ICE detainee locator: what to do when a relative is not listed

A search in the ICE detainee locator can come back empty for several reasons. Since mid-September 2026, there is reportedly a new one.

According to the Associated Press, ICE has stopped listing detained people who have a final order of removal.

An empty search result does not prove that your relative has been deported. It does not prove a final order either. Here is how to keep looking without losing sight of the legal case.

What changed in the ICE detainee locator

The ICE online detainee locator is a free public search tool. In its official fact sheet, ICE says it lets family members, legal representatives and the public locate people in ICE detention.

On September 21, 2026, the Associated Press reported that ICE removed detainees with final removal orders from the system on September 15. AP cited three current and former ICE officials who spoke anonymously.

ICE did not publicize the move and, when AP asked, neither confirmed nor denied it. According to the same report, the agency said it is prioritizing the removal of people with final orders. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE’s parent agency, has argued that those people already received due process.

The fact sheet says nothing about excluding people with final orders. For now, this is a change reported by the press, not a published rule.

On September 30, 2026, 47 members of Congress wrote to ICE asking it to restore the information and to answer by October 14. As of that date, we have found no public response from ICE and no restored listings.

Who is affected and who is not

Under federal regulations, an immigration judge’s removal order becomes final in several situations. For example, when the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) dismisses the appeal, when the person waives appeal or lets the deadline pass without appealing, or right away if the judge ordered removal in the person’s absence. Our guide explains what a final order of deportation means.

AP reports that the practice applies to detainees who received such an order from an immigration court. It also names four places where it does not apply, because federal judges ordered ICE to list detainees there. They are the Adelanto facility in California and temporary holding facilities in Minneapolis, New York City and suburban Chicago.

Older reasons can also explain an empty result. Rule them out first:

• The person is under 18. The system does not search records of minors.
• The person has been in CBP custody for less than 48 hours. CBP is the border and customs agency.
• The record is not loaded yet. The official locator brochure warns that some people are not entered right after they are detained.
• A detail is wrong. The search needs an exact match.

Check the information you entered and try searching again.

How to find a relative who does not appear in the locator

Gather the basic details

Start with three things: the full name as it appears on official papers, the country of birth and the A-Number.

The A-Number (Alien Registration Number) is the nine-digit number that immigration authorities assign to a person. ICE says it appears in the top right corner of the Notice to Appear (NTA), the document that starts a case in immigration court.

The locator offers two searches:

1. By A-Number and country of birth. ICE recommends this one. If the number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning.
2. By first name, last name and country of birth. The names must match the record exactly. A hyphenated last name needs the hyphen.

Keep the date of birth handy too. Try both searches, because the system itself suggests a name search when the A-Number finds nothing.

Contact the ERO field office

Suppose the details are right and the search is still empty. ICE’s own instruction is to contact the appropriate ERO field office. ERO, or Enforcement and Removal Operations, is the part of ICE that handles detention and deportation.

We do not print office addresses or phone numbers here, because they change. Confirm them the same day in the official ICE field office directory. The Washington Field Office is listed there as covering Virginia and the District of Columbia. If the arrest happened in Maryland, look up the right office in the same directory.

ERO also runs a national detention information line at 1-888-351-4024. The ICE contact page says live operators answer Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, except holidays.

No call guarantees an answer. Write down the date, the time and the name of the person you spoke with.

For arrests in Northern Virginia, read what to do if a family member is detained by ICE in Virginia. We also explain what families should know about the Chantilly ICE facility.

Check the case status in immigration court

The immigration courts keep a separate lookup that does not depend on ICE. It is called ACIS, and it is run by EOIR, the Justice Department office that manages the immigration courts.

ACIS asks for the A-Number and nationality, while the ICE locator asks for country of birth.

ACIS does not show where a person is detained. It gives basic status information for cases before an immigration court or the BIA, which reviews judges’ decisions.

The system warns that it does not show every case and that its information is not an official record. Save a screenshot for your attorney.

Speak with an attorney

Speak with an immigration attorney the same day, with the A-Number and the case papers in front of you. It also helps to know your rights in ICE detention.

Why the first hours matter

The reason is legal, not only personal. Detention can be challenged before a federal judge through a habeas corpus petition. It asks that judge to review whether the detention is lawful.

Federal law lets district courts grant habeas within their own jurisdictions. In Rumsfeld v. Padilla, the Supreme Court said that, as a general rule, a person challenging present physical custody should file in the district of confinement.

If nobody knows where the person is held, an attorney cannot know which court to file in. AP also quotes immigration lawyers who warn that detainees are often moved to new facilities before deportation.

Until a petition is filed, the place where the person is held at that moment is what counts. In the same decision, the Supreme Court noted that if the government moves a person after a petition has been properly filed, the court keeps its authority over the case. That is why it makes sense to start searching and keeping records right away. Our guide to habeas corpus in immigration cases explains how the petition works.

What legal options exist with a final order of removal

A final order does not always close every door. AP reports that people in this position may still seek to reopen the case or file a habeas petition.

Whether any option is open depends on the person’s history. Every case is different, and none of these options guarantees a result.

An attorney can review the file and tell you which deadlines are still running. For background on the appeals path, read how to appeal a deportation order.

Not knowing where a loved one is being held is one of the hardest things a family can go through.

Frequently asked questions

Does this mean my relative has already been deported?

Not necessarily. An empty result can come from a misspelled detail or a record that is not loaded yet. According to AP, it can also come from a final order. Search again with the A-Number, then contact the ERO field office.

Can I call the detention center?

First you need to know which facility it is. According to the official brochure, when the locator shows a person it names the facility and gives its contact information, and ICE advises calling to confirm the person is still there. ICE’s pages for the two Virginia facilities, Caroline and Farmville, list a detainee information phone line during business hours. They also note that detainees cannot receive incoming calls. When the locator does not show the person, ICE points you to the ERO field office.

What is the A-Number and where do I find it?

It is the nine-digit number that identifies a person in the immigration system. ICE says it appears in the top right corner of the Notice to Appear (NTA).

Can an attorney find my relative faster?

We cannot promise that. According to ICE, the locator is the same tool for families and attorneys. The difference is case information: ICE’s pages for the Virginia facilities say it is only disclosed if a Form G-28 (the notice that an attorney represents the person) is on file. An attorney can also assess whether to go to a federal judge and which deadlines are running.

What happens if my relative is moved to another state?

It depends on whether a habeas petition has already been filed. As a general rule, the petition is filed in the district where the person is held at that moment. If it was properly filed and the person is moved afterward, the Supreme Court said in Rumsfeld v. Padilla that the court keeps its authority. Tell your attorney about any transfer right away.

The search and the defense start with the same papers

Finding your relative and protecting the case begin with the same papers: the A-Number, the judge’s most recent decision and your notes from every call.

At Law Group International, deportation defense is a central part of our practice. Attorneys Khalid Shekib and Daniela Lucena represent families in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland. Bring everything you have gathered.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Law Group International. Immigration law changes often and every case is different, so speak with an immigration attorney about your own situation.

Sources

• ICE, “Locating Individuals in Detention” fact sheet: https://www.ice.gov/factsheets/locating-individuals-in-detention
• ICE, Online Detainee Locator System: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/
• ICE, Online Detainee Locator System brochure: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/news/library/factsheets/pdf/odls-brochure.pdf
• ICE, field office directory: https://www.ice.gov/contact/field-offices
• ICE, Washington Field Office: https://www.ice.gov/field-office/washington-field-office
• ICE, contact page: https://www.ice.gov/contact
• ICE, Caroline Detention Facility: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/caroline-detention-facility
• ICE, Farmville Detention Center: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/farmville-detention-center
• EOIR, Automated Case Information System (ACIS): https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/
• 8 CFR 1241.1, finality of an immigration judge’s removal order: https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1241.1
• 28 U.S.C. 2241, power to grant the writ of habeas corpus: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/2241
• U.S. Supreme Court, Rumsfeld v. Padilla, No. 03-1027 (2004): https://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/03-1027.ZO.html
• Letter from 47 members of Congress to the acting director of ICE, September 30, 2026: https://escobar.house.gov/uploadedfiles/lmr_letter_final_odls_ice_9.30.26.pdf
• Associated Press, September 21, 2026 (news context): https://apnews.com/article/ice-detainee-locator-disappear-removal-orders-c3329a70bce424879bc5880b286c019c

Last updated: October 2026.