How to Find Someone in ICE / Immigration Detention

01First, A Breath: When Someone Vanishes Into ICE Custody

If you are reading this, someone you love may have seemed to disappear. Maybe they were in a county jail one day and gone the next. Maybe you got a frightened phone call, then silence. Maybe you only heard the word “immigration” and your heart dropped. That not-knowing — the sense that the person simply vanished into a system you cannot see — is one of the hardest feelings there is.

Take one slow breath before you do anything else. Your loved one has not disappeared. If they are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), there is a public tool built specifically to help you find them, and there are people whose job is to help families exactly like yours.

To find someone in ICE custody, use ICE's Online Detainee Locator System, a free public website. You can search two ways: by the person's A-Number (their immigration case number) together with their country of birth, or by their full name, country of birth, and date of birth. If you can find their A-Number, that is almost always the faster and more reliable path.

Your person is not lost. They are somewhere in a system that can be searched — and you are already learning how to search it.

The quick version

Here is the short answer you can act on today, before we slow down and walk through each part carefully:

• Look for the A-Number — a number that usually has nine digits, written after the letter “A.” It is on immigration paperwork and is the single most useful thing you can find.
• Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator System, either by A-Number and country of birth, or by full name, country of birth, and date of birth.
• Know that the locator does not list everyone — for example, it generally does not show people under 18, and someone very recently detained may not appear yet.
• Contact an immigration attorney or a trusted legal aid or know-your-rights organization as early as you can. Immigration cases move on their own timeline.
• Be careful who you share personal information with, and give yourself permission to move slowly and confirm each fact.

02Why Did They Vanish From the County Jail?

One of the most disorienting things families experience is finding their loved one in a local jail one moment and unable to locate them the next. Usually this is not because anything went wrong on your end. It is because the person moved from one government's custody into another's — from a city or county jail into federal immigration custody — and the two systems do not share a single public search.

The most common way this happens is through an immigration detainer, sometimes called an “ICE hold.” A detainer is a request from ICE asking a local jail to notify immigration authorities before releasing a person, and to briefly hold them so ICE can take custody. When that transfer happens, the person often stops appearing in the county jail's roster and starts to appear — sometimes after a delay — in the federal immigration system instead.

The path from local custody to ICE

It helps to picture the usual sequence. Not every case follows it, but this is the shape of what often happens:

1. A person is arrested or detained and booked into a city or county jail.
2. ICE places a detainer asking that jail to hold the person and notify them before release.
3. Instead of being released, the person is transferred into ICE custody.
4. They may be held first at a local ICE processing site, then moved to a dedicated immigration detention center, which can be in another county or even another state.
5. Their information appears in ICE's Online Detainee Locator System, though it can take some time to show up after the transfer.

If your loved one was last known to be in a county jail, it is still worth checking that jail's roster and calling its intake line, because the transfer may not have happened yet or may be very recent. InMato offers a free multi-county search that can help you quickly check across participating county systems in one place, which is useful in these early hours when you are not yet sure whether the person is still local or already in federal custody.

A person moving from a county jail into ICE custody is a known, traceable path — not a vanishing. The systems just do not talk to each other the way you wish they would.

03What Is an A-Number, and Where Do I Find It?

The single most useful thing you can find is the A-Number. Once you have it, searching becomes far easier and far more reliable, and it stays with the person no matter how many times they are transferred.

“A-Number” is short for Alien Registration Number, sometimes also called a USCIS number. It is a unique number the U.S. government assigns to a person's immigration record. It usually has nine digits and is written with the letter “A” in front of it — for example, in the form “A” followed by the digits. Some older numbers have seven or eight digits; if you find a shorter one, it may still be correct.

Where the A-Number tends to appear

If your loved one has ever had contact with the immigration system, the A-Number is probably written on paperwork somewhere. Common places to look include:

• Immigration court notices or letters, often near the top of the page.
• A work permit (Employment Authorization Document) or Permanent Resident (green) card.
• Correspondence from USCIS, such as receipt or approval notices.
• Any prior immigration application paperwork the person kept at home.
• Documents given to the person or a family member at the time they were taken into custody.

If you cannot find the A-Number, do not worry — you can still search by name, and we will cover that. Many families locate their loved one without ever having the number in hand. But if a relative, roommate, or friend can check the person's important documents at home, it is worth asking them to look, because the A-Number turns a frustrating search into a simple one.

04How Do I Use ICE's Online Detainee Locator System?

ICE's Online Detainee Locator System is a free, public website that lets you search for an adult who is currently in ICE custody. It is the official tool for this purpose, and it is designed so that family members and friends can use it without any special access. You do not need to be a lawyer, and you do not need to log in.

The locator offers two ways to search, and you only need one of them to work. The first uses the A-Number; the second uses the person's biographical information. If you have the A-Number, start there, because it is the most precise.

Searching by A-Number

To search using the A-Number, you will typically need two pieces of information:

1. Enter the person's A-Number exactly, taking care with every digit.
2. Select or enter the person's country of birth as it appears on their immigration records.
3. Submit the search and read the result carefully, noting the facility name, its location, and any contact details shown.
4. Write down everything the result lists, and save a screenshot in case the information changes later.

When the search finds a match, it will usually show which detention facility the person is being held at and how to contact that facility. That facility name is the key that unlocks your next steps — visitation rules, phone access, and how to get money onto the person's account all depend on which specific facility they are in.

05Searching by Name When You Don't Have the A-Number

Many families do not have the A-Number, and that is okay. The locator also lets you search by biographical information — generally the person's first name, last name, country of birth, and date of birth. This path works, but it is a little more sensitive to details, because names can be entered in different ways.

Getting a name search to work

A few habits make a name search far more likely to succeed:

• Use the person's full legal name as it appears on official documents, not a nickname or shortened form.
• Be mindful of two last names, hyphenated names, and maternal and paternal surnames, and try different combinations if the first attempt fails.
• Get the date of birth exactly right — this is often what separates a match from an empty result.
• Use the country of birth on record, which may differ from where the person most recently lived.
• Try reasonable spelling variations, since a name may have been entered with or without accents or with letters swapped.

If your first search comes up empty, resist the urge to panic. An empty result is far more often a spelling or data mismatch than proof that the person is not in custody. Slow down, try one variation at a time, and keep notes on exactly what you searched so you do not repeat the same attempt over and over.

An empty search result usually means the details did not line up perfectly — not that your loved one is beyond reach.

06What If They Don't Show Up in the Locator?

Sometimes you search carefully and still find nothing. This is frightening, but there are several ordinary reasons a person might not appear, and most of them are not the worst-case scenario your mind jumps to.

Common reasons someone is not listed

Before you conclude the worst, consider these possibilities:

• The person is under 18. The locator generally does not display information about detainees who are minors.
• They were very recently taken into custody, and their information has not yet been entered or updated in the system.
• The details you searched — name, date of birth, or country of birth — do not exactly match ICE's records.
• The person is not actually in ICE custody, and may still be in a local jail or another agency's custody instead.
• Their custody status changed — for example, they were released or their case moved — and the listing reflects that.

When the locator does not answer your question, the next step is to reach a human being. ICE operates regional field offices, known as Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field offices, that oversee detention in their area. Contacting the field office for the region where you believe the person is being held can help you confirm custody when the online tool comes up empty.

1. Wait a little while and search again, since recent detentions can take time to appear.
2. Try additional name and spelling variations, and confirm the date of birth and country of birth.
3. Identify the ICE ERO field office for the region where the arrest or transfer likely happened.
4. Call that field office to ask whether the person is in ICE custody and where they are being held.
5. If you are working with an attorney or legal aid organization, share what you have found so they can help confirm custody.

07Why Do People Get Moved So Far From Home?

One of the most painful surprises for families is discovering that their loved one has been moved to a detention center hours away, in another part of the state or even across the country. This is common in immigration detention, and while it is genuinely hard, it usually reflects how the detention system is organized rather than anything specific to your loved one's case.

Immigration detention centers are spread unevenly across the country, and people are sometimes held far from where they were detained simply because of where beds are available. A person may also be transferred more than once. Each move can feel like starting over — a new facility, a new phone system, a new set of visiting rules, and a long, expensive distance between you.

Staying connected through transfers

The A-Number is what holds everything together across these moves. To keep from losing track:

• Re-check the Online Detainee Locator whenever you have not heard from your loved one for a couple of days, since a transfer often updates the listed facility.
• Keep the A-Number, full legal name, and date of birth somewhere you can find them instantly.
• Each time the facility changes, look up that specific facility's rules for phone calls, visitation, and adding money to an account, because they differ from place to place.
• Tell your attorney or legal aid contact promptly about any transfer, because a move can affect which court hears the case and how deadlines work.

A distant transfer does not sever your connection. It makes it harder, and it is fair to grieve that. But families stay in touch across long distances every day — through phone calls, letters, and the steady persistence of showing up again and again for someone they love.

A transfer changes the address, not the relationship. The A-Number is the thread that follows your person wherever they are moved.

08How Do I Get Legal Help?

Finding your loved one is the first step. Getting them connected to knowledgeable legal help is often the most important next one. Immigration law is its own complex world, separate from criminal court, and the right guidance early can make a real difference in how a case unfolds.

There is one thing that surprises many families, so it is worth saying plainly: in immigration proceedings, a person generally has the right to be represented by a lawyer, but not at the government's expense. Unlike criminal court, there is usually no free court-appointed attorney. That is exactly why free and low-cost legal aid organizations, and pro bono (volunteer) attorneys, matter so much.

Where families look for help

There are several kinds of help worth seeking, and you can pursue more than one at a time:

• A licensed immigration attorney, who can advise on the specific case and, where appropriate, represent the person.
• Nonprofit legal aid organizations that focus on immigration and often serve people at low or no cost.
• Know-your-rights organizations, which help people understand their basic rights and what to expect in the process.
• Lists of free and low-cost legal service providers, which the immigration court system maintains to help people find representation.
• Community, faith-based, and immigrant-serving groups in your area, which often know the local landscape and can point you to trusted resources.

Be thoughtful about who you trust. Sadly, there are people who prey on frightened families, sometimes posing as legal helpers. A genuine attorney or accredited representative should be transparent about their credentials and never pressure you into rushed decisions or large cash payments. If something feels off, it is always okay to slow down and seek a second opinion.

09Protecting Personal Information and Taking Your Time

In the middle of a crisis, it is natural to want to do everything at once and to accept help from anyone who offers it. But this is a moment to be gentle and careful with information, both your loved one's and your own. Taking your time is not a delay — it is a form of protection.

Careful habits that protect your family

A few steady practices go a long way:

• Share sensitive details — A-Number, date of birth, immigration history — only with people and organizations you have reason to trust, such as a verified attorney or established legal aid group.
• Be cautious with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, demands immediate payment, or guarantees a specific outcome. Real help does not come with pressure and promises.
• Do not sign documents you do not understand, and ask for time to have them explained by someone qualified.
• Keep copies and records of everything: paperwork, receipts, and notes from every phone call.
• Remember that you do not have to answer every question a stranger asks about your own status or your family. It is okay to say you would like to speak with a lawyer first.

You are allowed to move at a human pace. The system can feel like it is rushing you, but most of the truly important decisions in an immigration case benefit from calm, informed thought rather than a panicked reaction. Pausing to breathe, to write things down, and to consult someone knowledgeable is almost always the wiser path.

Slowing down is not giving up. In a frightening process, careful and calm is its own kind of strength.

10Staying Connected — and Staying Steady

Once you have located your loved one and started reaching out for legal help, the work shifts to the long, steadier task of staying connected. That connection — a voice on the phone, a letter in the mail, the knowledge that someone on the outside is fighting for them — can mean everything to a person in detention.

Practical ways to stay in touch

As you settle into this longer stretch, a few things help:

• Learn the specific facility's rules for phone calls, mail, and visitation, since each detention center runs its own way.
• Verify the official process for putting money on a phone or commissary account before sending anything, so your support does not get lost.
• Keep your records current — the facility, the A-Number, upcoming court dates — so a transfer never leaves you starting from zero.
• Lean on your own support network, and let trusted people share the weight of calls, paperwork, and worry.

Court dates and case updates can be hard to track from the outside, especially after a transfer. For families who want extra support through a long process, an optional InMato+ membership offers status alerts, referrals to attorneys and other resources, chaplain connections, and a private family community — so you do not have to hold all of it alone.

Above all, be as kind to yourself as you are trying to be to the person you love. This process is exhausting, and fear has a way of convincing you that rest is a luxury you cannot afford. It is not. You will make better calls, ask clearer questions, and be a steadier presence when you have eaten, slept, and let others help you carry this.

Finding them is the first act of love. Everything after is just one steady, informed step at a time.

Because immigration law is complex and every case is different, treat this guide as a starting map rather than the final word. It is general information and support, not legal advice. For the specifics of your loved one's situation, confirm details with the agency directly and consult a qualified immigration attorney or a trusted legal aid organization. And when the not-knowing feels like too much, come back to the truth underneath all of it: your person is findable, help exists, and you have already begun.