ICE and ISAP Check-Ins

There are many different immigration agencies within the United States government. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the name of the immigration agency that enforces immigration laws, and Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) is the name for ICE’s program to monitor certain immigrants.

Some people have to go to regular check-in appointments with ICE or ISAP as part of their immigration case, and other people do not. If you entered the United States with a visa and you have never been detained by the U.S. government before, you most likely do not have ICE or ISAP check-ins. If you entered the United States by crossing the border and you were detained, or if you were detained some time after entering the United States, you may have ICE or ISAP check-ins.

Please note that ICE check-ins are different from immigration court hearings. Many people who have ICE check-ins also have, or will have, a case in immigration court. Learn how to check if you have a case in immigration court here. 

Scroll down or click on the links below to read questions and answers from the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP).

What is ICE? What is ISAP?

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a U.S. government agency that enforces immigration laws.

Often when ICE releases a person from immigration detention, they decide to continue to monitor the person through a program called the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). This monitoring can happen in different ways, including through ankle monitors, in-person check-in appointments, visits at home, or check-ins by phone. Some private companies work for ICE to administer the ISAP program.

This page is only about ICE and ISAP check-ins. If you are looking for safety measures for asylum seekers, visit this webpage.

How do I know if I have an ICE check-in, when it is, and where it will be?

First, even if you were released from detention, you may not have to check-in with ICE. Some people have to check-in regularly as part of their case, and other people do not.

You probably have ICE check-in appointments if ANY of the following situations apply to you: 

  1. You received a document from the U.S. government that tells you that you have appointments with ICE. The document may look like this, this, or this.

    • The document may tell you when and where your first ICE appointment will be.

  2. After arriving in the United States through the Mexico-U.S. border, you received a document called Notice to Report (Form I-385).

  3. After arriving in the United States through the Mexico-U.S. border, you were told that you have to report to ICE by a certain time (for example, within 60 days).

    • Usually, border officials do not tell you when and where your first ICE appointment will be. Read about what you can do in this situation. You can also schedule an appointment at this ICE website.

If you think you are supposed to check-in with ICE but you are not sure, you can try calling ICE’s national phone numbers at 1-833-383-1465 or 1-888-351-4024. Or you can also try contacting your local ICE office.

Will I be detained at an ICE check-in?

Maybe. The government has begun detaining more people during ICE check-ins. You can read about how to prepare for an ICE check-in below. 

Here are some groups of people who may be especially at risk of being detained at an ICE check-in:

Even if none of these categories apply to you, it is still possible to be detained at an ICE check-in. The situation is changing quickly.

How can I prepare for an ICE check-in?

If possible, talk to a lawyer before you go to your next ICE check-in. Find legal help here. 

If you go to an ICE check-in, here are some things you can do to prepare:   

  • If you have pending immigration applications, bring copies of documents that show this, such as an asylum application receipt. 

  • If you have lived in the U.S. for more than 2 years, bring copies of documents that show this (see examples here). 

  • If you have special circumstances, bring copies of documents that show this, such as birth certificates of any children born in the U.S. or medical documents about an illness or injury. 

  • Ask someone who is a U.S. citizen to go with you to the check-in if possible. 

  • You can also make an emergency plan beforehand. 

  • If you are detained at an ICE check-in, and you are afraid to return to your country of origin, tell as many immigration officers as possible that you are afraid to return to your country of origin and you want to seek asylum.

What can I do if my ICE check-in appointment is scheduled very far in the future?

Some ICE offices are scheduling first appointments or follow-up appointments far in the future. While you are waiting for your appointment with ICE, you can still continue with your immigration case!

  1. You should check the immigration court system every week to see if you have been scheduled for a hearing in immigration court. It is important to attend all of your immigration court hearings if you want to pursue your case.

  2. You can also decide whether to apply for asylum. Generally, people who want to apply for asylum must apply within 1 year of arriving in the United States.

If you were told that you have to report to ICE within a certain time (for example, 60 days), but the earliest available ICE appointment you can find is later than that, it should be okay. According to ICE, you will still meet the reporting requirement by scheduling the earliest available appointment. You should keep a copy of the appointment confirmation page in case you need to show it to the government later.

What should I do if I cannot attend my ICE check-in?

If you cannot attend your ICE check-in and you want to continue to pursue your immigration case, there are steps you can take. 

Time: According to ICE, if you cannot attend the time of your ICE check-in appointment, you can show up anytime that day to meet the requirements of your release. 

Date: If you cannot attend the date of your ICE check-in appointment, you can try to reschedule:

  • You can go to https://checkin.ice.gov/fos to try to reschedule your check-in appointment.

  • You can try calling your ICE officer to let them know and ask to reschedule your appointment for another date when you are able to attend. 

  • If you do not have your ICE officer’s phone number, you can try calling ICE’s national phone number at 1-833-383-1465 or your local ICE office.

Location: If you plan to move far away and you will not be able to attend the location of your ICE check-in appointment, ICE may tell you to ask permission before you move. Read more information below.

Can I move if I have ICE check-ins?

Yes – but if you want to continue to pursue your immigration case, ICE may tell you to get permission before moving. 

  • If you have a Form I-220A, ICE says that you must get written permission from your ICE Officer before you move. 

  • If you have a Form I-220B, ICE says that you must inform your ICE Officer in writing 48 hours before you move. If you move far away, you can ask your ICE officer to update your appointment location.

  • If you do not have either of these forms, and ICE has not told you that you need to notify them about a move, then ICE says you are not required to tell them before you move.

No matter what type of form you have, ICE says that you should also update your address on ICE’s website or by phone at 1-833-383-1465 after you move. You may also need to change your address with the immigration court and other immigration agencies.

What should I do if no one answers when I call the ICE office?

If no one answers at the ICE office, you can try leaving a voicemail message with your name, phone number, and A number. It is often difficult to get someone to answer when you call an ICE office and you may not be able to leave a voicemail message. You can try to keep calling until they answer.

You can also try calling the ICE’s national number at 1-833-383-1465.

You can also try emailing your local ICE office.

It is helpful to keep a record of how you tried to contact ICE. You can write down the date and time you called, what phone number you called, and what answer was provided. Keep a copy of any emails you send to ICE.

ICE took my passport. Can I get a new one?

If ICE took your passport, they usually keep it until the end of your immigration court case. At the end of your case, ICE should return your passport when you ask for it.

If you need your passport while your immigration court case is still pending, there are two possible options: (1) you can ask ICE to return your passport temporarily, and (2) you can request a new passport from the consulate of your country of origin. There is more detail on these options below to help you decide whether they make sense for you.

First, you can ask your ICE office to return your passport to you temporarily for a specific reason, such as to apply for a driver’s license. But you will have to return your passport by the date ICE specifies. If they do not agree to give you the passport itself, you can also ask them for a photocopy of the pages with your name, biographic information, and photo. You can use that photocopy to prove your identity when you send immigration applications, like for a work permit.

Second, some people may be able to request a new passport from the consulate of your country of origin. Whether this option makes sense for you may depend on the reasons why you are requesting asylum.

  • If you are requesting asylum based on threat or danger from the government of your country of origin, it is probably a bad idea to contact your country’s consulate in the United States to request a new passport because it could put you at risk. The U.S. government could decide that because you are not afraid to contact your country of origin’s government for a new passport, you do not need the protection of asylum in the United States.

  • If you are not in danger directly from the government in your country of origin, but instead from other people or groups there, it may be safe to request a new passport from your country’s consulate in the United States. You know best the reasons why you may be seeking asylum in the United States, and whether contacting the government of your country of origin is a risk. If you are not sure what to do, we recommend talking to an immigration attorney first.

  • If you are not seeking asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), but instead you have a different type of immigration case, it is generally fine to request a new passport from your country.

I have an ankle monitor. How can I request for it to be removed?

The length of time it takes to remove the ankle monitor varies and each case is different. Sometimes a lawyer can advocate to have it removed. If you would like to find a lawyer, visit this find help page.

Also, this guide has information on how to ask your ICE officer to remove the ankle monitor. The same guide also describes how you can request other changes, like being able to check-in by phone instead of in person, or having less frequent check-ins.

A government official told me to report to ICE after arriving in the United States. What can I do?

If you arrived in the United States through the Mexico-U.S. border between March and November 2021, you may have been told by a U.S. government official that you must report to ICE within a certain amount of time.

  • Some people who arrived at the Mexico-U.S. border received a document called a Notice to Report (Form I-385). With this notice, they were told to report to a local ICE office within 60 days.

  • Other people did not receive a specific document, but an immigration official told them to report to ICE by a certain time (for example, within 15 days or 60 days).

If this happened to you, below are some possible next steps you can take.

1. You can report to ICE by scheduling an ICE check-in appointment. You can schedule an appointment on this ICE website. If you were told that you have to report to ICE within a certain time (for example, 60 days), but the earliest available ICE appointment you can find is later than that, it should be okay. Read more here.

2. You should check the immigration court system every week to see if you have been scheduled for a hearing in immigration court. You can call the immigration court hotline at 1-800-898-7180 or go to this immigration court website. You will need to enter your A Number. It is important to attend all of your immigration court hearings if you want to pursue your case.

Note: If you have not yet received a Notice to Appear, the government has said you will probably receive one in the future. A Notice to Appear is a document that says you have a case in immigration court. You could receive the Notice to Appear at a check-in appointment with ICE. Or you could receive it in the mail at the address you provided to the U.S. government.

3. You can apply for asylum. Applying for asylum is a personal choice, and it can be a complicated decision depending on your circumstances. Most people who apply for asylum are required to apply within 1 year of entering the United States, but you may want to apply more quickly. 150 days after submitting an asylum application, you can usually apply for a work permit. Learn more about asylum here.

How to apply for asylum depends on whether your information appears when you check the immigration court system.

  • If your case information does not appear in the immigration court system after you enter your A Number, you can apply for asylum with USCIS by following these steps.

  • If your case information does appear in the immigration court system and you have been assigned to an immigration court, you can apply for asylum with the immigration court by following these steps.

4. If you have moved, you can call ICE’s national phone number at 1-833-383-1465 to update your address. You may also need to change your address with other immigration agencies.

5. For advice specific to your case, you can also look for an attorney.

I cannot get an ICE appointment by the deadline a government official gave me. What can I do?

If you were told that you have to report to ICE within a certain time (for example, 60 days), but the earliest available ICE appointment you can find is later than that, it should be okay.

According to ICE, you will still meet the reporting requirement by scheduling the earliest available appointment. You should keep a copy of the appointment confirmation page in case you need to show it to the government later. As of spring 2023, some ICE offices are scheduling appointments many years in the future.

If you are having difficulty scheduling an appointment, you can keep trying, and write down everything you have done to try to schedule an appointment. If you have problems with the ICE website, you can try calling ICE’s national phone number at 1-833-383-1465. You can also keep records, like taking a screenshot of the website scheduler with your phone. Later, you may have to show that you tried your best to schedule an appointment.

Note: This information is for adults who are seeking asylum in the United States without a lawyer. We hope this information helps you navigate the immigration process. This information is not intended to be legal advice and ASAP is not your lawyer. To look for legal assistance, visit ASAP’s find help page.

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