How to Locate and Get Help for Someone in Immigration Detention

The number of reported detentions of Ukrainians has risen dramatically in the past year. Those with expired statuses are at risk, but some individuals with valid parole or other statuses have been apprehended as well.

According to the Deportation Data Project, between January 2025 and early March 2026, over 370 Ukrainians were placed in immigration detention, adding to approximately 45 Ukrainians already held in detention. As of early March 2026, there were 177 Ukrainians in detention. Some had been there as long as two years. Ukrainian detainees have been dispersed across 116 different facilities used by ICE. Additional Ukrainians are held in state or local correctional facilities. To view the most recent data on ICE detentions and deportations, visit the Deportation Data Project’s website here: https://deportationdata.org/data/processed/ice.html

A number of detentions involve Ukrainian parolees operating rideshares (ex. Uber and Lyft), driving trucks and other commercial vehicles, delivering food or groceries, and working at construction sites. Other Ukrainians have been detained for traffic violations or at road checkpoints while driving their cars. Truck drivers are particularly at risk due to a new federal rule that requires noncitizens with Commercial Drivers Licenses/Commercial Learner’s Permits to hold specific types of visas and corresponding Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).

Some of those detained had previous criminal convictions ranging from misdemeanors to more serious felonies, but many do not have any criminal history in their records. There are also instances of Ukrainians apprehended at USCIS immigration interviews, immigration court hearings, or after being denied an immigration status by USCIS.

It can be frightening to learn that someone close to you has been detained. It can be even more stressful when you are unable to find them. This is especially challenging when the person is first arrested by police or other law enforcement and held in a federal, state, or local correctional facility before being transferred to an ICE detention center.

If a family member or someone you know is detained and you have lost contact with them, below are some potential ways to locate them and get them help quickly.  

Locating a Person in ICE Detention:

• The first way to find someone who has been detained is through the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) at https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search. Note that it can take at least 24 to 48 hours for the system to update after someone is detained. If the person was arrested today, they may not appear in the system until the next day or the day after. It can also take 24 hours to update their record if the person was transferred from another facility.
  • The best way is to search by their alien registration number (the “A number”), a 9-digit number that starts with the letter A. You can find it on documents such as immigration notices, court notices, immigration application receipts, or work permits.
  • Another way to search is using their full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth. The name must be spelled exactly the same way as it appears in the U.S. government’s record. If their name doesn’t show up when you type it, try searching using a slightly different spelling.
• If the individual does not show up in the ICE detainee locator, you can try contacting the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field offices near their last known location. In the case of a transfer, you can try contacting some ICE ERO field offices near where the person was originally detained. A list of ICE ERO offices, their phone numbers, and emails can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/contact/field-offices
  • Be cautious about what information you share when you call an ICE ERO office, since the government can use anything you say in immigration proceedings. Do not volunteer information about your own immigration status or that of other family members. Ask only for the location and status of the detained individual.
• Children under 18 years old do not appear in the ICE online detainee locator.  
  • The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) manages the care of unaccompanied minors. You can call the (ORR) Parent Hotline at 1-800-203-7001 or email information@orr.net. Note that it may take 24–48 hours for a child to appear in the system after detention.
  • You can also try contacting the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office near the geographic area where the child was last seen, or call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at (888) 351-4024. You will need to provide the child’s full name, date of birth, and country of birth.
• If the individual has a scheduled immigration court hearing, you could try calling some ICE ERO field offices located in the same state as the immigration court, or in surrounding states.
• You could also try calling the ICE Detention, Removals, and Information Line (DRIL) Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This service provides information for individuals in ICE detention, their families, and stakeholders. Their phone number is 1-888-351-4024.
• All immigrants in ICE detention have the right to contact their country’s consulate.
  • You can try contacting the Ukrainian consulate closest to you to learn if they have any information about your husband’s location. A list of Ukrainian consulates in the U.S. can be found here:  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/consularnotification/ConsularNotificationandAccess/Ukraine.html
  • Note that most consulates do not provide legal services directly to detained individuals, but they may be able to recommend some legal practitioners who consult individuals in immigration detention or removal proceedings.

Locating a Person in a Local, State, or Federal Correctional Facility:

• Many people are first arrested by police or transportation authorities and taken to a federal, state, or local correctional facility before they are transferred to ICE custody.  If they were arrested by state or local law enforcement authorities, you may be able to find them in a local inmate search database.
• To find a list of jails by state, check the USAGov state department of corrections page to locate state prisons. For local city/county jails, check the specific county sheriff’s office website. This guide from the National Institute of Corrections provides tools to locate individuals in state and local facilities: https://nicic.gov/resources/nic-library/corrections-trends/find-someone-who-incarcerated
  • When calling or searching, use the detained person’s full legal name. If you know their booking number, that can speed the search.
  • Ask the jail whether the person has an ICE detainer on their record. An ICE detainer means that even if the person is eligible for release from local custody, the jail will hold them for ICE pickup.
  • Most jails let you put money in your loved one’s jail accounts to pay for phone calls and extra food items. For example, some jails use a company called “Access Corrections.” Their website may show your loved one’s location (even if you do not set up an account with them).
• You can also try searching for them in VINELink, an online portal that lets you search for individuals held in state or county jails: https://vinelink.dhs.gov/#!/map
• ICE also holds individuals at federal prisons. You can search for someone using the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) online inmate locator system: https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/.  If the arrest happened near a BOP facility, you can also try calling that prison for information. A list of phone numbers for federal prisons can be found here: https://www.bop.gov/locations/

Finding Information about a Detainee’s Immigration Court Hearing:

• To locate an individual’s immigration court hearing information, visit the Department of Justice’s Automated Case Information page. You can find their case information by calling 1-800-898-7180 or by typing their A-number here: https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/
• Note that not all detained individuals have a right to a court hearing. and may be deported without going before a judge.
  • This includes individuals with outstanding removal orders, meaning a judge already ordered them removed because they missed court, lost their immigration case or were not eligible for a court hearing. ICE can remove these individuals with the old removal order unless they file a successful motion to reopen their immigration case.
  • ICE can also remove individuals who were previously deported, including those deported in expedited proceedings at the border, without the right to a court hearing.
  • Individuals who have been convicted of offenses which are considered aggravated felonies under immigration law and who also do not have lawful status may be removed from the U.S. without a hearing before a judge.

Seeking Legal Assistance for Someone in Immigration Detention:

• If you are still unable to locate your family member, an attorney may be able to find out where they are being held and consult you on your legal options. Some attorneys are also able to confirm someone’s location through a website offered by ICE to set up legal phone calls. An attorney may also be able to file motions and make formal inquiries through legal channels that are not available to the public.
• A partial list of immigration attorneys who assist Ukrainian clients can be found on our Legal Assistance Providers page here: https://ukrainetaskforce.org/legal-assistance-providers/
• Depending on where the individual is detained, it may be helpful to contact a local attorney or legal services organization in that area to request assistance.
  • The National Immigration Project publishes a list of nonprofit organizations that provide immigration services across the United States. You can search by zip code here: https://readytostay.org/find-help
  • The National Immigration Project also has a database of private immigration attorneys that provide pro and low bono representation. You can search by geographic area and type of practice, such as detained/non-detained deportation defense, bond request, habeas corpus petitions, asylum, stays of removal, etc. https://nipnlg.org/find-attorney
• You can find an immigration attorney through the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The website allows you to narrow your search by geographic location, practice area, and language. The search feature can be found here: https://ailalawyer.com/

Getting Someone Released from Immigration Detention:

• In some cases, an attorney can attempt to get the person released on bond.
  • Bond hearings are conducted separately from their main removal (deportation) proceedings to determine whether a person will be held in a detention center during their immigration case. The focus of a bond hearing is whether or not the detainee is considered a “flight risk” or a “danger to society,” rather than the merits of their immigration case.
  • A person may be represented by the same attorney for their bond hearing as their main immigration case, or they may choose to work with a different attorney who handles bond proceedings.
• Not all individuals are eligible for release on bond. For example, those who entered the United States on a humanitarian parole program such as Uniting for Ukraine (U4U) are considered “arriving aliens” who are ineligible for immigration bond.
  • To obtain release of individuals who are ineligible for immigration bond, an attorney may be able to file an emergency habeas corpus petition to argue for their release from immigration detention. A person may be represented by the same attorney for their bond hearing as their main immigration case, or they may choose to work with a different attorney who handles bond proceedings.
  • Note that not all immigration attorneys handle habeas corpus petitions, and even those that do must have permission to file a petition in the United States District Court that has jurisdiction over the detention facility where the individual is being held.
• For individuals who have been issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) in immigration court or are otherwise in the process of being removed from the United States, a release on bond or habeas corpus does not terminate their removal proceedings immigration court. They must still appear at required court hearings if they wish to defend their cases if they intend to remain in the United States.

Other Assistance and Support:

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This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice. By reading this, you agree that this information is not a substitute for legal counsel and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Please note that we are not able to offer direct filing assistance or personalized legal advice through this forum. Please consult a qualified attorney to discuss your own situation and to obtain assistance with specific matters. If you do not have an immigration attorney, you may try contacting an attorney listed on this page: https://ukrainetaskforce.org/legal-assistance-providers/

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