Immigration Detention Readiness

Court pages and readiness facts

Prepare now. Seek legal help promptly if someone is detained.

Find legal help (opens in a new tab)Check the ICE locator (opens in a new tab)Readiness worksheet →

If someone is detained, seek legal help promptly.

A transfer can make contact with family and counsel harder. Families may learn of a transfer only after it happens. Record the last confirmed location, when it was confirmed, and who provided the information. Do not wait for a locator update to ask for help.

A missing search result does not establish that someone was released or moved to a particular place. Records may be missing or change. Contact counsel and request information through the facility’s or ICE’s official channels.

Locator results may be incomplete. Reporting published September 21, 2026 indicated that some people with final removal orders may no longer appear in ICE’s online locator. The practice was not announced and may change. A missing result does not confirm release, transfer, or removal (checked 2026-09-27). Read the AP report (opens in a new tab)

A lawyer can assess where a petition belongs and whether to request urgent court action. Filing a petition or contacting an office does not guarantee that a transfer will stop or that someone will be released.

Prepare legal contacts, documents and a trusted contact in advance. When contacting an office, explain the facts, the last confirmed location and the reason for urgency clearly and respectfully.

Community guide for when ICE arrests someone (opens in a new tab)

If someone is asked to accept or sign something while detained

Before agreeing, signing, or giving up a right, try to speak with an immigration lawyer or an independent help line. Ask what the document is and what it means. Detention pressure can make it harder to gather evidence, prepare for a hearing, and obtain counsel. Options and deadlines depend on the case; this page does not advise accepting, refusing, or signing any specific document.

More information about signing deportation documents (opens in a new tab)

Why location and timing matter

For a challenge to current detention, the place of confinement when filing is generally central. The initial arrest location alone does not determine the court. Transfers, exceptions and circuit rules need legal review. This site does not decide where a case should be filed.

Rumsfeld v. Padilla: general rule and exceptions (opens in a new tab) · Official ICE locator (opens in a new tab)

Where to call: independent help and referrals

Find a State Hotline

Contacts from CLINIC’s PDF are incorporated in this lookup; the PDF is linked under the 50-state preparedness resource. Confirm the number, hours, scope, and whether it handles a current situation before relying on it. If no number is listed, use the independent national options above and the legal directory.

National independent options

ICE government contact

ICE government line, not an independent hotline: 1-888-351-4024. This call reaches ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. It may be used for questions, basic case information and detention concerns, but it does not reach a community organization, attorney, or confidential legal-help hotline. Consider contacting an independent legal or community provider first. Operators and Spanish language assistance are available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. Eastern. Official ICE information about the line (opens in a new tab)

Options from inside detention

Freedom for Immigrants: dial 9233# from an ICE facility phone. An independent hotline for detained people, including resource connections, family contact, and abuse reports.

ABA Commission on Immigration: dial 2150# from a detention facility. It provides immigration information and referrals; it does not guarantee an attorney or representation. For a person detained at Guantanamo, the ABA line is 1-855-641-6081. ABA hotline information (opens in a new tab)

Which federal court covers this location?

Use the county and state of the location you know. The result is a geographic reference to review with counsel; it does not decide where to file habeas.

Choose a state to enable the county field.

Know only the city or ZIP code? Use the official court finder and select U.S. District Courts. It also lists nearby courts: confirm the district serving the exact address. Official federal court finder (opens in a new tab)

Selections are processed here and are not sent. The primary reference is the U.S. Code; confirm exceptions and the exact location.

Lookup sources and coverage

Mappings use 28 U.S.C. §§ 81–131, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Each result links to its section. Official district-court websites provide practical cross-checks. Virginia independent cities and some territories require additional checks and do not receive an automatic district match. Statutory places of holding court are not filing addresses.

U.S. Code — Title 28, Chapter 5 (opens in a new tab)

Find a district

Search by facility name, then confirm the current or last known place of custody and the correct court with a lawyer or clerk. Search results do not confirm where someone is held.

This directory is partial. The rank number reflects this directory’s priority list, not a current ICE count. Use the location lookup or official court finder for other districts.

Immigration court (EOIR) basics

Avoid fraud

Verify a claimed court filing. Ask for the federal court, case number, filing date, and a filed copy or receipt. If proof is unavailable, ask a licensed attorney or DOJ-accredited representative to verify the status promptly.

  • Save receipts, contracts, messages, ads, voice notes, and documents.
  • Do not sign blank forms or pay a notario, consultant, or “expert” who is not an attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.
  • Promises of a quick or guaranteed result, or requests for more money to “speed up” a case, are warning signs.

Report fraud or unauthorized practice to EOIR (opens in a new tab) · Report a scam to the FTC (opens in a new tab) · Check EOIR’s disciplined-practitioners list (opens in a new tab)

Family preparedness by state

Start with national resources, then browse available resources by state. Caregiver forms depend on state law.

National resources

Resources by state

National resources are a starting point; check your state’s rules and forms. These guides help with family safety and care planning; they do not by themselves authorize filing a petition for another person.

Additional support in Louisiana and Mississippi

We have not yet verified a complete immigrant family preparedness guide specific to Louisiana or Mississippi. That does not mean none exists. Caregiver rules vary by state.

Further resources

Help from a congressional office

A House or Senate office may help request information from a federal agency. Find the office serving your home address and ask for immigration constituent casework. The office will confirm whom it can assist. This request does not replace urgent legal help or a court filing.

Find your House representative (opens in a new tab)Find senators and offices (opens in a new tab)

Residents of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands have an elected House Delegate or Resident Commissioner but no Senate representation; the Senate link above does not apply.

Privacy authorization

Ask that office for its current privacy-release form for the relevant agency. Offices may require different forms and signatures. A family member should not assume they can sign for someone else: if the person is detained or cannot sign, ask what authorization or proof of representation the office accepts. This site’s readiness worksheet is not a privacy release.

When a detained person seeks help from a congressional office

If they can, ask the detained person to complete the privacy-release form required by the congressional office. They may also ask the facility law library for the DHS/ICE privacy-release form available on request. Download ICE/DHS privacy-release PDF (opens in a new tab)

If detention is a risk, ask the office in advance whether it accepts a release prepared ahead of time, whether its date should stay blank until use, which agency it must name, and when it needs a new one. Do not predate a signature. Keep a copy in a safe place and tell a trusted contact where it is. If someone wants another person to help outside the office’s instructions, consult a lawyer about whether a limited authorization is appropriate. A release lets an office request or receive certain information; it does not appoint a lawyer, replace a court filing, or guarantee a response, release, or stopped transfer.

Send sensitive documents only through the channel confirmed by the office. A congressional inquiry does not guarantee a favorable response or itself stop a transfer or removal.

Examples of official office requirements

ICE-only privacy authorization form — Rep. Raskin (opens in a new tab) · ICE custody assistance — Rep. Ruiz (opens in a new tab)