What to Do If a Family Member Is Detained by ICE in Michigan

When a family member is detained by ICE in Michigan, the first hours can feel chaotic. Focus on four tasks: confirm which agency has custody, collect the person’s identifying information, locate the facility, and contact a qualified immigration attorney. Do not rely on rumors about release or bond. Detention cases move quickly, and the right response depends on the person’s immigration history, criminal record, prior court orders, and current paperwork.

What to do in the first hour

Write down facts while they are fresh. Record the date, approximate time, location, arresting agency, vehicle information, names or badge numbers if known, and anything officers left behind. Save voicemail messages, photographs of documents, and contact information for witnesses.

Then gather:

• The person’s full legal name, including hyphens and prior names.
• Date of birth and country of birth.
• A-Number, usually an eight- or nine-digit immigration number.
• Passport, immigration notices, work permit, green card, or other identification.
• Copies of prior immigration applications, court notices, and decisions.
• Information about any criminal arrest or case, including the court and case number.
• Details about medications, disabilities, pregnancy, or urgent medical needs.
• Contact information for a spouse, children, caregivers, and employer.

Do not send original documents to anyone until a lawyer or the facility confirms what is needed. Keep a complete copy of everything.

Step 1: Confirm which agency has custody

Not every immigration-related arrest begins in an ICE detention facility. A person may first be held by a local jail, another federal agency, or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. If the arrest followed a local criminal case, call the jail or court to confirm whether the person remains there and whether ICE lodged a detainer.

Release from a criminal case does not always mean the person will walk out of the jail. ICE describes a detainer as a request that a jail notify ICE before release. In some circumstances, the request asks the jail to hold the person for up to 48 additional hours so DHS can assume custody.

Step 2: Search the ICE detainee locator

Use ICE’s official Online Detainee Locator System. ICE recommends searching by A-Number and country of birth when the A-Number is available. Add leading zeros if the number has fewer than nine digits.

If you do not have the A-Number, search with the person’s exact first and last names, country of birth, and date of birth. Spelling matters. A search for a shortened name may not find the record, and ICE instructs users to include a hyphen in a hyphenated last name.

The locator does not search records for people under 18. It may also take time for a recent arrest or transfer to appear.

Step 3: If the person does not appear, keep checking

A blank result does not prove that the person is not in government custody. Recheck the spelling and biographical details, try the A-Number search, and repeat the search later.

You can also call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024. ICE lists live operators Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, with language assistance available. The line can provide basic case information and receive reports about urgent medical, disability, abuse, or family-separation concerns.

The ICE Detroit field office covers Michigan and Ohio. ICE may require a signed privacy waiver before sharing information with a family member. A legal representative can use Form G-28 to establish authority to receive information.

Step 4: Contact an immigration attorney quickly

An attorney needs to identify why ICE is holding the person and what proceedings or orders already exist. Important questions include:

• Is there a prior removal or deportation order?
• Is an immigration court case pending?
• Did the person miss a prior hearing?
• Is ICE claiming mandatory detention?
• Is there a criminal conviction, pending charge, or probation issue?
• Has the person expressed fear of returning to their country?
• Does the person have U.S. citizen or permanent-resident family?
• Is there an upcoming court, check-in, or removal date?

Bond may be possible in some cases, but not every detained person is eligible for an immigration bond or a bond hearing. The answer may depend on which agency made the custody decision and whether an immigration judge has authority to review it.

The rules around bond have been in flux. In 2025, the government took the position — adopted by the Board of Immigration Appeals in Matter of Yajure Hurtado — that people who entered the United States without inspection are subject to mandatory detention and cannot ask an immigration judge for bond. In May 2026, however, the Sixth Circuit, whose decisions govern Michigan, rejected that interpretation in Lopez-Campos v. Raycraft and held that noncitizens living in the interior of the country who entered without inspection are generally entitled to ask an immigration judge for an individualized bond hearing. Federal appeals courts remain split on this question, and the law may change again, so counsel must confirm the current state of the law before advising on bond.

Step 5: Confirm the facility’s rules before visiting

Once the locator identifies a facility, use ICE’s detention-facility directory to confirm:

• Current visitation hours and identification requirements.
• Whether appointments or video visits are available.
• How to leave a telephone message.
• How to send legal and personal mail.
• How to place money in a commissary account.
• Rules for clothing, minors, and items allowed inside.

Call before traveling. Visitation rules can change, and a person may be transferred. Do not mail original legal documents or deposit money until you confirm the current facility and its instructions.

Michigan detention placements have changed significantly since 2025. The largest facility in the state is now the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, an approximately 1,800-bed facility that reopened as an ICE processing center in June 2025. ICE has also housed detainees in county jails, including the Calhoun County Correctional Center, the Chippewa County Correctional Facility, the Monroe County Jail, and the St. Clair County Jail. Even so, the correct location is always the one shown by current custody information. Do not assume a person arrested near Detroit will remain near Detroit — or even in Michigan — because transfers to other states are common.

Step 6: Address medication, disability, and child-care needs

Tell the attorney immediately about medications, serious health conditions, pregnancy, mental-health concerns, or disabilities. The detained person should also report those needs to facility medical staff and request an accommodation when necessary.

If the detained person is responsible for a minor child or another dependent, create a safe temporary care plan. Gather school, medical, and caregiver information. ICE’s information line accepts reports involving separation from a minor child or other dependent and other parental-interest concerns.

What the detained person should know

Family members often have limited direct control over what happens inside a facility, but they can pass along a few practical points:

• Ask for the A-Number, facility name, and deportation officer’s contact information.
• Request an interpreter when needed.
• Keep copies of documents whenever possible.
• Ask how to contact legal counsel and use legal mail or confidential legal calls.
• Do not make decisions about papers that are not understood; request interpretation and legal advice.
• Report urgent medical or safety problems through facility procedures and ICE’s information line.

ICE states that every detention facility provides rules covering visitation, grievances, medical care, law-library access, legal mail, and communication with staff. The person can request another facility handbook if one was not provided.

Immigration court information is separate from custody information

The ICE locator tells you about custody. It does not replace immigration court records. Use EOIR’s Automated Case Information System to check for a hearing, decision, or appeal associated with the A-Number. Note that the system does not display bond hearing information — for bond hearing details, contact the immigration court handling the case directly. Court notices remain the official source.

If a Detroit hearing is scheduled, review our guide to what happens at a Detroit immigration court hearing. Detained cases can follow different schedules and procedures, so counsel should confirm which court has the case.

Free and lower-cost legal resources

The government generally does not appoint a free attorney in immigration court. EOIR maintains an official List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers, updated quarterly, including organizations that may assist detained people. Availability and eligibility vary, so contact providers directly.

Avoid notarios, document preparers, and people who claim they can secure release through personal government contacts. Only qualified attorneys and authorized accredited representatives may give immigration legal advice and represent people before EOIR.

Help after an ICE detention in Michigan

The most useful first call gives the legal team enough information to act. Share the person’s full name, A-Number, country of birth, current location, arrest details, prior immigration history, and criminal-court records. Mann Law Group handles detention and removal matters in Michigan. Learn more about our deportation defense practice or contact the firm for a case-specific review.