ICE Establishes Online Detainee Locator System

ICE has launched the Online Detainee Locator System, a website in English or Spanish where the public can search by name or alien registration number and country of birth to find out where a detainee is in custody.  The locator will report whether the detainee is currently in ICE custody or not, and provides information about what facility the detainee is in.  If an individual has been released from ICE custody within the last 60 days, the locator provides the telephone number for the ICE field office with jurisdiction over the former detainee.  ICE also provides some basic FAQs about the information and using the locator, as well as a brochure and instructions in nine languages so far.

There are limits to the locator system.  One, for those searching by name, the spelling of the detainee’s name must exactly match ICE’s detention records, down to the hyphens.  Secondly ICE does not have a good track record on the accuracy of detainee information in general.  Third, the ODLS is inaccessible to anyone who lacks computer and internet access; there is no telephonic option.

However, the ODLS should result in significant improvements in detention management and transparency for the agency.  Given the huge proportion of detainees that are transferred between facilities, often multiple times, during their detention, advocates hope that the ODLS will greatly reduce the previously widespread problems of detainees functionally vanishing when families and attorneys have no notice of where they have been transferred to.