How to find someone detained by ICE, and the phone of every facility

Step 1: what you need before you search

• OfficialThe A-Number: nine digits, it may begin with zeros, and it's unique to the person. It's in the top right corner of their Notice to Appear (Form I-862). Add their country of birth. ICE's fact sheet also lists the person's date of birth, and facility staff will ask for first, last and hyphenated names, any aliases and the date of birth when you call. ICE locator brochure.
• OfficialNo A-Number? Search with first name, last name and country of birth. The search is an exact match: “Robert Smith” will not find “Robert Smyth” or “Bob Smith”. Try spelling variations, and if several people appear, look for the year of birth in the results. ICE locator brochure.

Open ICE's locator

Step 2: find the facility's phone and the ICE office that covers it

If you can't find the person

• OfficialThe locator only has people who are currently detained by ICE. Minors under 18 don't appear, and some people aren't entered right after being detained, depending on processing and upload time. ICE locator brochure.
• OfficialIf you can't locate someone you believe is detained, ICE says to contact the appropriate ICE field office (Enforcement and Removal Operations). The directory above shows the one that covers each facility, with its phone. ICE fact sheet, updated May 16, 2025.
• OfficialThe ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line is 1-888-351-4024, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern (except holidays), with interpreters. For a detained parent or legal guardian of a minor child, ICE asks you to state that it is a “Parental Interests Inquiry”. ICE Portal and ICE Detained Parents page.
• OfficialCBP says ICE's locator covers anyone currently in ICE custody or in CBP custody for 48 hours or more: someone held for a shorter time by Border Patrol may not appear yet. A person held by another agency, such as a county jail, isn't in it either. CBP, “Searching for Someone in CBP Custody”, modified Jun 24, 2026.
• OfficialFor ICE to share information about a person with someone else, ICE's field office page says it requires a signed privacy waiver or, for the person's legal representative, Form G-28. If a field office refuses to tell you, ask the detained person to sign the waiver, or ask a lawyer. ICE field offices page.

Once you know where they are

1. Call the facility before you do anything

   The locator can be up to eight hours old. Confirm the person is there, and ask the facility for its visiting hours and rules. ICE says to bring government-issued photo ID if you visit.

2. Leave a message

   Detainees can't receive incoming calls. Facility pages say to call the information number and leave the detainee's full name, A-Number and a phone number where you can be reached.

3. Use the facility's page for mail, money and visits

   Each facility has a page on ICE.gov with visiting hours, whether there are tablets or video visits, how to send mail, and how to add funds to a commissary account. Rules differ a lot from one facility to the next.

4. Get legal help early

   Only attorneys and accredited representatives can represent someone in immigration court. The Justice Department keeps a pro bono list for each court, including the courts inside detention centers, and the ABA Immigration Detention Hotline helps detained people prepare their own case (it does not represent them; detained people dial speed dial 2150#, and a detained person can call the ICE line free by dialing 9116# on the facility's free call platform). To find a recognized organization near you, use the ZIP code tool.

Courts and facilities we cover

Hearings for people held in detention are heard by immigration courts inside or near the facilities. Our guides: Denver and Aurora, Houston and Conroe, Miami and Krome, Dallas, Chicago and Orlando. If someone you know moved and needs to update their address, see the change of address checklist. En español: cómo encontrar a una persona detenida por ICE.