Mapping U.S. Immigration Detention

We grant reporters, researchers and other users the right to repurpose the data in this map. We ask that you please credit Freedom for Immigrants, including by linking back to the map. 

We need to be done with detention

To be done with detention, we must understand what detention is and how it impacts our neighborhoods, cities, states and country as a whole.  Freedom for Immigrants’ interactive map sheds light on the scope and growth of immigration detention, who has the power to shape it, and what resources are available to help those suffering in this system. 

We invite you to use and share this map not only as a tool but as a call to action. We hope it inspires you and others to make a change in your community and country. 

How to use the map

In addition to the map, Freedom for Immigrants has created informational briefings on immigration prisons and jails by Congressional district. Advocates and policy makers can use these tools to make changes in their communities. The map is divided into 8 categories showing:

• An overview of the current landscape of immigration prisons and jails, including the number of facilities, the location of Section 287(g) agreements and ICE field offices;

• A search engine that enables you to compare and contrast detention in your Congressional district, such as identifying which detention facilities are located near you

• The growth of immigration detention over time

• The number of people currently in ICE detention, organized by state, and the estimated bed capacity

• The companies and government entities that contract with ICE, as well as the visualization of immigration bond statistics 

• A layout of the immigration court system

• Legal and financial resources, such as bond funds, available for those suffering inside detention

• A compilation of Freedom for Immigrants’ programs, reports and resources, including monitoring reports, our network of visitation groups and other important data.

You can check and uncheck subcategories to overlay them on the map. To learn more about each subcategory, hover over it. If you click on a marker on the map, a window will pop up and display the corresponding information. You can also use the search engine next to the zoom function to identify specific information. To pledge your support to host asylum seekers and add yourself to the map, click here.

This work is supported by a Scholar-Activist Project Award from the Antipode Foundation.

Note: For best results the following are recommended:

• Screen resolution of at least 1280x720 is recommended. (A mobile phone screen is too small)

• Either the Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome web browser (Both are free downloads)