In the Denver area, one family says a father effectively vanished inside the immigration system when his record disappeared from Immigration and Customs Enforcement's public tracker in the middle of a string of transfers.
The man, identified as John, had been in ICE custody for roughly two months when his listing dropped out of the agency's Online Detainee Locator System. His wife, Heidy, told advocates that she and the couple's two U.S.-citizen children had already self-deported using a CBP One appointment after the family sought asylum and lived in the United States for about three years. Supporters later learned John had been deported to Bogotá.
Family Says Dad Vanished From ICE Tracker
According to 9News, Heidy has a four-month-old baby and a 3-year-old son, and both family members and volunteers repeatedly lost track of John as ICE moved him across multiple facilities and states. Supporters told reporters they tried to add money to his commissary account only to find deposits blocked or put on hold for weeks before funds were released after transfers.
The story reports that almost $650 was deposited for John before his account became inaccessible for days at a time. In the meantime, the family described frantic calls, dead ends and long waits while they tried to figure out where he was being held and what would happen next.
Advocates Say Transfers Turn Into Disappearing Acts
Aurora Unidos organizer Holly Cheng told 9News that John briefly appeared in Aurora on the locator, then "went missing" again when he was transferred to Texas. Advocates say that kind of gap is not rare and makes it extremely difficult to maintain legal contact or basic support.
Organizers told reporters the information blackouts meant lawyers could not reliably schedule meetings, families could not top up commissary accounts and relatives were often left guessing which facility to call. Those interruptions, advocates argue, increase the risk of missed hearings and rushed removals.
ICE Points To Its Hotline And Locator Tools
In response to questions about cases like John's, ICE directed reporters to its public resources and FAQs, including the agency's Online Detainee Locator System and its Detention, Removals and Information Line for assistance. An ICE factsheet on the locator explains what information the tool requires for a search, and the agency notes that field offices can be contacted with questions. The Detention, Removals and Information Line, often referred to as DRIL, is listed as another option for families trying to locate a loved one.
Community groups say those phone lines function more like a backup than a real fix when records vanish during interstate transfers. By the time a caseworker or relative reaches a live person, they say, a detainee can already be on the road to yet another facility or on a flight out of the country.
Tracking Glitches With High Stakes
Problems with the Online Detainee Locator System have been described for years. Reporting and interviews with attorneys have found that the tool can take days to update and that it is sensitive to exact name spellings and A-number entries, which complicates searches for people in custody, according to the Sunlight Foundation.
The ACLU of Colorado has also flagged federal plans to expand detention capacity in the state, warning that more beds often translate into more transfers across facilities and an even tougher tracking challenge. Those concerns were detailed in documents released by the ACLU of Colorado. Lawyers say that delays in locating clients translate directly into fewer opportunities to prepare cases or try to stop removal flights.
Local attorneys told reporters that the real-world impact is severe. One advocate said the locator problems "prevented effective representation and support" and called the situation "absolutely unacceptable," arguing that lawyers cannot file motions or appear in court if they do not know where a client is being held. Advocates are pushing for greater transparency and clear notice requirements whenever detainees are moved.
For anyone trying to locate a loved one in ICE custody, advocates recommend gathering the detainee's full name, date of birth and, if available, A-number before calling ICE's Detention, Removals and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024 and the local Enforcement and Removal Operations field office. Community groups such as Aurora Unidos and local immigration legal clinics are offering help tracking transfers and recovering commissary funds, and supporters urge families to save screenshots, receipts and timestamps of any locator activity while pressing agencies and lawmakers for concrete fixes.
