How to Locate Someone in ICE Custody
Bay Area protests highlight challenges of locating detained loved ones amid Trump's enforcement quotas.
WASHINGTON — Immigration arrests under President Donald Trump’s administration have surged across California, triggering confusion and fear among families seeking to locate loved ones detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Advocates say the growing crackdown — marked by masked agents, courthouse arrests, and a steep increase in detentions — underscores the need for public awareness on how to track someone in ICE custody.
Tensions reached a flashpoint Tuesday outside San Francisco’s immigration court, where federal officials were filmed driving through a crowd of protesters attempting to block a van from transporting a detained man. One protester clung to the vehicle’s hood and was dragged before the van sped away. The incident has sparked outrage among immigrant rights groups.
The protest was part of a broader response to what advocates are calling a quota-driven enforcement regime. Since Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, ICE arrests in California have jumped by 123%, according to the Deportation Data Project, which is led by a University of California, Berkeley law professor. The administration has set an internal target of 3,000 arrests per day, the database reports.
In response to public concern, media outlets and advocacy organizations have begun circulating practical guides to help families find detained individuals and secure legal aid.
How to Locate Someone in ICE Custody
For adults, the ICE Online Detainee Locator System remains the primary tool for locating individuals in custody. Users will need the person’s full name, date of birth, country of origin, or their “A-Number,” a unique identification code assigned by the Department of Homeland Security.
According to the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, it can take several days for a new detainee’s information to appear in ICE’s system. If an individual’s name does not show up, groups such as Freedom for Immigrants offer additional support through phone lines and online forms.
Because ICE has begun detaining people in facilities run by the Bureau of Prisons, advocates also recommend using the Bureau of Prisons’ inmate locator. Some detainees may be held in such facilities even though their cases remain civil, not criminal.
Minors and Other Channels
Locating a minor in ICE custody requires a different process. The public can call 800-203-7001 or email the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Advocates stress the importance of legal support when navigating these systems.
ICE’s San Francisco field office, which oversees immigration enforcement across Northern California, Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan, is another potential contact point. Advocates caution, however, that only essential information — such as an A-Number or full name — should be shared when contacting ICE directly, to avoid exposing the individual to additional scrutiny.
Detention facilities themselves also accept inquiries, although detainees cannot receive direct phone calls. Callers must leave a message including the person’s name, A-Number, and a callback number. Facilities include the Golden State Annex in McFarland and the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, among others in Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.
Consular Contact and Legal Cautions
Families can also attempt to reach the detained person’s consulate, though groups such as the National Immigrant Law Center advise against doing so if the individual is seeking asylum or fears persecution in their country of origin.
The recent confrontations outside immigration courthouses — coupled with growing fears about transparency, accountability, and safety — have led lawmakers like Sen. Alex Padilla to propose legislation requiring ICE agents to display badge numbers and banning the use of face coverings during arrests.
Meanwhile, immigrant communities across the Bay Area continue to organize, demand answers, and navigate an increasingly opaque enforcement system.
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Good article, but links to the organizations would be helpful. Also, you need the person's country of origin to search for the person with their A#. Otherwise, use the DOB and full name, exactly as ICE spells or misspells it.