ICE Removes Thousands of Deportation Detainees From Online Locator

On September 15, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped publicly listing the locations of thousands of detainees subject to final deportation orders in its online locator system. The unannounced policy change affects approximately 30% of the more than 65,000 people in ICE custody, including eight Somali men held at the Guantánamo military base in Cuba. Reports indicate the agency may also be barring officers from providing whereabouts to attorneys and relatives via telephone.

Legal advocates, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the ACLU, warn that hiding these locations prevents lawyers from filing timely habeas corpus petitions or motions to reopen cases, as these must typically be filed in the judicial district where the detainee is held. The National Immigration Project characterized the move as a way to make people disappear. Data from July suggests nearly 16,000 detainees held final removal orders, making them eligible for this removal from the database.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defended the action, stating that individuals with final orders have already received due process and are being prioritized for removal. ICE noted it is prioritizing these deportations despite a historic number of judicial mandates hindering removals. Certain facilities remain exempt from the practice due to existing court orders, including the Adelanto facility in California and temporary sites in Minneapolis, New York City, and suburban Chicago.