Information for asylum seekers about immigration detention

This post has information for asylum seekers about immigration detention and expedited removal. You can also read these safety measures, and read about the risk of detention in immigration court, and the risk of detention at ICE check-ins.

5 things to know about immigration detention

1. You do not have to sign any documents that you cannot read and understand on your own.

2. You can ask to call your lawyer or a loved one. You can call your lawyer if you have one, or call a loved one who can help find a lawyer. Find a private immigration lawyer or nonprofit organization (search by the name of the detention center).   

3. If you have lived in the United States for more than 14 days, you can tell the immigration officials, and show proof if possible. The government is trying to put some immigrants in a faster deportation process called “expedited removal.”

4. If you are afraid of returning to your country of origin, you can say that you are afraid to return every chance you have. If you tell immigration officials you are afraid, you may receive a “Credible Fear” or “Reasonable Fear” Interview. 

5. You can ask to be released from detention, but it is not easy. Some immigrants can ask to be released through a bond hearing or humanitarian parole.  

How to find someone who is detained

To find a detained adult, you can use this ICE website. At the top of the page, you can change the language. You can enter the following information about the person — first name, last name, date of birth, and country of birth — to try to find out which detention center they are in. You can also read this guide for additional steps. 

To find a detained child, parents can call this government line: 1-800-203-7001. This government resource has more information. You can also find more information here. 

To contact a detained loved one, each detention center has different rules about how you can contact people who are detained and how you can put money in their accounts they can use to buy food or make calls. For information about each detention center, visit this government website.

Expedited Removal

Expedited removal is a way for the government to deport some immigrants more quickly. Immigrants can be put in the expedited removal process right after they arrive in the U.S., or if their case is dismissed. People are almost always detained during the expedited removal process. Since January 2025, the government has been trying to expand expedited removal to include many more immigrants. 

However, as of August 29, 2025, a court has ordered that the government can only put people in expedited removal if (1) they have been in the United States for less than 14 days and they are within 100 miles of the land border, or (2) they arrived by sea, were not admitted or paroled, and have been present in the U.S. for less than 2 years. If you are not in one of those two situations, the government is not supposed to put you in expedited removal. But, this can change in the future. We will continue to update this page as we learn more information.

When someone who is in the expedited removal process tells the government that they are afraid to return to their country of origin, the government is supposed to give them a Credible or Reasonable Fear Interview.

Credible or Reasonable Fear Interviews

If you tell immigration officials that you are afraid to return to your country of origin, and you are in the expedited removal process, you are supposed to receive a Credible Fear or Reasonable Fear Interview.

Immigration officials will likely not ask you if you are scared, so you can tell as many officials as possible as many times as you can. If you have already applied for asylum, you can tell the immigration officials that. You can also try to submit a letter to ICE that explains why you are afraid. There is a sample letter on page 36 of this guide. 

If you have been in the United States for more than 14 days, you should also tell as many officials as possible that you received parole and you should not be in expedited removal according to a court order.

A Credible or Reasonable Fear Interview is different from a normal asylum interview with USCIS. At the interview, you can explain to an immigration official why you are afraid to return to your country of origin. If you pass the interview, you are then supposed to be able to apply for asylum or other forms of protection in immigration court. You could be detained during this process. 

This guide has more information about Credible and Reasonable Fear Interviews. However, please know that these resources have not been updated recently, and we do not know exactly how this process will work now.

Bond Hearings and Humanitarian Parole

Some people can ask an immigration judge to release them from detention through a process called a bond hearing. The government has recently made it more difficult to qualify for a bond. If an immigration judge grants bond, they will set an amount that you need to pay to leave detention. Read this guide for more information. If you need help paying the bond amount, you may be able to request support.

Another possible way to request release from detention is by asking for “humanitarian parole” because of an urgent situation such as a serious medical condition or pregnancy. Read this guide for more information. 

You can find more information about requesting release from detention on this website (scroll down to the section “Release from Detention.”) 

More resources

• This resource has information for people whose loved ones are detained. 

• This guide has information for immigrants in detention. 

• This website has many other guides and resources.   

• You can contact Freedom for Immigrants for assistance at [email protected]. If you are currently detained, the direct line to call from inside the detention center is 9233#. 

• You can find a private immigration lawyer or nonprofit organization (search by the name of the detention center).