A Guide to Search for an Immigration Detainee and Find Your Loved One

Receiving a phone call that a loved one is in ICE custody is terrifying. Panic and fear are normal feelings. The most important thing to do right now is take a breath. Staying calm will help you gather the details you need to search for an immigration detainee.

The fastest and best way to confirm where your loved one is being held is the official ICE Online Detainee Locator System. This is a free tool from the government. It is the best place to start.

Your First Step When a Loved One Is Detained

When someone you care about is detained, every moment feels like forever. The uncertainty is overwhelming, but taking action is the best thing you can do. Your main goal is simple: find out exactly where they are. This is the first step to bringing them home.

Knowing their location is the key to everything else—from contacting them to posting an immigration bond for their release.

Gather Key Information First

Before you start your search, take a moment to collect some important information. Having these details ready will make the process much faster and easier.

The table below shows what you will need. Preparing this information now will save you time and stress.

Information Needed for Your Detainee Search

Collect these key details before you start your search for the best results.

Information Type	Why It's Important	Where to Find It
Full Name	Must be exact. Include any middle names or hyphens to avoid mistakes.	Passports, driver's licenses, birth certificates, or ask another family member.
Date of Birth	Helps the system find the right person if they have a common name.	Any official ID document.
Country of Birth	This is a required field for the online search tool.	Passports or birth certificates.

Having this information ready will help you use the official search tools correctly.

This is a difficult situation that is happening to more and more families. We have seen ICE arrests increase. Recent data shows that many of these arrests happen at local jails before a person is moved to an ICE detention center. This can make the first search confusing.

Navigating the First Few Hours

Once you have the information, you are ready to use the online tools to find them. This is a very stressful time. You might need to contact family or supporters in another country. If you do, a guide to calling international numbers can be a big help.

The most important step right now is to find your loved one. Finding the specific detention center where they are being held is the starting point for everything else, including getting them free on an immigration bond.

The team at US Immigration Bonds understands how you feel. We are here to help you through this difficult process. We are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice, but we are experts in the bond process and can offer support.

Using the ICE Online Detainee Locator

When you find out a loved one is detained, the first step is finding where they are. The official tool for this is the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. It is a simple government website, but it is the most direct way to get the information you need. We are here to help you use it.

You have two ways to search: by using an A-Number or by using their personal details.

The Best Way: Searching with an A-Number

The A-Number, which stands for Alien Registration Number, is the best way to search. It is the most accurate way to find someone in the ICE system.

If you have this number, just type it into the search box on the locator website. This avoids any confusion from common names or spelling mistakes and takes you right to their information.

What to Do Without an A-Number: Searching with Personal Information

If you don't have an A-Number, don't worry. You can still find them using their personal information, but you must be very exact. You will need their first and last name, their country of birth, and their date of birth.

It is very important to enter the name exactly as it appears on official papers. We have seen small details cause problems for families.

• Hyphenated Names: If their name has a hyphen, like "Maria-Jose," you must type it in.
• Spelling: If you are not sure about the spelling, you may need to try a few different ways.
• Double-Check Details: A small mistake in the date of birth or country of birth will likely show no results. Being accurate is very important.

Here is what the search page on the official locator tool looks like. As you can see, it has simple boxes for both the A-Number and the personal information search.

A successful search will give you the name and address of the detention center where your loved one is being held. This tool works the same no matter where they are, from the Krome Service Processing Center in Miami to the Houston Contract Detention Facility.

The most important piece of information you will get from this search is the name and location of the detention facility. This is what you need to start the immigration bond process and bring them home.

Getting this information is the first big step. For a more detailed guide, check out our full article on how to find an immigrant detained by ICE. Once you know their location, you are ready for the next step: securing their release.

What to Do If You Can't Find Them Online

It is a very stressful moment. You searched the online locator, but nothing came up. Before you panic, please know this is common. It does not mean your loved one is lost.

Often, it is just a delay in processing. It can take many hours, or even a day or two, for a person's information to be entered into the national database. They might be at a local jail before being moved to an ICE facility, which also causes delays.

Reaching Out for Direct Help

If you have waited and the online search still shows nothing, your next step is to make some calls. You should contact the local ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office for the area where your loved one was detained.

These offices manage detention in the local area. They can often find information before it is on the public website. When you call, have their full name, date of birth, and country of birth ready.

A few key offices include:

• The Atlanta Field Office, which covers Georgia and the Carolinas.
• The Dallas Field Office, which covers North Texas and Oklahoma.
• The Los Angeles Field Office, which covers a large part of Southern California.

Politely explain that you are trying to find a family member and give them the details. Calling directly can often get you the answers you need faster.

This is not surprising when you think about how large the system is. ICE recently reported a record high of over 61,000 people in custody across 436 facilities. With numbers that high, data entry delays can happen, as shown in this analysis on rising detention numbers.

Take a deep breath. Your loved one’s information is most likely just delayed in the system. The waiting is very hard, but it is a normal part of this process. While you wait, our bilingual team at US Immigration Bonds can offer support and guidance. We have helped many families in your exact situation.

Our team has experience with these offices. We have helped countless families who were struggling to find someone, and we are here to help you, too.

Understanding the Immigration Bond Process

Once you find your loved one, the next question is always, “How do we get them out?” The answer, in most cases, is an immigration bond.

An immigration bond is a promise to the government, backed by money. It is a guarantee that your loved one will go to all their future court hearings. It is the key to their freedom. It allows them to come home to their family while their immigration case continues.

Who Sets the Bond Amount?

The bond amount is set by either an ICE officer or an Immigration Judge. This happens shortly after they are detained or at a special bond hearing.

The amount can be very different from case to case. We have seen bonds as low as a few thousand dollars and as high as tens of thousands. The details of each person's situation matter. For a simple guide on this topic, you can read our article about understanding immigration bonds for families.

An immigration bond is not a fine or a punishment. It is a financial promise that the person will attend their court dates. When they do, the bond money is returned at the end of their case.

How We Help You Through This Step

At US Immigration Bonds, our kind, bilingual specialists help families through this process every single day. We know this is a stressful and emotional time. You do not have to figure this out alone.

We help families in Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and all over the country understand the bond amount and their options. It is important to know we are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice. But we are experts in the immigration bond process.

Our job is to make things clear and give you support when you need it most. We explain everything in simple terms, in English or Spanish. This helps you make the best choice for your family. With our transparent, low fees, we help make their release affordable. We are here to answer your questions and help you bring your loved one home.

Navigating Your Bond Payment Options

Once a bond is set, paying it is the last step to bring your loved one home. You have a few choices, and it is important to understand them. This will help you decide what is best for your family during this stressful time.

One option is to pay the full bond amount directly to the government. Today, ICE makes all families pay through its new online system called CE-Bond. We see this system cause long, frustrating delays. It requires you to create an account, wait for government approval, get wire instructions, and then wait for release confirmation. This can add several days to the process, even after you have sent the money. You can learn about the government's process on the official ICE CE-Bond website.

A More Supportive Path Forward

While you can choose to pay ICE directly, we offer a better, more supportive option. Working with US Immigration Bonds means you only pay a small, one-time fee. You do not have to come up with the entire bond amount. Our team then handles all the complex paperwork and payment steps for you.

This chart shows how a bond is usually set, which happens before any payment can be made.

Whether an ICE officer or a judge sets the bond, that final amount is what you must pay.

For example, imagine a family in Los Angeles facing a $10,000 bond. Our service makes their loved one's freedom much more affordable. We manage the entire process for them, helping to avoid delays and speed up the release.

Many people are surprised to learn that most people in detention have no criminal record. In fact, recent data shows that nearly 74% of people in ICE custody have no criminal convictions. You can see more of these detention statistics on TRAC reports.

Our goal is simple: to take the financial and paperwork stress off your shoulders. We provide a clear, guided process so you can focus on what is most important—getting ready for your loved one’s return.

When you work with us, you get an experienced team that is dedicated to reuniting your family. We offer nationwide support, transparent low fees, and bilingual help every step of the way.

Your Partner in This Difficult Time

We know how overwhelming this is. You do not have to go through it alone. At US Immigration Bonds, we are here to be your trusted partner from your first call until your loved one is back home.

As the #1 reviewed immigration bond company, we have earned our reputation by giving families a supportive, guided experience.

Our nationwide support means we can help no matter where your loved one is being held. Our bilingual team is available 24/7 to answer your questions in English or Spanish. And while we handle the bond, we can also share resources for finding a local immigration lawyer to help with the legal case.

We believe in transparent, low fees and a simple process that gives you peace of mind. We have helped thousands of families after they search for an immigration detainee, and we are ready to help you, too.

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When you are ready to bring your loved one home, US Immigration Bonds is here to help.

Call or text us 24/7 for a free, private consultation. Our bilingual specialists offer nationwide support with the lowest fees. We will guide you through every single step of the process.

Your loved one's freedom is just a phone call away. Let us be Your Key to Freedom. Learn more at https://www.usimmigrationbonds.com.