Updated
If you are looking for someone who has been detained by ICE, the government’s free online detainee locator is a useful place to start. You can search with the person’s A-number or name; either way, you will need their country of birth. If you do not have an A-number, the name search is still available. Below you will find instructions for both methods, along with other contacts to try if the search does not locate your friend or loved one.
The search opens on ICE’s government website. Quijano Law does not operate the locator.
A search with no result does not tell you whether the person was released, transferred, or removed. The locator does not show every person in custody, and records for people under 18 cannot be searched there. Check the identifying information you entered, then use the agency and facility contacts below to continue looking.
Use either of the two searches on the official ICE locator. Country of birth is required for both.
Check immigration documents for a number labeled A-number or Alien Registration Number. Do not substitute a Social Security number or a USCIS receipt number.
Names must match the record. A different spelling or a missing surname can produce no result even when the person is detained.
If the locator does not find the person, begin by checking the search details. If those are correct, the next step is to confirm which agency is holding them and whether a transfer has taken place. Repeating the same search will not resolve a record that is unavailable in the public system.
Compare the A-number, name, and country of birth with any immigration documents you have. Try the other search method when you have the information it requires. If the person was recently arrested or transferred, the information available online may not reflect where they are now.
Use the jail or sheriff’s official inmate search, or call the jail. Ask whether the person is still there or was transferred to another agency. A release from a local jail does not necessarily mean the person is out of custody.
Contact an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office for the last known location. You can also call ICE’s Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024. Have the person’s identifying details and the last known location ready. Ask which office or facility can confirm their custody.
ICE lists live operators Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding holidays, with Spanish assistance available. This is an ICE number, not Quijano Law’s.
On September 22, 2026, the Associated Press reported that some people with final removal orders had been removed from locator results.
The public ICE locator does not search records for anyone under 18. Contact the agency believed to be holding the child rather than continuing to search the adult locator.
If you are a parent or guardian trying to determine whether your child is in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services, contact the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) National Call Center at 1-800-203-7001. HHS explains how the call center assists families. ORR is not a locator for every child in immigration custody; a child may still be with ICE or CBP.
When you find a result, save the facility name and the date and time of the search. You can then use ICE’s detention facility directory to confirm contact details and ask about calls, visits, and mail. Confirm that your relative is still there before traveling, since a transfer can change the arrangements.
Once you know where your relative is held, the ICE detention guide explains what to ask when they call and which papers to keep. If the next concern is whether they can come home, the bond hearing guide explains the release process for eligible people, and the no-bond guide explains restrictions that can prevent an ordinary bond hearing.
Finding a detention facility does not establish the date of an immigration hearing. For that, use the person’s A-number to check EOIR’s case-information system. Conversely, a court listing does not confirm where someone is detained. Keep the detention and hearing information together so a transfer does not obscure an approaching court date.
If the court system is incomplete or conflicts with a notice, contact the immigration court handling the case. Keep the hearing notices, which provide the official instructions. If you discover that a hearing has already passed, the missed-hearing guide explains how to check what the judge decided and preserve evidence about notice delivery.
The official search page says it can also be used for people who have been in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody for more than 48 hours. That is not a promise that every record will appear after 48 hours. For a recent border arrest, contact the agency involved rather than assuming the person has been released.
Do not rely on a fixed waiting period. A recent arrest or transfer may not be reflected in the result you see. Keep checking, but contact ICE or the agency that made the arrest if you cannot confirm where the person is. Do not wait for an online listing when there is an urgent legal or medical concern.
Yes. Use the same A-number or name search for a detained permanent resident. The locator is not a decision about whether they can keep their green card. Learn more about ICE detention of green card holders.
The official ICE search is free. You do not need to pay another website to use it. Be cautious of anyone promising a guaranteed location or asking for payment-card details or identity documents through an unverified site. Hiring a lawyer for legal help is separate from paying to access the government locator.
If you have been unable to locate your relative, tell us when and where you last heard from them, which agencies or facilities you have contacted, and whether you know of a hearing or removal order. Those details help us understand the search so far and the legal issues that may need prompt attention.
You can request a consultation through either our Norcross or Gainesville office. Our team can speak with you in English or Spanish, and you do not need to have every case document before contacting us.
Both offices are open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Clients are seen by appointment, with assistance in English and Spanish.
