Finding Detained Immigrants

If your friend or family member is detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), you can use ICE’s online system to locate them. You will also want to prepare yourself for when you go to immigration court.

ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS)

You can use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) to find an adult currently held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or who has been in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) custody for more than 48 hours. To use ODLS, you can either enter the person's:

• First name, Last name, and country of birth 
  or
• 9-digit A-number and county of birth

ODLS information may be anywhere from 20 minutes to eight hours old. ICE policy requires that its systems be updated within eight hours of the release, removal, or transfer of detainees. In most cases, detainee information is updated more quickly, but people planning to visit a detainee should call ahead to the detention facility to confirm the detainee is still at that location.

What should I do if I cannot find someone using ODLS?

First, re-check the search terms you entered to ensure they are correct, and try searching again. 

• If you did a name-based search, remember that only exact matches to the name you entered will be returned. You may want to try searching using any name or spelling variations used by the person.
• If you did an A-Number search, you may want to try a name-based search instead.
• If you do not have a correct country of birth, you will not be able to find the person in ODLS.

Next, you can contact an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) field office in the area where you believe the person's immigration case started. The ERO office overseeing Wisconsin is:

You could also try calling the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 1-888-351-4024.

You could reach out directly to Wisconsin’s only ICE detention facility - the Dodge County Detention Facility:

If you need information about a detainee that is located at the Dodge County Detention Facility, you can call (312) 347-2400 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. When you call, you will need the person’s first, last and hyphenated names, any aliases he or she may use, date of birth and country of birth.

The Dodge County Detention Facility

Detainees cannot receive incoming calls at the Dodge County Detention Facility. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you can call (920) 386-3743 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and your name and telephone number where you can be reached.

ICE detainees are allowed one hour of visitation per week, which can be divided into two 30-minute visits. The visitation days and hours (Central Time) for Dodge Detention Facility are listed below.

How do I find out if a person was removed from the United States?

ODLS does not show whether a person was removed. The system will only show if a person is currently in ICE custody. Family members and legal representatives may be able to get more information about a person's removal status by contacting the ERO responsible for that person's immigration case. The responsible ERO office’s contact information is shown in the person's ODLS record. You can also try contacting the ERO office in the area where you believe the person's immigration case started.

The ERO office overseeing Wisconsin is:

What if I Can't Find My Loved One at one of the Detention Centers?

If your loved one has a previous Order of Removal, he or she might not get a hearing before an immigration judge. Sometimes, but not often, you may be able to reopen an old case. This is very technical and you will need the help of an experienced lawyer to reopen an old case.

Do not wait to reopen an Order of Removal case until you or your loved one is already detained. You should start this process long before ICE is looking for you. Start by finding a good immigration lawyer if you don’t already have one. You want to prepare your case as soon as possible because there is a risk that ICE will deport your loved one again before you get to reopen the old case. Even though this can be really unpleasant to think about, don’t procrastinate! Ignoring your problems will not make them go away!

Immigration Court

Visiting Immigration Court

The first time you go to the Chicago detained immigration court can be confusing so give yourself plenty of time to find your way around. When you enter 101 W Congress Parkway, follow the sign to your left that says, “U.S. Passports”. You will then walk down a glass corridor. As you pass through it, the main lobby will be on your right and windows facing the street will be on your left. When you come to the end of the corridor, look to your right and you will see guards and the metal detectors at security.

Before you pass through security, you will need to turn off your phone, take off your shoes, and remove any large jewelry. You cannot bring food or unsealed beverages past security.

After you pass security, the guard will direct you to the elevator. Take it to the third floor to find the court’s office and the court clerk. The court is difficult to find. Look for a small sign on your left that says “Executive Office for Immigration Review”. Some hearings are in the basement and some are on the third floor. Ask the court clerk how to sign in and which court your hearing will be in.

Will My Loved One Be at the Hearing?

For a first hearing, also called a master calendar hearing, the immigrant in removal will not physically be there. He or she will be in the detention facility and appear on a television screen. However, for the final hearing, the client will usually be at the immigration court.