ICE appears to have removed some detainee locations from its public locator.
Why it matters: The change makes it harder for families and lawyers to find people in ICE custody and file emergency legal challenges. It also raises new questions about transparency in federal immigration enforcement.
- The change appears to affect detainees with final orders of removal, according to AP and Washington Post reporting.
- It appears to have taken effect on Sept. 15, 2026, without a public announcement.
- ICE's Online Detainee Locator System was launched in 2010 and is meant to help people determine whether someone is in ICE or CBP detention and where to find them.
- The exact number of detainees affected is not public in the materials provided, but the reporting describes it as thousands.
ICE appears to have stopped publicly showing the custody locations of thousands of people with final orders of removal, according to AP reporting and Washington Post reporting. The change appears to have taken effect on Sept. 15, 2026, and the materials provided do not identify a public announcement or formal memo explaining it.
The shift affects ICE's Online Detainee Locator System, a public tool launched in 2010. ICE's locator page says the system is intended to help the public determine whether someone is in ICE or CBP detention and how to locate that person. A July 2025 DHS privacy impact assessment describes it as a publicly accessible tool for family members and legal representatives to determine detention status and obtain locating information. ICE locator DHS privacy assessment
The Washington Post reported that ICE said people with final removal orders are being prioritized for deportation and that all detainees have access to phones. But lawyers say the locator change can interfere with emergency court action. Laura Collopy, an immigration lawyer quoted in the reporting, said: "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."
In practical terms, the reported change means some detainees no longer show a public custody location in the locator, limiting a key tool used by relatives, attorneys and advocates to track where someone is being held.
By the numbers
- 2010 - year ICE launched its Online Detainee Locator System
- Sept. 15, 2026 - date the change appears to have taken effect
- Thousands - how many detainees the reporting says are affected, though no exact public count is provided in the dossier
Yes, but: The materials do not include a public ICE statement confirming the policy change or an exact count of affected detainees.
What's next: No formal ICE memo or public explanation was identified in the provided reporting.