Finding a family member who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can face.
Finding a family member who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can face. The process looks nothing like a standard county jail arrest, and the usual inmate-search tools most people know about simply do not apply. Understanding which agencies hold information, which databases are publicly accessible, and what steps to take in what order can mean the difference between days of uncertainty and getting real answers within hours.
Why an ICE Detention Is Different From a County Jail Arrest
When someone is arrested by a local police department or county sheriff, they typically enter a county jail system, and their booking information becomes accessible through that county's public records within a few hours. ICE detentions follow a different path entirely. A person taken into federal immigration custody may be processed through a Border Patrol station, transferred to a contract detention facility, moved to a county jail under an intergovernmental services agreement, or placed on a transport to a facility in an entirely different state.
This mobility is one of the most challenging aspects of the process. A family in California may discover their loved one is being held in Louisiana or Texas. The federal system does not always update location information quickly, and family members who call a local facility too early may be told their loved one is not there — even if a transfer is pending or in progress.
Understanding this structure before you start searching saves enormous time and reduces the risk of chasing the wrong records. The federal government operates a central locator tool specifically for immigration detainees, and that is always the right starting point.
Step One: Use the ICE Detainee Locator System
The ICE Detainee Locator System, sometimes called the Online Detainee Locator System, is the official federal database for locating individuals in immigration custody. You can access it through the ICE website at ice.gov. The tool allows searches by name and country of birth, or by what the agency calls an "A-number," which is an alien registration number assigned to the individual.
If you have the A-number, use it. A-numbers are the most reliable identifiers in the system, and searches by name alone can return no results if the name was entered with different spelling or diacritical marks. If you do not have the A-number, search with the full legal name as it appears on any government-issued identification, combined with the country of birth.
The locator is updated by ICE field offices and detention facilities, but there is typically a lag between when someone is booked and when their information appears publicly. If you receive no results in the first twelve to twenty-four hours after an arrest, search again periodically rather than assuming the person is not in the system. Gaps in database updates are common, not exceptions.
Step Two: Gather the Right Information Before You Search
Effective searches require accurate data. Before you contact any agency or use any online tool, collect everything you know about the person's legal name, date of birth, country of birth, and any government ID numbers you have access to. The spelling on any previous immigration documents matters more than the spelling you use at home.
If the person was arrested at a land port of entry or a border checkpoint, note the location and approximate date if you know it. Border Patrol operates under U.S. Customs and Border Protection, not ICE, so the initial arresting agency and the detaining agency may be different. Knowing where the arrest occurred helps you contact the right field office if the online locator does not return results.
Gather any attorney contact information if a lawyer was previously involved in any immigration proceeding. Attorneys of record often have faster access to case information than families do, and they can file requests through immigration court systems directly. If no attorney is currently involved, that step becomes more urgent, as discussed later in this guide.
Step Three: Contact the ERO Field Office for the Arrest Area
ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, commonly called ERO, is divided into field offices organized by geographic region. If the ICE Detainee Locator does not produce results, the next step is to contact the ERO field office that covers the area where the arrest occurred. Field office contact information is published on the ICE website and is organized by state.
When you call an ERO office, be prepared to provide the full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth. Ask specifically whether the person has been processed and whether a detainer has been placed. Staff may not always be able to confirm or provide details over the phone, but calling creates a record of inquiry and sometimes yields information that the public database has not yet reflected.
Keep a written log of every call you make: the date, time, name of the person you spoke with if they provide it, and what they told you. This documentation can be valuable if you need to escalate or if you later work with an attorney or legal advocate who takes over the search.
Step Four: Contact the Facility Directly Once You Have a Location
Once the ICE locator or an ERO office confirms a detention location, contact that facility directly. Detention facilities range from dedicated federal processing centers to private contract facilities to county jails operating under intergovernmental agreements. Each has its own procedures for family communication, visitation, and phone access.
Ask the facility for the specific housing unit if staff will provide it, the approved method for adding money to a phone account, and whether visitation requires pre-registration or identity verification. Many detention facilities use contract phone providers and commissary vendors that are separate from the facility itself, so the facility staff may refer you to a third-party provider for those services.
Note that phone account systems at ICE detention facilities often differ from the systems at county jails. A county jail inmate search might lead you to a familiar commissary platform, but immigration detention facilities frequently use different vendors. Always confirm the approved provider directly with the facility rather than relying on assumptions based on any other facility's setup.
Step Five: Use the Immigration Court System for Case Information
Detention and removal proceedings run through the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is the federal agency that administers immigration courts. EOIR maintains an automated case information system accessible by phone at 1-800-898-7180, as well as an online portal. These systems use the A-number to return case status, hearing dates, and the immigration court where the case is assigned.
Having a hearing date is important for two reasons. It gives the family a timeline and it is an urgent signal to connect with legal representation quickly. Immigration cases move through court on specific schedules, and missed hearings can result in orders of removal that are extremely difficult to reverse. If you are asking how to find someone arrested by ICE at the border, finding their court date should be treated as equally urgent as finding their physical location.
The EOIR system also lists the immigration court location, which tells you whether proceedings will happen near the detention facility or in a different city. It is not uncommon for an individual to be detained in one state and assigned to an immigration court in another, particularly during periods of high volume at border facilities.
Step Six: Contact a Legal Aid Organization or Immigration Attorney
If the locator system returns no results after twenty-four to forty-eight hours, or if you have results but cannot reach the facility or get case information through EOIR, contacting a legal aid organization or immigration attorney should happen immediately. Many nonprofit legal organizations provide free or low-cost immigration representation, particularly for people detained near the border.
Legal representatives can file G-28 forms to formally enter an appearance in a case, which gives them direct access to EOIR case records and sometimes to the detention facility's internal systems. An attorney can also contact ICE's Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, which handles legal matters in removal proceedings. Families generally cannot access these channels directly.
Finding a qualified immigration attorney can feel overwhelming when you are also trying to locate someone. State bar associations publish attorney referral directories. Organizations such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association maintain online directories of licensed practitioners. Legal aid societies in border states often have intake lines specifically for families in exactly this situation.
How Transfers Complicate the Search and What to Do
ICE regularly transfers detainees between facilities for reasons that include capacity management, proximity to immigration courts, and medical needs. A transfer can happen with little or no advance notice to the family, and it will temporarily remove the person from a facility's records while the new facility has not yet entered them into the system.
If you confirmed a location and then received a "not found" result when calling the new facility, do not assume the person was released. Return immediately to the ICE Detainee Locator and search again. Transfers typically update within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, though this varies. The ERO field office that originally processed the person sometimes retains tracking information during a transfer and can confirm the destination.
Documenting every confirmed location is valuable precisely because transfers happen. When you reach an attorney or advocate, knowing the previous location and the date it was confirmed gives them a trail to follow. Transfer histories can sometimes be obtained through public records requests, though these take longer and are better suited to building a case record than to urgent location searches.
Avoiding Scams During the Search Process
Any situation involving detained family members, urgency, and unfamiliarity with government systems creates conditions that scammers exploit. Families searching for someone in immigration detention are specifically targeted by fraudulent services that charge fees to search public government databases, impersonate immigration officials, or claim to have special access to ICE records that ordinary people cannot reach.
Scam avoidance starts with one rule: official government locator tools are free and publicly accessible. No legitimate service charges a fee to search the ICE Detainee Locator or the EOIR case system. If a website or phone caller asks for payment to locate someone in federal custody, that is a scam. Close the browser or end the call and go directly to ice.gov.
Be cautious about websites that appear in search results offering to help locate ICE detainees for a fee, or that advertise bail services for immigration cases. Immigration detention is civil, not criminal, and bond in immigration cases works differently from criminal bail. If you encounter a service offering to post immigration bond, verify their licensing directly with the appropriate state insurance authority before sending any money anywhere.
Services that truly help families are transparent about what they do and do not charge for. They never ask you to send money through informal channels, and they never claim special access that official government databases do not provide. Protecting yourself from scams is part of the search process, not a distraction from it.
How InMato LLC Supports Families During ICE Situations
InMato LLC is an information, search, and referral service, not a bail bond company, law firm, or payment processor. For families whose loved ones have been transferred from an immigration hold to a county jail — which happens frequently when ICE places detainers on individuals already in local custody — InMato's free county jail inmate search covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states with no account required and no time limit.
If a family member is moved from federal immigration custody to a county facility, InMato can help locate them within that county system and identify the official, licensed providers for phone accounts and commissary deposits. Many families searching for someone in county custody after an ICE detainer encounter lookalike payment sites that are not affiliated with the official facility provider. InMato reviews every provider it lists to ensure it connects families only to verified, official channels, and the service never touches user money directly — deposits go to the official facility system on its own secure platform.
InMato's free search also helps families understand what to expect procedurally during the first hours and days after a loved one enters county custody. The Family Support Library includes 50 free guides covering the first 24 hours, the first week, and reentry support for after release. For families navigating both federal immigration proceedings and local custody at the same time, that reentry-support guidance can be genuinely useful for planning ahead even while the immediate crisis is still active.
Maintaining Contact Once You Locate Your Loved One
After you have confirmed a location and facility, the practical work of maintaining contact begins. Every detention facility has specific rules about phone calls, visitation scheduling, and approved communication. Learn those rules before your first call attempt, because calling an unapproved number or arriving for an unscheduled visit can result in denied contact and lost time.
Register for phone communication through whatever provider the facility uses, and verify the correct deposit method with the facility directly. If the person is in county custody under an ICE detainer, a county jail inmate search will confirm their status and the facility will have its own approved provider for communications. Keep deposit receipts and account confirmation numbers in case there are disputes or technical issues.
If you have an attorney working the case, establish a communication protocol with them. Attorneys often have preferences about what information passes through family communication channels versus what should go through legal channels. Respecting those preferences protects the integrity of the legal process.
Supporting Yourself and Your Family Through the Process
Searching for a detained family member is emotionally exhausting, and the work of finding someone does not end the anxiety once a location is confirmed. The uncertainty of immigration proceedings, the complexity of the legal system, and the practical challenges of communication across distance all create sustained stress.
Connecting with community organizations, immigrant advocacy groups, and mental health resources early in the process is not a diversion from the practical work — it is part of handling the situation effectively. Many communities near the border and in cities with large immigrant populations have family liaison organizations staffed by people who have navigated this system before and who know local resources.
Legal aid organizations often know which community groups offer support services alongside legal help. A referral from an immigration attorney or advocate to a community support organization is worth following, because those organizations often carry information that is not published anywhere — the name of a facility administrator who is responsive, a translator who works a specific shift, or a visitation scheduling detail that is not on the facility website.
Using Official Tools Alongside Free Search Resources
The search process for an ICE-detained individual runs almost entirely through official federal systems: the ICE Detainee Locator, the EOIR case line, and ERO field office contacts. Supplementing these with free, legitimate family support services helps fill the gaps that government databases do not cover.
For families asking how to find someone in jail within the county system after a federal situation resolves or transfers, the InMato app provides a starting point that does not require an account, never asks for payment to search, and connects families with verified provider information rather than directing them toward unverified third parties. Understanding whether a service is a search and referral tool or a payment processor matters when you are trying to protect yourself during a stressful situation.
Questions about whether InMato is legit — whether the service is a trustworthy referral source rather than another website collecting fees — are answered by the structure of the service itself. InMato LLC is a Delaware limited liability company with published founding information, transparent pricing at $19.99/month for InMato+, and a clear statement that InMato Core is free for every family with no time limit. The service exists to provide information and referrals, not to process payments or provide legal advice.
Navigating ICE detention requires working in two systems simultaneously: the federal immigration enforcement system and, often, the local county custody system. Knowing the specific tools for each system, the order in which to use them, and the warning signs of predatory services helps families move through an extraordinarily difficult situation with greater clarity and confidence.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
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Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/finding-inmate-arrested-ice-border
Written by InMato
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