In the event a friend or family member has been detained by ICE, you need to know how to determine which facility they are being detained at.

If your family member calls you after being booked into ICE detention be SURE to get their A number (Alien Registration Number) from them as it will be needed to track their location and case.

Tacoma Detention Center

After being detained/held/processed locally, ICE initially transfers detainees to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, WA that is run by the GEO Group.

Northwest Immigration Rights Project (NWIRP) has a greats Guides to the Tacoma Detention Center:

For Detained Individuals – in English and Español
For Family & Friends – in English and Español

Tracking through ICE

Use ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) to find an adult who is in immigration custody. The online form will request the Alien Number (A#) as well as the country of birth. If you do not have the A#, you can enter the individual’s Name, Country of Birth, and Birth date, but having the A# will yield better search results.  Also, the system does not give information for people under 18 years of age.

This Locator will show that a former detainee is “Not in Custody” if that person has been either released to the community or deported from the US in the past 60 days. The Locator System cannot search for records of persons under the age of 18.

Online Detainee Locator System brochure – English
Sistema Localizador de Detenidos en Línea – Español

If the detainee cannot be found on the ODLS, contact the appropriate ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office or call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information line at 1-888-351-4024.

Individuals can also be located through the Access Corrections website, This website also allows you to send money to their commissary account.

Transfer to Another ICE Facility

If ICE plans to move your family member / friend to another ICE facility in the US, you can see a listing of ICE Detention facilities.

Tracking the Detainee’s Case

You can call the Executive Office for Immigration Review‘s (EOIR) hotline number at 240-314-1500 or 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get information on the individual’s case status. You must have the person’s A number to use the EOIR hotline.

To track a Federal case – Visit the EOIR website.
Immigration Court Hearing Search – Automated Case Information 
USCIS Check Case Status – Visit the USCIS website

County Jail Detentions

If you believe an individual has been detained at the County Jail,  you can check online with the nearest jail to see if they are there. Explain who you are, and ask for information on what’s going on and how to visit or help.  Also, you can check with the Municipal Jail in your city to see if your family member was picked up by local police.

Benton County Jail Roster – Jail is in Kennewick, WA
Franklin County Jail Roster – Jail is in Pasco, WA
Kittitas County Jail Roster – Jail is in Ellensburg, WA
Klickitat County Jail Roster – Jail is in Goldendale, WA
Walla Walla County Corrections Inmate Search – Jail is in Walla Walla, WA
Whitman County Inmate Listing – Jail is in Colfax, WA
Yakima County Inmate Lookup – Jail is in Yakima, WA

If your city has a municipal jail, check your city’s website for a jail roster.

Resources

NWIRP Guide to the Northwest Detention Center – English
NWIRP  Guía al Centro de Detención Del Noroeste – Español
Visit the NWIRP website for more information

Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest – Supporting Immigrants in Detention and Upon Release from the Tacoma ICE Processing Facility

Five Things Parents Detained by ICE Should Know (about the care of their children)

Conozca sus derechos: Cinco cosas que los padres detenidos por ICE deben saber (sobre el cuidado de sus hijos)

How to Find a Loved One After a U.S. Immigration Arrest – English

Cómo encontrar a un ser querido después de un arresto de inmigración en EE. UU. – Español

Immigration Detention 101: Information for Detainees’ Family and Friends  – What to do after discovering that a non-citizen friend or family member has been put into ICE detention.

Detention Watch Network – a national coalition building power through collective advocacy, grassroots organizing, and strategic communications to abolish immigration detention in the United States.

Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice NW:
How to Support an Immigrant Who is Detained in Washington State
Cómo Apoyar a un Inmigrante Detenido en Washington

Clothing

Cómo solicitar dejar una bolsa con ropa para un familiar detenido antes de su deportación / Request to drop off a suitcase of clothing for a detained family member prior to deportation    –  Learn more / Aprender más