How to find a family member detained by ICE

This page covers finding someone and calling the place where they are held. It is general information, not legal advice. For what to do in the first hours, see What to do if ICE detains someone in your family.

We know this is frightening. Take one step at a time.

What do I need before I search?

Gather what you can:

• Full legal name, spelled the way it is on their official papers. Include both last names if they use two.
• Country of birth. The locator needs it for every search.
• A number (Alien Registration Number), if they have one. It has 8 or 9 digits. Look on a Notice to Appear (top right corner), a work permit, a green card, or a USCIS letter.
• Date of birth. It helps you pick the right person from a list.

You do not need the A number to start. A name and country of birth can work.

How do I use the ICE locator?

1. Go to locator.ice.gov. ICE's locator brochure explains each step.
2. Choose a search: A number and country of birth, or name and country of birth. The A number search is the most reliable.
3. If you search by name, type it exactly as it appears on their records. It is an exact match search. If nothing comes up, try other spellings, one last name, or both last names.
4. Read the result.
   • "In custody" means they are in an ICE detention center. The result shows the center's name and contact information.
   • "Not in custody" means ICE released them in the last 60 days. They may have been released, or they may have left or been removed from the U.S.

Why can't I find them yet?

Don't give up if the first search shows nothing. ICE says:

• New arrests can take time to show. The locator may be up to 8 hours behind. Search again later and the next morning.
• Children under 18 are not in the locator. See What if the person is a child?
• Some people are left out for safety, security or other agency reasons.
• The name must match exactly. Try every spelling you can think of.

If you still cannot find them, call the ICE San Francisco Field Office at (415) 365-8800. Have their name, birth date, country of birth and A number ready. A lawyer or legal group can also search for you.

You can also call ICE's Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern (5 a.m. to 5 p.m. in California), except holidays. ICE says it answers family members and the public, takes requests for basic case information, and has Spanish speaking operators (checked October 21, 2026).

What if the locator says "not in custody"?

ICE's brochure says "not in custody" means ICE released the person in the last 60 days. It does not tell you which of these happened:

• They were released. They may be on their way home, or released with a check in date or an ankle monitor. Check your phone and messages, and call family and friends they might reach first.
• They were removed from the United States, or left. Some people are removed quickly through fast track (expedited) removal, without seeing a judge. Call their family or friends in their home country. Ask the legal group whether to contact their consulate, especially if they feared going back.

Either way, call your rapid response line and a legal group. They can help find out what happened.

Where are people from the Bay Area held?

People arrested in Northern California are often moved, sometimes more than once, and can be held far from home.

The California Attorney General's 2026 report lists these ICE centers under the San Francisco Field Office:

People can also be sent to centers in other parts of California or other states. Always trust the locator result over this list.

What if they were moved far away?

Transfers are common, sometimes more than once. The locator shows the new center once the move is in the system.

• Search the locator every day for the first week, and before every visit or deposit.
• Get a lawyer on record. ICE's detention standards say the lawyer of record is told about a transfer within 24 hours. Family members are not told. After arriving, the person should be offered a free short phone call. See When someone you love is detained by ICE.
• Find the new center's own page on ICE's detention facility list for its phone number, visiting hours and money rules.
• Ask about the court case. A move can also move the court case. Keep calling 1-800-898-7180.

What do I say when I call the center?

Keep it short and calm. Ask only what you need.

• "I am calling to confirm that [full name], A number [number], born [date], from [country], is held there."
• "Can I leave an urgent message for them?"
• "What are the hours to call back?"

Mesa Verde asks callers to have the person's first and last names, any hyphenated names or other names they use, date of birth and country of birth ready (ICE Mesa Verde page, checked October 21, 2026).

Write down the date, time, the name of the person you spoke with and what they said. Call before you drive there. ICE says to confirm the person is still at the center before you go, because people get moved.

If you have no papers yourself, talk to a legal group before you go in person. Keep the call about your family member, and do not talk about your own status.

How do I find their court date?

Once a person has an A number and a case in immigration court, call the court's automated line at 1-800-898-7180. It is free, open 24 hours, and in English and Spanish. Enter the 9 digit A number (if it has 8 digits, put a 0 in front). It tells you the next hearing date, time and place. You can also check EOIR Automated Case Information online.

If an older notice says San Francisco Immigration Court, know that it closed on September 4, 2026. Its cases moved to the Concord Immigration Court, 1855 Gateway Boulevard, Suite 850, Concord, CA 94520, phone 925-680-9015, open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some hearings still happen at the Sansome Street building in San Francisco or by video. The court line gives the current place.

Example: one family's first day

This example is made up to show the steps.

Ana's brother was taken near his job in Redwood City at 7 a.m. Ana called the San Mateo County rapid response line at 8 a.m. At noon she searched the locator by name and country of birth. Nothing came up. She found his work permit, which showed his A number. At 4 p.m. she searched by A number and found him at Golden State Annex. She called (661) 792-2731 before 3:30 p.m. the next day to confirm and left an urgent message with her callback number. She gave his A number to the legal group the rapid response team connected her to, and set up a phone account so he could call her.

What if the person is a child?

Children under 18 do not show up in the ICE locator. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, runs the program for unaccompanied children in federal immigration custody. Parents and relatives can call the ORR National Call Center at 1-800-203-7001 or email information@ORRNCC.com.

For how children are cared for and released to family, see How children in immigration custody are held and released to family.

Who can help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Rapid response lines, open 24 hours: Santa Clara County (408) 290-1144; San Mateo County (203) 666-4472. In San Mateo County, the line connects families to emergency attorneys after a detention is confirmed.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): 650-326-6440. Helps with deportation defense, including detained cases, for people with low income in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
• More groups that take detained cases are on Free legal help in the Bay Area.

Only an attorney or a DOJ accredited representative may give legal advice. Never pay someone who says they can "find" or "free" your relative for a fee without a lawyer. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Is there a sheet I can print?