A family member was detained by ICE. What to do in the first 72 hours.

The 72 hours after an ICE detention are disproportionately important. Bond eligibility, transfer decisions, and initial custody determinations all happen in this window — and the evidence that protects the detainee is evidence that has to be gathered fast.

Hour 0–24: Locate and confirm

1. 01Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System — enter the A-number or name + country of birth.
2. 02If they just arrived in the system, try again every hour; the database lags by several hours after booking.
3. 03Note the facility, the facility phone, and — critically — the attorney-visit schedule.
4. 04Do not post cash bail without reviewing whether bond eligibility exists at all. Mandatory detention categories exist.

Hour 24–48: Gather documents

• Every prior USCIS filing (I-130, I-485, I-751, etc.) — approval notices, receipts, RFEs.
• Court records of any prior criminal case, including disposition documents.
• Tax returns for the last 3 years.
• Proof of U.S. ties: marriage certificates, children's birth certificates, mortgage or lease, utility bills, employer letter.
• Medical records demonstrating hardship to U.S.-citizen or LPR family members.

Hour 48–72: Prepare for bond

Bond hearings in many jurisdictions are scheduled quickly. Counsel needs the document package ready, letters of support drafted, and sponsors briefed. A bond hearing is not a trial on the merits — it is a custody determination based on flight risk and danger to the community. Everything that rebuts those factors belongs in the record.