If you’re trying to find a loved one in ICE custody and they don’t show up in ICE’s online detainee locator, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been deported. A recent change may be hiding them in the online system.
Important dates:
- 2010: ICE launches its online detainee locator so families and lawyers can find people in custody.
- September 15, 2026: ICE stops listing/removes people with final deportation orders in the locator, according to current and former ICE officials who spoke to the Associated Press.
- September 21, 2026: The Associated Press reports the change. ICE hasn’t confirmed or denied it.
What happened?
ICE’s online locator is often the fastest and easiest way for families and attorneys to find out where someone is being held. However, the locator is often criticized for being slow to update or for showing incomplete information.
And now, according to an exclusive from the Associated Press, ICE has quietly stopped listing those in custody who have a final deportation order. There has been no public comment yet from ICE.
Who does this affect?
A “final order” means an immigration judge ordered someone deported, the case is finished in immigration court, and there is no appeal pending. People with final orders include those who:
- lost their appeal or didn’t file an appeal of an immigration judge’s order
- missed a court hearing and were ordered deported “in absentia,” or without being there
- were ordered deported but are protected from being sent back to their home country because they could face torture or persecution there
- come from a country won’t take them back
- aren’t a citizen of any country
People in these groups are at an especially high risk of being detained for a long time while the government searches for another country to send them to. And now they may also be much harder to find in detention.
What can I do if I can’t find my loved one?
- Don’t assume they’ve been deported. They may still be in the U.S. and just not showing up in the system.
- Contact their immigration attorney right away, if they have one.
- Have their A-number ready. This is the 9-digit number on their immigration documents, and it’s the most reliable way to find someone in ICE’s systems.
- Call ICE and detention centers directly. For Wyoming:,
- Call ICE’s Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora at 303-361-6612
- Note: you won’t be able to speak directly with a detainee. However, you may be able to confirm whether someone is detained in this facility or not.
- If your loved one is not at Aurora, try calling the following detention centers:
- Sweetwater County Detention Center in Rock Springs (307-352-4900 or 307-352-4935)
- Natrona County Detention Center in Casper (307-235-9521)
- Uinta County Detention Center in Evanston (307-783-1020)
- If calling the above centers isn’t successful, visit this website (https://accounts.ncic.com/addfunds/WY) and look for the person’s name at each facility.
- Call ICE’s Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora at 303-361-6612
- Call us at (307) 225-9404. We can help you figure out next steps.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice.
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