In my column This week's Consulta Migratoria® answers a question from a reader who wants to find and help a family member detained by ICE.
Each case is different and the answers vary depending on each person's immigration history.
Here I provide general answers to your questions. Please consult with an immigration attorney to receive personalized legal advice before starting any procedure.
This is the column:
A family member was detained by ICE, how can we find him and contact him? We have no money, what can we do to help him? - Araceli C.
Araceli, it is likely that your family member is in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center. To find out the whereabouts of your family member, you can visit the Online Detainee Locator System (Online Detainee Locator System). There you can enter the Alien Number and country of birth. If you do not have the Alien Number, you can also search for the alien by first name, last name, country and date of birth.
If that doesn't work, you should call the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (Enforcement and Removal Operations) office nearest you to locate your family member. You can find the list of offices by clicking here.
Unfortunately, persons detained in one state may be transferred to detention centers in other states, making it more difficult to locate a person. You can visit the Detention Center Locator (Detention Facility Locator to find a list of detention facilities around the country.
There is also the Detention Centers Information and Complaint Line (Detention Reporting and Information Line with Spanish-speaking operators for family members and attorneys of detained individuals. They can be reached at 1-888-351-4024 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, excluding holidays.
But before you call, you need to have the basic information. Even if you don't have the alien's number, you need to have the following information so they can look it up: first name, last name, date and country of birth, and the state where the person was arrested.
You can find the list of accredited organizations and representatives by clicking here. here.
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