Resources for individuals facing detention or risk of deportation, their families and loved ones, and advocates

 

Resources for People Detained in the United States

 

National Immigration Detention Hotline

From inside an ICE detention facility, dial 9233# from a facility phone on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10am-8pm PT / 1pm-11pm ET. This line is free and unmonitored.

If we do not answer your call during these hours, it is likely because we are on the phone with another caller. We recommend you try calling throughout the week until you can get through. 

FFI’s Outside Hotline will be closed from January to summer 2024.

How do I find someone in U.S. immigration detention?

(1) ICE Detainee Locator (click here to access)

In 2010, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched this online tool with the ability to locate a person in immigration detention who is currently in ICE custody or who was released from ICE custody for any reason within the last 60 days.

We have found that the ICE Detainee Locator is not always accurate or up-to-date; it can also be difficult to use. For assistance, you can call our Family Support Line at 209-757-3733 Mondays thru Fridays from 8am - 2pm PT / 11am to 5pm ET.

(2) You may contact the ICE ERO Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024.

How do I find my loved one's U.S. Immigration court date?

Dial 1-800-898-7180. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), has created this Immigration Courts’ 800 Phone Number by which individuals can receive information about their cases through an automated system, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also now enter their A-number into this online EOIR form here.

How do I find a U.S. Immigration Attorney?

(1) National Immigration Legal Services Directory

You can search by state, zip code, and detention facility and print, PDF and email results in 13 different languages.

(2) The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP) compiled this legal referral spreadsheet which lists hundreds of private immigration attorneys in many states and information on pro se help desks (to support those without legal representation) and other limited scope representation efforts in various cities.

(3) Free Legal Service Providers (click here for a list by state)

The U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review maintains a list of free legal service providers. The list notes the specific area in which each organization works.

(4) Free Legal Referral, Provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association

You may also call the Immigration Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 954-0254 or email them at ilrs@aila.org and state your name, phone number, what kind of immigration lawyer you need (for example, detention-deportation defense), and the city and state in which you need the lawyer.

(5) If you choose not to use one of the above resources for locating an immigration attorney, please review USCIS’s website on how to avoid scams and take the following precautions:

  • Only go to an Attorney or a BIA Accredited Representative.

  • An Attorney must have a license to practice law – Ask to see their law license.

  • A BIA Accredited Representative must be accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and work for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which is recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals – Ask to see their accreditation documents.

  • Notarios, Notaries or Notary Publics are NOT Attorneys or BIA Accredited Representative and they cannot give legal advice.

  • To file a complaint against a Notario in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTCHELP (1-877-382-4357).

What is an Immigration Bond?

A “bond hearing,” which can sometimes occur on the same day as a “master calendar” hearing, is limited to deciding whether you can be released from detention by paying a “bond.”

A bond is an amount of money paid to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to guarantee that you will appear in court for all of your hearings and obey the order of the immigration judge.

If you attend all of your hearings, and obey the judge’s order, then the money will be returned to the person who paid the bond at the end of the proceedings (regardless of whether you win or lose). If you do not appear in court, the money is not returned and you may be ordered removed or deported by the immigration judge.

We encourage you to seek attorney representation. If you cannot obtain an attorney, we encourage you to review this material for pro se litigants.

See the National Bail Fund Network’s referral form here. The National Bail Fund Network also has a resource in English & Spanish on how to avoid getting scammed. Find more resources in this directory of immigration bond funds.

The Self-Help Federal Credit Union also offers immigration bond loan assistance for families in California, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

I have been granted asylum in the United States, now what do I do?

Call the referral line for persons granted asylum. If you have been granted asylum, you are eligible for assistance from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).

These benefits and services include job placement, English language classes, cash assistance, and medical assistance.

If you have been granted asylum, call 1-800-354-0365 for information and referral to programs in your community. This line is a service for asylees only and provides information in 18 languages.

The referral line is a joint project of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) and Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York.

How do I file a lawsuit against poor conditions in detention?

The Jailhouse Lawyer’s Handbook, published by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the National Lawyers Guild, provides some guidance in protecting your rights behind bars.

How can I learn more about specific detention facilities and local organizations that support people inside?

Many facility-specific resources are known to volunteer advocates and nonprofit staff who regularly do anti-detention work (and/or they can send requests or referrals through established relationships or listservs). The Nationwide ICE Detention Facility Resource Directory is a publicly accessible, comprehensive directory that tries to make these resources less opaque to impacted families and local organizers who are trying to secure support for their loved ones and comrades.

I need help finding a host or sponsor for someone in ICE detention.

For sponsorship, contact a local group in the Accompaniment Directory and ask them if they provide sponsorship.

How do I request the removal of my ankle monitor or protect myself from sharing too much data with ICE via the app SmartLINK?

This document by the Stanford Law School Immigrants' Rights Clinic on behalf of the San Francisco Immigrant Legal Defense Collaborative in English and Spanish provides guidance; it is specific to San Francisco.

These infographics in English and Spanish from Community Justice Exchange, Just Futures Law, and Mijente offer guidance on navigating electronic surveillance via the phone app SmartLINK.

What are the rights of people with disabilities in immigration detention?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), its components, including Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and their contractors are prohibited from discriminating against people with disabilities.

Importantly, this means that individuals arriving at airports and borders and detainees in federal, state, and private detention facilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations/modifications if necessary to avoid disability discrimination.

 If you, your family member, or your client requires it due to a disability, request a “reasonable accommodation,” and state the disability and the reason it makes the requested accommodation necessary.  To learn more, click on this resource by the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC). 

How do I navigate ICE after detention?

Church World Service Onward Movement Packets, available in multiple languages, provide information for asylum seekers after they have been released from DHS and are moving onward to a final destination.

The Southern Poverty Law Center Southeast Immigrant Freedom Initiative has created guides for what to do after release from immigration detention in English + Spanish.

This much shorter document in English & Spanish also provides tips on how to navigate ICE after being released from an immigrant prison.

How can I learn more about my case and the process?

The Proyecto de Apoyo para Solicitantes de Asilo (PASA) has many useful resources in Spanish for asylum-seeking individuals in the U.S., including guidance on preparing for hearings, submitting asylum applications, obtaining work permits, changing court locations, checking case status, etc.

How can I find community resources after being released from detention?

FindHello is a free app for refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. The app aims to help you find services you might need in your local community anywhere in the USA. You can search for things like immigration help, English classes and healthcare.

The Church World Service (CWS) Resource Call Center (1-800-375-1433) connects families after they are released from immigration detention to local providers offering legal, medical, educational, employment, housing, food, and clothing support. Interpretation is available. Multilingual flyers for the call center can be found here.

How do I find someone in immigration detention in another country?

(1) To locate immigrant prisons in Mexico, look at Sin Fronteras' map of estaciones migratorias and provisionales.

(2) To locate immigrant prisons and jails in another country, visit the Global Detention Project. You can also reach out to country-specific organizations of the International Detention Coalition.

(3) The Red Cross Tracing Service helps reconnect families separated by international crises.

My loved one is about to be deported. Are there resources that they will be able to access?

(1) American Friends Service Committee’s Crossing South: Resources for people returning to México, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala (English and Spanish).

(2) A New Path: A Guide to the Challenges & Opportunities After Deportation (Education Justice Project). For individuals facing deportation to Mexico or Central America. Available in English & Spanish.

(3) AMERA International maintains a directory of non-governmental organizations, pro bono law firms, and, in some cases, individual lawyers, who offer free legal aid and/or other services related to the needs of refugees.

(4) Boston College Center for Human Rights and International Justice’s Resources for Deportees includes links to resources in Mexico, Jamaica, Haiti, Germany, Dominican Republic, Cambodia and the Azores.

(5) Resource Guide for Southeast Asian Americans Facing Criminal Deportation (Southeast Asia Resource Action Center & American University Washington College of Law Immigrant Justice Clinic)

(6) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has a map of its Return and Reintegration Initiatives.

(7) Brazil: Sustainable Reintegration in Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Goiás

(8) Peru: Benefits for returned migrants

(9) Many countries may have a state agency tasked with repatriation and/or non-profit organizations to support people who are deported that are not listed in the above resources. Please reach out to us if you would like our assistance in investigating resources in a particular country.

How do I help a loved one who was deported to Mexico?

Redes, migrantes sin fronteras has a directory of organizations, shelters, centers and other initiatives that support migrants in Mexico.

"Caminamos Juntos" provides assistance to Mexican nationals who have  been deported or who are facing deportation and need support.  They will assist you in finding housing and employment in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and to adjust to living there.   

The Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos has a list of programs for deported individuals here. 

Other Resources to learn more & Support People in Immigration Detention