How to find out if a relative is detained by ICE

Start with the official locator

ICE runs a public search at locator.ice.gov, with two ways to search.

By A-Number. The most reliable: the nine-digit number starting with "A", plus country of birth.

By name. First name, last name, country of birth and exact date of birth. The system is unforgiving about spelling.

Tips that resolve most failed searches:

• Try one surname and two surnames, separately and together.
• Try without accents and without the letter ñ.
• With compound first names ("José Luis"), try the first name alone.
• Verify the date of birth from a document, not from memory.

If they do not appear

Absence from the system does not mean the person is not detained. Common causes:

• Under 48 hours. Records take time to propagate. Retry every few hours.
• Still in CBP custody, not ICE. Common near the border. CBP has no public locator.
• In a county or local jail under an agreement with ICE. Search that county's inmate system.
• Under 18. Minors do not appear. Unaccompanied minors go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which has a dedicated line for family members.
• Misspelled records, which are frequent.

After 72 hours with no result, call the ERO field office for the area where the arrest happened.

What to write down immediately

• The full A-Number.
• The exact facility name, city and state.
• The facility phone number and visiting hours.

With the A-Number you can also check the court case at 1-800-898-7180 or acis.eoir.justice.gov to see whether a hearing is scheduled.

How communication works

You generally cannot call in. The person calls out, collect or from a prepaid account a relative funds. So:

• Accept calls from unknown numbers and keep phone credit available.
• Open an account with whichever phone provider that facility uses — listed on its page in the ICE directory.
• Write down everything the person tells you: dates, officer names, papers they were asked to sign.

Each facility lists the system it uses for commissary deposits.

What to do in parallel

1. Gather documents: passport, children's birth certificates, proof of address and employment, tax returns, support letters. All of it matters at a bond hearing.
2. Get a lawyer before anything is signed. ICE may offer voluntary departure or a stipulated order that closes the case without a judge. Signing that unadvised is the worst outcome at this stage.
3. Find out whether there is a prior removal order. If there is, ICE can execute it without a new hearing, and the window is days.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, the EOIR list of free providers is organized by state.

Frequently asked questions

Why no result? Under 48 hours, CBP or local jail custody, under 18, or misspelled details.

Can I call them? Rarely inbound. Keep credit and accept unknown numbers.

Which court has the case? Check the EOIR system with the A-Number.