We are often asked how to verify the case status. It is a very simple process. You can verify your case status online from your home or office...
The Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) is a public, online system that allows family members, legal representatives, and members of the general public to locate individuals in immigration detention who have been arrested by the ICE. To use the ODLS system, you can visit http://www.ice.gov/locator.
Previously, the only way to determine a detainee's location was to contact an ICE Detention and Removal Operations Office (DRO). As part of the reform of the detention system, ICE has implemented ODLS so that family members and attorneys can more easily locate detainees online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The system is also available in Spanish, with more languages to come soon.
The Detainee Locator does not search for the data of persons under 18 years of age, to carry out a search in the ODLS in two ways:
The best way to perform a search in the system is to use the “A-Number” and the country of birth of the detainee. The “A-Number” is the nine-digit identification number assigned to a person applying for immigration benefits or who is subject to immigration control procedures. The nine-digit “A-Number” can start with zeros. "A-Numbers" are unique, and only one is assigned per person. The “A-Number” is located in the upper right corner of the Notice to Appear (NTA), Form I-862. Along with the “A-Number”, you must enter the detainee's country of birth.
If you do not have the “ANumber”, you can perform a search in the system using the detainee's first name, last name and country of birth. If your search is unsuccessful, try entering variations of the detainee's name.
Something important must know exactly how to spell a detainee's name since ODLS performs an exact search. This means that in order to find a detainee, you must enter the person's exact A-Number, or their first and last name as they appear on their arrest record.
If you accidentally type someone's information incorrectly, the system may not give you the correct result. For example, searching for the name “Robert Smith” will not allow you to access an arrest record under the name “Robert Smyth” or “Bob Smith.” When performing a search using an “A-Number”, only one record will appear in the results, since each person has a unique “A-Number”.
However, when searching using a person's name, multiple records may appear among the results if there are multiple detainees with the same name and country of birth. When many records come up, search for the detainee's year of birth, which will also appear in the results, or search using the person's “A-Number”.
The ODLS only has information on detainees who are currently in ICE custody, or who were released from ICE custody within the last 60 days. If you are unable to locate a detainee in ODLS who is in ICE custody or who was released from ICE custody within the last 60 days, please contact the appropriate local ICE DRO office. The site http://www.ice.gov/about/dro/contact.htm provides a list of the various local DRO offices, as well as their contact information.
If you found the detainee you were looking for, you should contact the center using the information provided to confirm that the detainee is there, as the information in the ODLS could be up to 8 hours old. If you decide to visit the detainee, you should contact the detention center in advance to confirm their visiting hours and rules. To visit the center, you will also need to bring a government-issued photo ID.
