, several channels exist:

DHS Office of Inspector General handles fraud, abuse, and criminal misconduct by DHS personnel. File online through the OIG hotline portal, call 1-800-323-8603, or mail a complaint. Reports can be anonymous. This is not a 24-hour emergency line; call 911 for immediate threats.¹¹
DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties handles discrimination, due process, physical abuse, and other civil rights complaints tied to DHS programs. File through the CRCL complaint portal for a confirmation number. CRCL uses complaints to identify systemic problems but does not provide individual legal remedies.¹²
ICE ERO Detention Reporting and Information Line handles questions and concerns about enforcement practices and individual immigration matters, including medical concerns about a person in ICE custody. Call 1-888-351-4024.¹³

Detained individuals can also file internal facility grievances and are entitled to free calls to the DHS OIG hotline and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility Joint Intake Center.³

1
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Locating Individuals in Detention
2
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System
3
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Performance-Based National Detention Standards 2011 – Telephone Access
4
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Performance-Based National Detention Standards 2011 – Correspondence and Other Mail
5
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Legal Access in Detention At A Glance
6
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detention Facilities
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1226 – Apprehension and Detention of Aliens
8
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. How to Get a Bond
9
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Post a Bond
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229 – Initiation of Removal Proceedings
11
Office of Inspector General. Hotline
12
Homeland Security. Make a Civil Rights Complaint
13
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ERO Contact Form