Client Hub

Here are some links to templates and other resources:

• Family Preparedness Plan - available in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Focuses on California residents.
• Safety Planning
• Emergency Planning Guide – available in English and Spanish
• Create an Emergency Plan - available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole
• Make a Plan: Essential Steps for Migrant Parents for Preventing Family Separation – available in English and Spanish

What can I do if my loved one is detained by ICE?

Consult the plan

If your loved one provided you with an emergency preparedness plan, consult the plan and follow the action steps.

Locate them:

• If you are not sure where they are being held, search the ICE Detainee Locator for persons 18 years or older. You will need their A-number (an 8 or 9 digit number assigned by the U.S. government) and country of birth, or all of the following: first name, last name, and country of birth (date of birth is optional). Please note the online Locator will only work if the information you input matches ICE’s information exactly.
• When you locate your loved one, you can contact the detention facility to schedule calls or visits. The facility may only allow for virtual visits.
  • You can also ask the facility the processes for (1) setting up phone accounts for your loved one to call you, and (2) sending your loved one money for any food or basic necessities while in detention.

Exercise caution in conversations with them: If your loved one contacts you after apprehension by ICE, do not discuss their country of birth or immigration status over the phone. ICE can listen to these conversations. Your loved one should only discuss these topics, as well as any criminal history, with their attorney or DOJ Accredited Representative.

Connect them with legal assistance: If your loved one does not already have an experienced immigration law practitioner assisting them, contact a qualified practitioner to discuss how you can assist your loved one with obtaining representation while they are detained. Here is a nationwide directory of low-cost and free immigration legal service providers.

Check to see if they have a case pending before the Immigration Court:

• Locate their immigration court hearing information at EOIR Automated Case Information by inputting their A-number. Keep checking this regularly if information does not appear initially.

Some individuals do not have a right to a hearing before the Immigration Court.

• If your loved one has an outstanding removal order or prior removal from the U.S., they do not have a right to a hearing and can be deported without a hearing before the judge. You can check for outstanding removal orders and prior removals at EOIR Automated Case Information
• If your loved one does not have lawful status and was convicted of an offense considered an aggravated felony under immigration law, they are not entitled to a hearing before removal.
• However, if individuals in the above categories express a fear of return to their country, they are eligible for a Reasonable Fear Interview (RFI) with an Asylum Officer. If they pass the RFI, they can then seek protection from removal in immigration court.
• Individuals who may be subject to expedited removal include those arrested at or near the border without permission to enter the U.S. In expedited removal proceedings, the individual does not have the right to a hearing before the immigration court. If the individual expresses a fear of returning to their country and pass a Credible Fear Interview, they will either move on to an immigration court hearing or an Asylum Merits Interview.
  • Expedited removal proceedings can happen very quickly, with very little time (often just a few hours) to obtain legal counsel.
  • Expedited removal is anticipated to expand under President Trump and could include individuals who entered without inspection and have been in the U.S. less than two years.
    • If your loved one may be subject to expedited removal, it is important that ICE receives evidence right away of their continuous presence in the U.S. for at least the two years prior to their apprehension.
      • Evidence of presence may include school records for them or their children, birth certificates of children born in the U.S., receipts, leases, utility bills, mail or other documentation with name, tax returns, and more. Do not submit items showing the detainee’s country of birth or immigration status unless they have lawful status.

Report raids: If your loved one was apprehended during an immigration raid to a workplace or other location, report this to your city or state’s rapid response network, if there is one. Some networks include:

• California Rapid Response Networks
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
• Florida Immigrant Coalition
• Search this list for other hotlines

It is important to consult with a person who is qualified to practice immigration law – either an attorney licensed in the U.S. or a Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representative. You can search for nonprofit, qualified practitioners in the World Relief Legal Support Network or National Immigration Legal Services Directory. You can also ask check the provider’s name on the DOJ Accredited Representatives Roster or ask to see their law license.

Beware of individuals and businesses that are not authorized to practice law. Here are some websites to help you avoid immigration scams and notario fraud:

• Tips to Avoid Common Immigration Scams - available in 20 languages
• Stop Notario Fraud - available in 7 languages
• Resources for Victims of Notario Fraud