How to Find Someone in ICE Detention (and Visit or Support Them)

Short answer: Start with ICE's free Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) at locator.ice.gov/odls. You can search by the person's A-number (alien registration number) plus country of birth, or by their full name, date of birth, and country of birth if you don't have the A-number. Once you find the facility, you can call it directly to ask about phone access, visitation, and how to send money for commissary. From there, the next priorities are usually: get the person a lawyer or accredited representative, find out if they're eligible for bond, and watch for a sudden facility transfer, which can interrupt calls and legal help for a few days.

Step 1: Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator

ICE's detainee locator is a public tool — you do not need to create an account or prove a relationship to use it. Go to locator.ice.gov/odls and search using one of these:

• A-number and country of birth — the fastest method if you have the A-number from an arrest notice, court paperwork, or something the person told you over the phone before intake.
• Full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth — use this if you don't have the A-number yet. The system does an exact-match search, so spelling matters; try variations (e.g., accents removed, hyphenated last names split).

A successful search shows the facility name, address, and phone number, and (for many facilities) a booking or "last updated" date. The tool is also available in Spanish and several other languages. Note that the locator generally lists only people who are 18 or older and currently in ICE custody (or, in some cases, recently released), so it will not show everyone in every situation.

If the search comes up empty

• It can take time to appear. Not every facility updates the system in real time, especially newly used or non-standard detention sites, so a recent arrest may not show up for a day or more.
• Children under 18 arrested in the interior generally do not appear in this system; a family's first call in that situation should go to the local ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office or an immigration attorney, since minors are handled differently (often referred toward the Office of Refugee Resettlement if they are unaccompanied).
• Double-check spelling and try the name in a different order (many systems list surname first).
• Call the ICE ERO field office nearest to where the arrest happened. ICE's website (ice.gov) lists field office contact information, and staff can sometimes confirm custody status even if the online system hasn't updated.

If someone was arrested by local police (not directly by ICE) and you're not sure whether ICE has taken custody or only placed a "detainer" request with the jail, see our explainer on immigration detainers and ICE holds — being in local jail with a detainer is a different situation from already being in ICE custody, and it affects where to look and what happens next.

Step 2: Confirm the immigration court case (if one exists)

Once someone is detained by ICE, their case is often (though not always, depending on stage) also pending before an immigration judge at the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), part of the Department of Justice — a separate system from ICE. You can check a court case status two ways:

• EOIR's automated case information line: 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free, available 24/7; TDD line 1-800-828-1120). You'll need the A-number.
• EOIR's online case status tool, linked from justice.gov/eoir/check-case-status.

This will tell you the next hearing date if one is scheduled — an important date to write down, because missing an immigration court hearing can result in an in-absentia removal order. If a hearing date is coming up and the family doesn't yet have a lawyer, that is the most urgent task.

Step 3: Set up phone contact and understand visitation

Every ICE-approved detention facility that holds someone more than a short period is required to allow phone calls, legal mail, and visits, but the specific rules — visiting hours, ID requirements, whether visits are in-person or video, and how many visitors are allowed — vary by facility and are usually set by the local jail or contractor running it, not by a single nationwide rule. Practical steps:

1. Call the facility directly using the number from the ODLS search result and ask: visiting hours, what ID visitors need to bring, whether visits are contact or non-contact/video, and how detained people can call out (many facilities use a prepaid or collect-call phone system operated by a private vendor).
2. Set up a phone/commissary account if the facility uses one, so the person can call you and buy phone credit, hygiene items, or food.
3. Keep a paper trail. Save the A-number, facility name and address, and any receipt or confirmation numbers — you'll need them again if the person is transferred or if you contact a lawyer.
4. Send money carefully. Only use the facility's official deposit method (often listed on the facility's own page or through the vendor named when you call); be wary of anyone contacting you out of the blue claiming they can "release" someone for a fee.

Step 4: Understand bond — who can get one, and how

Not everyone in ICE detention is eligible to ask an immigration judge for release on bond; some people fall into "mandatory detention" categories tied to certain criminal history or how they entered the country, and cannot get a judge-set bond at all. For people who are eligible, a bond hearing lets an immigration judge decide an amount based mainly on flight risk and danger to the community, and family or friends can pay it once set. Because eligibility and process details are fact-specific and change based on individual history, see our full explainer, Immigration Bond and Getting Out of Detention, and don't assume either way until a lawyer or the immigration judge confirms which category applies.

Step 5: Get the person legal help

People in immigration proceedings do not have a right to a government-paid lawyer the way criminal defendants do, so finding representation is on the family. Ways to do this:

• EOIR's list of free and low-cost legal service providers, organized by state and by detention location, is published at justice.gov/eoir (search "EOIR list of pro bono legal service providers"). Many detention facilities also post or distribute this list, and some offer a Legal Orientation Program video or in-person session explaining the court process in plain language.
• A private immigration attorney — verify that anyone you hire is a licensed attorney in good standing (check your state bar's website) or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice to work at a specific recognized organization.
• Legal mail and calls to a detainee's attorney are generally protected, and facilities must provide reasonable access to phones and confidential attorney visits/calls — if a facility is blocking a scheduled attorney call, ask the facility's legal-access contact or the ICE Deportation Officer, and the attorney can escalate through EOIR or ICE if needed.

Beware notario and immigration-consultant fraud. In many countries, a "notario público" is a licensed attorney, but in the United States a notary public is not a lawyer and cannot represent someone in immigration court. Never pay a "notario," immigration consultant, or unlicensed "visa expert" to file paperwork or promise a specific outcome — this is a common and damaging scam that can cause missed deadlines or even trigger fraud findings against the immigrant. Only work with a licensed attorney or a representative accredited by the DOJ's Office of Legal Access Programs.

Step 6: Watch for facility transfers

ICE regularly transfers detained people between facilities, sometimes across the country, for bed-space, medical, or security reasons. Transfers are one of the most disruptive events for families and attorneys because:

• Contact can go dark for a period — phone/commissary accounts, visitation schedules, and even the online locator record may take time to update at the new facility.
• A represented person's attorney of record is generally supposed to be notified of a transfer within a set short window, but families are not automatically notified the same way, so re-checking the ODLS periodically is the most reliable way to catch a move.
• A transfer can move someone out of the jurisdiction of their existing immigration court or away from their attorney, complicating an active case — if this happens, the attorney (or the family, if unrepresented) should promptly contact the new facility and the immigration court handling the case to confirm where hearings will now be held.

If you lose track of someone after a transfer, search the ODLS again with the same A-number — it should eventually update to show the new facility. If it doesn't update within a few days, call the ERO field office that had custody, or the facility they were last confirmed at.

What to do — quick checklist

1. Search locator.ice.gov/odls with the A-number (or name + DOB + country of birth).
2. Call the facility for visitation, phone, and commissary rules.
3. Check the immigration court case status at 1-800-898-7180 or justice.gov/eoir — write down any hearing date.
4. Find out if bond is realistic; read our bond explainer and talk to a lawyer before assuming either way.
5. Get a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative involved as soon as possible — use EOIR's free/low-cost provider list if cost is a barrier.
6. Re-check the locator periodically in case of a transfer, and never pay a "notario" or unaccredited consultant to handle the case.

This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration detention situations move quickly and mistakes can affect custody, bond, or a case outcome — consult a licensed immigration attorney or a Department of Justice–accredited representative, and be alert to notario and immigration-consultant fraud.