US detention centers are the network of federal, private-contract, and local facilities where immigration authorities hold noncitizens while their cases move through immigration court or while they wait to be removed from the country. On any given day, tens of thousands of people are held across more than 200 facilities, at an average cost that has climbed above $150 per person per day. Detention is classified as civil rather than criminal, so it is not supposed to function as punishment, though in practice the conditions often resemble incarceration. If you are trying to help someone inside the system, the practical questions are the same ones this article answers: who has custody, how to find the person, how to get them out, and what rights they have while they wait.
Who Runs the Facilities
Immigration detention happens in three categories of facilities, and the category matters because it tells you who to call and who is accountable for conditions.1U.S. Immigration and Customs Ice. ICE Detention Standard 2.2 – Custody Classification System
- Service Processing Centers are owned and run by the federal government, with federal employees handling security, food, and other services.
- Contract Detention Facilities are owned and operated by private corporations under dedicated federal contracts. Staff are corporate employees, and operators receive a per-diem rate for each person held.
- Intergovernmental Service Agreement facilities are local jails or state prisons that rent bed space to the federal government. This arrangement absorbs surges without new construction, but it often puts immigration detainees alongside people serving criminal sentences.
Private-contract and intergovernmental facilities together hold most detainees. Government monitors are stationed at those sites to check compliance with federal standards, and contracts include financial penalties for falling short, though enforcement has been inconsistent.
Which Agency Has Custody
Three federal agencies handle different stages of detention. Knowing which one has the person determines where to direct questions.
Customs and Border Protection
CBP operates short-term holding facilities near the border and at ports of entry. Under its own internal standards, people in CBP custody should generally not be held longer than 72 hours.2Department of Homeland Security. Short Term Detention CBP handles initial processing: fingerprinting, photographs, interviews, and the decision to transfer, release, or in some cases rapidly remove.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
ICE handles longer-term detention of adults while their removal cases proceed.3U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Detention Management This is where most people spend the bulk of their time, and ICE manages the full network of Service Processing Centers, contract facilities, and intergovernmental agreements. ICE custody can run weeks, months, or in some cases years, depending on the case and whether the person is eligible for release.
Office of Refugee Resettlement
Unaccompanied children are handled separately, under the Office of Refugee Resettlement within the Department of Health and Human Services.4Department of Health and Human Services. Unaccompanied Children Information ORR focuses on placement and supervision rather than enforcement, and its goal is to release the child to a sponsor, usually a parent or relative, as quickly as possible.5eCFR. 45 CFR Part 410 Subpart C – Releasing an Unaccompanied Child From ORR Custody
How to Locate a Detained Person
Start with the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov.6U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Online Detainee Locator System The tool covers people currently in ICE custody as well as people who have been in CBP custody for more than 48 hours.
The fastest search uses the person’s nine-digit Alien Registration Number, which appears on a Notice to Appear, a work permit, or other immigration documents. With an A-Number, you also need the person’s country of birth. Without an A-Number, you can search using the person’s full legal name exactly as it appears on government documents, their date of birth, and their country of birth. Small spelling differences or a missing middle name can block a match, so check against recent paperwork before searching.
A successful result returns the facility name, address, and phone number. It does not show court dates or case details. Transfers between facilities are common, so check again if the person was recently moved.
If the search comes up empty but you believe the person is detained, contact the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office for the area where they were apprehended. Field office phone numbers are listed on the ICE website; the offices are not walk-in locations, and the email addresses posted are for recruiting only.7U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Field Offices You can also call the Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024 to request basic case information.8U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Contact ICE About Immigration Enforcement Concerns USAGov maintains a plain-language guide to these options as well.9USAGov. Locate Someone Being Detained by ICE for Immigration Violation or Deportation
Getting Someone Released: Bond and the Mandatory Detention Problem
The first question an attorney will answer is whether the person falls into a mandatory detention category. Under 8 U.S.C. ยง 1226(c), ICE must hold without bond anyone who has been convicted of specific categories of crimes, including aggravated felonies, controlled substance offenses, certain firearms offenses, and crimes involving moral turpitude with a sentence of at least one year.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1226 – Apprehension and Detention of Aliens People flagged on terrorism-related grounds are also subject to mandatory detention. For anyone in this category, a bond hearing will not help; the only paths out are winning the underlying immigration case or overturning the removal order on appeal. A narrow exception exists when ICE releases someone to serve as a protected witness in a major criminal investigation.
For everyone else, ICE sets an initial bond or releases the person on recognizance. The statutory minimum is $1,500, but in practice most bonds are set much higher. If the amount is too high, the detained person can request a bond redetermination hearing before an immigration judge at no filing cost.11Executive Office for Immigration Review. 8.3 – Bond Proceedings The judge considers whether the person is a danger, whether they are likely to appear at future hearings, and whether they pose a national security concern. If circumstances change materially after a bond ruling, the person can request a new hearing in writing, demonstrating what has changed.
Two types of bonds exist. A delivery bond, the more common type, releases the person with an obligation to appear at future hearings. A voluntary departure bond requires the person to leave the country by an agreed date, with the amount refunded if they do. Both can be paid in cash through ICE’s electronic CeBONDS system, which requires the payer’s Social Security number for IRS reporting.12U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE CeBONDS Surety bonds through a licensed bail bond company are also an option.
Rights Inside Detention
People in immigration detention are not charged with crimes, but they still have constitutional protections. The Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause applies to all persons within the United States regardless of immigration status, and the Supreme Court has consistently recognized this.13Constitution Annotated. Amdt5.6.2.3 Removal of Aliens Who Have Entered the United States That means notice of the charges, a hearing before an immigration judge, the right to present evidence, and the right to appeal.
Lawyers
Detainees have the right to be represented by an attorney, but the government is not required to provide or pay for one.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229 – Initiation of Removal Proceedings This is one of the sharpest differences from criminal court. The detained person has to find and pay a lawyer or locate a pro bono representative. Immigration courts must provide lists of attorneys willing to represent people for free, updated at least every quarter.
One exception: under a federal court settlement, the National Qualified Representative Program provides government-funded attorneys to detained people found incompetent to represent themselves because of a serious mental disorder. Eligibility does not depend on criminal history.
Medical Care
Every person arriving at an ICE detention facility must receive an initial medical screening within 12 hours to identify urgent needs and communicable diseases, followed by a more comprehensive health assessment within 14 days.15U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Directive 11741.4 – Medical Screening and Health Assessment Facilities must provide medications for chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension throughout confinement, and must maintain medical records. Mental health screening is part of the 14-day assessment, and ICE must notify immigration judges when a detainee’s condition may affect their ability to represent themselves.
Language Access
Detainees with limited English proficiency are entitled to free oral interpretation and written translation of documents.16Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Language Access Program Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, ICE must take reasonable steps to ensure communication with non-English speakers is as effective as communication with English speakers. Complaints about failures can be sent to ICE’s Office of Civil Rights Compliance at ICECivilLiberties@ice.dhs.gov.
Children
The Flores Settlement Agreement sets the baseline for how minors must be treated in immigration custody.17Administration for Children and Families. Stipulated Settlement Agreement – Flores v. Reno Children must be held in the least restrictive setting appropriate for their age and needs, and the agreement requires release to a sponsor without unnecessary delay. It also sets standards for food, temperature, and access to education. A federal court has interpreted these requirements to mean children in family detention facilities that do not meet Flores standards must generally be released within 20 days, though the timeline has been subject to ongoing litigation.
Staying in Contact
Telephone access is one of the biggest practical concerns for families. The FCC has capped the rates providers can charge for calls from correctional and detention facilities. As of April 2026, audio call rates run from $0.10 to $0.19 per minute depending on facility size, and video call rates run from $0.19 to $0.44 per minute.18Federal Communications Commission. Incarcerated People’s Communications Services Providers cannot add fees for automated payments or third-party financial transactions. International calls may carry an additional charge for routing.
Visits between a detainee and their attorney are confidential. Staff may watch the visit for safety but cannot listen.19U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Legal Access in Detention At A Glance Documents an attorney brings can be inspected for contraband but not read. The same applies to mail labeled as legal mail from courts, attorneys, or consulates. Attorneys should check with the specific facility beforehand to confirm labeling requirements, since some facilities have additional protocols.
Filing Complaints
When conditions fall short or staff misconduct occurs, detainees have options that do not require an attorney. Every facility must maintain a formal internal grievance system.20U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Grievance System Detainees can try to resolve issues informally, but they always have the right to file a written grievance. Medical grievances must reach the facility’s health authority within 24 hours, with a response from medical staff within five working days. Emergency grievances go through an expedited process. If the initial response is unsatisfactory, detainees can appeal to at least one higher level of review. Retaliation against anyone who files a grievance is prohibited.
Two external channels exist for more serious concerns. The DHS Office of Inspector General investigates fraud, abuse, and criminal misconduct involving DHS programs and personnel. Complaints can be filed online, by phone at 1-800-323-8603, or by mail to DHS OIG at 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington, DC 20528-0305. Reports can be submitted anonymously. The hotline is not monitored around the clock, so anyone facing an immediate threat to safety should call 911.21Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. Hotline
The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties handles complaints about discrimination, due process violations, physical abuse, and other civil rights issues. Complaints go through the online portal at engage.dhs.gov/crcl-complaint. This office identifies systemic problems but does not provide individual legal remedies.22Homeland Security. Make a Civil Rights Complaint
For medical concerns specifically, family members and detainees can also contact ICE’s Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024.8U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Contact ICE About Immigration Enforcement Concerns This line handles reports of abuse, serious medical problems, parent-child separation, and requests for basic case information.
After a Removal Order
Once an immigration judge issues a final removal order and all appeals are exhausted, the government has 90 days to physically remove the person. Detention is mandatory during that 90-day window.23Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1231 – Detention and Removal of Aliens Ordered Removed If the person refuses to cooperate with obtaining travel documents or actively obstructs removal, the period can be extended and detention continues.
When removal cannot be carried out within 90 days, the situation gets more complicated. The government can continue to detain people with certain criminal convictions or terrorism-related grounds. But in Zadvydas v. Davis, the Supreme Court held that indefinite detention of someone whose removal is not reasonably foreseeable violates due process, and established six months as a presumptively reasonable detention period after a removal order becomes final.24Justia. Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 US 678 (2001) After six months, if the detained person can show there is no significant likelihood of removal in the foreseeable future, the government must either justify continued detention with concrete evidence or release the person under supervised conditions.
This situation arises most often when a home country refuses to accept deportees or when there is no functioning government to negotiate with. People stuck in that limbo can sometimes spend well over a year in detention before the legal process catches up.