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ICE immigration detention: a guide for families

What to do when ICE detains someone you love: find them, get legal help, understand bond and court, and avoid scams.

First: this is civil detention

ICE detention is civil, not a criminal sentence. There is no sentence to serve, so there are no sentence credits (good time) and no release date to calculate. Release depends on the immigration case: a bond, an immigration judge's decision, or an ICE decision.

There is no right to a free lawyer in immigration court. The law allows a lawyer "at no expense to the Government" (8 U.S.C. 1362 (opens in new tab)). Look for free or low-cost help on the EOIR list of pro bono providers (opens in new tab) and from accredited representatives (opens in new tab).

Watch for scams: a "notario" is not a lawyer in the U.S. Don't pay anyone who promises results. How to spot a scam.

General information, not legal advice. Every case is different.

Find someone held by ICE

The official locator, and what to do if it shows nothing.

Legal help

Pro bono lawyers and accredited representatives.

Bond and immigration court

Case status at 1-800-898-7180 and the EOIR portal.

Notario scams

Warning signs and where to turn.

ICE detention facilities

160 facilities from ICE's official list: address, visiting, phone, money and mail.

First steps

  1. Search for the person in the official ICE locator.
  2. Write down the facility and their A-Number (alien registration number, 9 digits) if you have it. Almost everything asks for it.
  3. Get legal help early: free providers and accredited representatives.
  4. Check the immigration court case at 1-800-898-7180 or the EOIR case information system (opens in new tab).
  5. Read the facility's visiting, phone, money and mail rules before you send anything.

ICE and a prison or jail sentence

If your loved one is serving a criminal sentence and has an ICE detainer, see ICE detainers and release dates.

Sources: ICE, the Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), USCIS, and the laws and rules linked above. Checked 2026-10-21.

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