ICE removes thousands of detainees with final deportation orders from online locator
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Immigration attorneys say the move could interfere with access to lawyers and make last-minute legal challenges to deportations more difficult.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stopped publicly listing the locations of thousands of people in its custody who have received final orders of removal, making it more difficult for attorneys and family members to determine where detainees are being held, according to an Associated Press investigation.
ICE removed the affected detainees from its online locator system on Sept. 15, according to three current and former agency officials who spoke with the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
Several immigration attorneys also told AP that clients had disappeared from the system, while the American Immigration Lawyers Association warned its members about the change.
The locator system was created in 2010 to allow relatives, attorneys and members of the public to determine whether someone is being held by ICE and where they are located. The new exclusion applies specifically to detainees with final removal orders.
The change comes as the Trump administration prioritizes deportations of people who have received such orders. ICE said in a statement to AP that detainees with final removal orders are being prioritized for deportation, while the agency faces what it described as a “historic number of injunctions” blocking individual removals.
Greg Chen of the American Immigration Lawyers Association said the change has left families struggling to determine what has happened to their loved ones.
“Families are freaking out because they think the person has been deported and they don’t know where the person might be,” shared Chen.
The removal from the locator can also create challenges for attorneys. People with final removal orders can still seek to reopen their immigration cases or challenge their detention in federal court, including through habeas petitions.
“If you can’t find your client, don’t know what’s happening to your client, you can’t get that information to the court to stop their removal,” said My Khanh Ngo, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.
AP reported that nearly 16,000 people arrested and booked into ICE detention in July had final removal orders. ICE facilities held more than 65,000 people as of early July, according to the latest available data.
The policy does not apply to several facilities covered by court orders requiring ICE to promptly list detainees, including facilities in Adelanto, California, and temporary holding locations in Minneapolis, New York City and suburban Chicago.
Michelle Mendez of the National Immigration Project described the change as “another iteration of disappearing people,” raising concerns about detainees’ ability to access legal representation and pursue remaining legal options.