How Can I Find Someone in Immigration?

After discovering that a family member or friend has been detained by the United State’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, it is often difficult to locate them. Without knowing their whereabouts, loved ones have no way of contacting them or securing their release through an immigration bond. This can cause added stress during an already difficult time, but it is possible to locate individuals who have been detained by ICE. If you are searching for an answer to “how can I find someone in immigration detainment?”, start with these steps:

1. Gather Information About the Immigrant
Locating an immigrant that has been detained by ICE is much simpler if you have important information, such as their Alien Number (or A#). This number will be listed on documents like work permits, green cards, or visas. If you are unable to find this number, you will need to know the immigrant’s date of birth, their country of birth and their full name. In some cases, their name may be spelled differently in ICE’s database or they may be listed under a nickname or a name that otherwise varies from the one that you know. Keep this in mind and consider what other names or spellings may be used.

2. Use the ICE Detainee Locator
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency utilizes a platform on their website that allows individuals to search for the location of their detained loved ones. The ICE Locator will allow you to search using an Alien Number paired with the country of birth or through biographical information, including first and last name, country of birth and birth date. If the search comes up empty, keep in mind that the locator does not update automatically, and it may take some time before your loved one’s information will appear in the database. Also, it is important to note that information is not shared through the locator for any detained immigrants who are under 18 years of age. If you are searching for a detained immigrant under the age of 18, you will need to contact a local ICE office directly to receive information on their whereabouts.

3. Check Local Jails or Contracted Facilities
In some cases, immigrants are detained in jails or other contracted facilities instead of in ICE facilities. If you have been unable to locate your loved one using the ICE locator tool, it is a good idea to begin checking with local jails. You can call these facilities directly, although some offer an inmate locator like the one offered by ICE to streamline the process. When this doesn’t answer the question of, “how can I find someone in immigration?” you may need to seek professional help.

4. Hire an Immigration Attorney
If you are still unable to locate your loved one in immigration after following these steps, it may be necessary to hire an immigration attorney. The attorney can aid in locating the immigrant quickly and can also ensure that they are receiving any medications or necessary medical care. Likewise, this step should be taken quickly if the immigrant has been previously deported from the country or if they have an existing order of removal in place. In these cases, the immigrant can be removed from the United States without seeing an Immigration Judge within days or even hours of their initial detainment. If the immigrant has already been deported, the attorney will also be able to find this information to give loved one’s peace of mind.

Typically, these methods are the answer to “how can I find someone in immigration?” but this does not mean that finding your loved one will be easy. Immigrants are frequently moved from one ICE facility to another and sometimes this can mean they are on one side of the country one day and then on the opposite end in less than a week. Above all, it is important to remain calm and reach out to any facilities that you suspect may be housing your loved one. If you are interested in paying an immigration bond to release your family member or friend from ICE detainment and are seeking more information on how to do so, please reach out to us today and we will be happy to guide you through the process.