Indiana has become a significant immigration detention state, holding not only people detained within Indiana but also many transferred in from Illinois and the wider Chicago region. The main site is a state prison in rural Bunker Hill, the Miami Correctional Facility, where ICE rents beds to hold immigration detainees. So if someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in or near Indiana, there is a good chance they are being held in the state, often at a large, remote facility. The two most urgent things you can do are find exactly where your person is being held, and get an immigration attorney involved right away.
It helps to understand the nature of this. ICE detention is civil, not criminal. A person is not being held as punishment for a crime; they are being held to secure their presence for immigration proceedings or removal. And unlike criminal court, immigration court does not provide a free, government appointed lawyer, which is why finding legal help early is so important.
One number matters more than anything else through all of this: the Alien Registration Number, called the A-Number. It is a nine digit number assigned to the case, found on immigration paperwork, a work permit, or court notices. Write it down and keep it close, because it is the key to locating your person, posting any bond, and working with a lawyer.
How to find someone in ICE custody
ICE runs a free public tool called the Online Detainee Locator System, at locator.ice.gov. You can search by the A-Number, which is the most reliable way, or by the person's full name plus their country of birth and date of birth.
A few things make the difference between finding your person and coming up empty. The locator only matches names spelled exactly the way the government entered them, so if you get no result, try different spellings, swap the order of first and last names, and try with and without a middle name. Children under 18 do not appear in the system at all. And there can be a lag of a day or more before a newly detained person shows up, and oversight visits have found the locator does not always reflect a person's location quickly, so keep checking.
If you cannot find them, call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. Indiana falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago field office, which oversees immigration operations for Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, and Kansas.
Where ICE detention happens in Indiana
The main immigration detention site in Indiana is the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, in Miami County, about 70 miles north of Indianapolis and roughly 130 miles southeast of Chicago. It is a state prison run by the Indiana Department of Correction, and under an agreement with ICE the state has set aside a large block of beds, up to around a thousand, to hold immigration detainees. The facility has been used heavily to hold people arrested in the Chicago region as well as in Indiana, so people detained in Illinois are sometimes brought here.
People are also held in some county jails that work with ICE, such as the Clay County jail. In addition, a military base near Edinburgh, Camp Atterbury, has been designated for temporary use to house immigration detainees. Because the facilities in use can change and people are moved in and out, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is. These sites are rural, which can make visiting and legal access a longer trip, so plan ahead.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in Indiana
Indiana has moved firmly toward cooperation with ICE. The governor issued an executive order in early 2025 directing state and local law enforcement to fully cooperate with immigration authorities, and several state agencies, including the Indiana State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Correction, have entered 287(g) agreements that let designated officers carry out certain immigration functions. A number of county sheriffs have done the same.
What this means in practice is that a local arrest in Indiana can lead to immigration custody. When a person is booked into a county jail, their status may be checked and ICE can place a detainer, also called an ICE hold, which is a request to keep the person for up to 48 hours beyond their normal release so ICE can take custody. If your person was first arrested locally, this is usually how a local matter became an immigration detention.
How the process and your person's rights work
Immigration cases are handled in immigration court, run by a separate agency called the Executive Office for Immigration Review, not by ICE. Cases for people held in Indiana are often handled through the immigration court in Chicago, sometimes by video from the facility, and you can check case status through the court's automated system using the A-Number.
Here is what families most need to know about rights. A detained person has the right to be represented by a lawyer, but at their own expense, because the government does not provide one in immigration proceedings. They have the right to a list of free or low cost legal service providers. They generally have the right to a hearing before an immigration judge, and in many cases the right to ask that judge for release on bond. Some people are eligible for bond, which a judge can set and which can then be paid for release while the case continues; others fall under mandatory detention and are not eligible. One more thing worth knowing: a detained person should not sign documents giving up their rights, such as a voluntary departure form, without talking to a lawyer first.
How families can help from the outside
Find a lawyer first. Indiana and the Chicago region have immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations experienced with these facilities, so reach out early, and have the A-Number ready when you call.
Learn the phone and money system. At the Miami Correctional Facility, a detained person is given a personal identification number, or PIN, that they need in order to call family or an attorney, and it can take about a day to receive it. Calls carry a fee, paid by loading money onto a prepaid account, and international calls and calls to a consulate are often possible. Families who want to reach the facility can call its information line, and you should confirm the current number and procedures when you call.
Send mail the right way. Letters to a detainee at the Miami Correctional Facility need to be addressed to the detainee by name with the last four digits of their A-Number, at the facility's address in Bunker Hill. Confirm the current mailing rules, since facilities limit what can be sent.
Keep the paperwork organized. Hold onto every document with the A-Number, every court notice, and every receipt, and share copies with the attorney.
Staying connected matters more than anything
Through all of the logistics, do not underestimate the simple power of staying in touch. Being held at a remote facility, sometimes far from home and sometimes after a transfer from another state, can leave a person isolated and frightened, and steady contact from home is one of the few things that genuinely helps a person hold on.
Letters and photos are the backbone of that connection. They are something your person can keep, read again on a hard night, and hold as proof that home has not let go. InmateAid can help you send physical mail and photos to your loved one, printed and delivered the right way so it reaches them inside. Use it to send pictures of family, words of encouragement, or simply a reminder that someone is fighting for them on the outside. That steady contact, alongside a good lawyer, is the most practical support you can give while the case moves forward.
Frequently asked questions
Where does ICE detain people in Indiana?
The main site is the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, a state prison where the Indiana Department of Correction has set aside a large block of beds for ICE. Some county jails, such as Clay County, also hold people for ICE, and a military base near Edinburgh, Camp Atterbury, has been designated for temporary detention use. People detained in the Chicago region, including Illinois, are sometimes held in Indiana.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in Indiana?
Use the free Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov, searching by the nine digit A-Number or by full name, country of birth, and date of birth. The locator does not always update quickly, so keep checking, and if you cannot find them, call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
Does Indiana cooperate with ICE?
Yes. The governor directed full cooperation in early 2025, and state agencies including the State Police, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Correction, along with several county sheriffs, have entered 287(g) agreements. A local arrest can lead to immigration custody.
Can someone be released from ICE detention on bond?
Sometimes. An immigration judge can set bond for people who are eligible, and it can then be paid for release while the case continues. Others are subject to mandatory detention and cannot get bond. An immigration attorney can determine which applies.
How do I send mail or money to someone at the Miami Correctional Facility?
Letters should be addressed to the detainee by name with the last four digits of their A-Number, at the facility in Bunker Hill. For phone calls, the person needs a PIN, which takes about a day, and calls are paid through a prepaid account. Always confirm the current rules with the facility, since they limit what can be sent.
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