The ICE detainee locator no longer shows everyone: how to find your family member
Many families in Wisconsin use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System to find out where a loved one is after an arrest. In September 2026 that search tool changed. If you are looking for a family member who no longer appears, this article explains why that may be happening and what to do next.
What changed
According to reports from immigration attorneys across the country and from the Associated Press, since around September 15, 2026, the ICE locator has stopped showing many people who have a final order of removal. ICE has not published an official announcement explaining the change.
The reports say the people disappearing from the search include:
- People with a recent removal order, even if they are still within the time to appeal.
- Some people with a case pending in a federal court of appeals.
- People whom the judge granted protection (such as withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture) but who also have a final order.
According to AILA's alert to its members, some families who call ICE are told the location is "not publicly available."
According to that same alert, people whose appeal is already docketed at the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) still appear. The locator also does not show anyone under 18.
What it does NOT mean when your relative disappears
This is the most important point: a person missing from the locator has not necessarily been deported, or even moved.
Attorneys have confirmed cases of people who vanished from the search and were still at the same detention center. Others were out for a few days for medical care. The search tool simply stopped showing the information.
So do not assume the worst. But do not wait, either. If your relative has a final order, ICE may try to remove them soon, and the steps to stop a removal have short deadlines.
What the family can do
1. Gather the basic information. Full name exactly as it appears on their documents, date of birth, country of origin, and above all the A-number (the letter "A" followed by 7, 8, or 9 digits, printed on any immigration paper). In the ICE locator you must enter nine digits: if the number is shorter, add zeros at the beginning.
2. Keep checking the locator. Some people reappear. Search by A-number and country, and also by name and date of birth. Type the name exactly as it appears on the passport or immigration papers.
3. Check the case in immigration court. The court has an online system and an automated phone line where, with the A-number, you can see whether there is a final order, an appeal, or an upcoming hearing. Our Check your case page explains how, step by step.
4. Ask your relative to call. A detained person can make phone calls. If your relative reaches you, ask for the name of the facility and tell them not to sign any document without talking to an attorney.
5. Talk to an attorney as early as possible. An attorney who files a representation form (G-28) with ICE has other ways to confirm where the person is. The attorney can also review whether options exist, such as:
- A motion to reopen the case, if there is a legal basis.
- A request for a stay of removal while that motion is decided.
- An appeal, if the deadline has not passed.
- In some cases, a habeas corpus petition in federal court to challenge the detention.
None of these options fits everyone. Each depends on the history of the case and on deadlines. What is true for everyone: the earlier the file is reviewed, the more options stay open.
Beware of anyone promising a fast release
In frightening moments, people appear offering to fix the case over the phone or on social media. Only a licensed attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice can represent someone before immigration. Before paying anyone, ask for their license number and verify it.
Documents to prepare
While you locate your relative, start gathering:
- Any immigration paperwork: the judge's order, hearing notices, earlier work permits.
- Children's birth certificates, marriage certificate, and family members' immigration status.
- Records from any earlier criminal cases.
- Proof of years living here: leases, receipts, tax returns, employment letters.
Our guide What to do if ICE detains a family member has a fuller list, and on the Resources page you can download a family emergency plan.
Frequently asked questions
If they are not in the locator, were they deported? Not necessarily. Since September 2026 the search hides many people with final orders, even when they remain detained in the same place.
Who can find out where they are? Your relative can tell you by phone. An attorney representing them also has channels with ICE that are not available to the public.
Can anything be done once there is a final order? Sometimes. It depends on the case: there may be grounds to reopen, to ask for a stay, or to challenge the detention in federal court. An attorney has to review the file to know.
How Lugo Law LLC works
Attorney Javier Irizarry Lugo handles detention and removal cases before the Chicago Immigration Court, which hears most Wisconsin cases. When a family calls because they cannot find a loved one, the first step is to confirm where the person is and what stage the case is in. With that information, it is possible to know which options exist and how much time there is to act.
Sources
- ICE, Online Detainee Locator System.
- Associated Press, "ICE hides location of thousands of detainees with removal orders," September 21, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/ice-detainee-locator-disappear-removal-orders-c3329a70bce424879bc5880b286c019c.
- American Immigration Council, "ICE electronically disappears detainee locator," September 23, 2026.
- Letter from 47 members of Congress to ICE asking to restore the locator, September 30, 2026.
- American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), member alert on the locator, September 18, 2026 (members only).