Krome ICE is for US Immigration & Customs Enforcement-ICE offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.
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If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders
The Krome North Service Processing Center (ICE) is a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility located at 18201 SW 12th St in Miami, FL in Dade County. This medium-security facility is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and functions as a holding center for immigration detainees awaiting trial, deportation, or serving sentences following conviction.
To find an ICE inmate, please use the Detainee Locator System with the A-Number search being the most efficient method. The A-number must be exactly nine digits; if shorter, zeros should be added at the beginning. When searching by name, the first and last names must be entered as an exact match, and the detainee's correct country of birth must be selected. Please note that records of individuals under 18 cannot be searched.
Detainees at this facility are assigned to housing based on their custody level, determined by various factors including sentence length and criminal history. The detention center provides a wide range of educational and vocational training programs. Additionally, the facility is equipped to meet most detainee needs, including dietary, health, fitness, education, religious practices, and entertainment. As a privately operated facility, it undergoes frequent inspections to ensure it remains in top condition, maintaining a clean record to secure ongoing government contracts.
The Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, Florida, is one of the most recognizable and historically significant immigration detention facilities in the United States. Operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security, the complex houses adult immigration detainees awaiting deportation proceedings, asylum hearings, transfers, or removal from the country. Unlike county jails run by elected sheriffs, Krome is a federally controlled immigration detention center administered through ICE’s Miami Field Office, with operational support provided by private contractors including Akima Global Services. The facility sits on a sprawling secured compound in western Miami-Dade County near the Everglades, an isolated location that has long made it a focal point of federal immigration enforcement activity in South Florida.
Krome maintains a contractual detention capacity generally reported between 580 and 650 detainees, although recent federal records and oversight reports indicate the population has at times surged dramatically beyond those levels during intensified immigration enforcement operations. Data released during 2025 showed the facility temporarily holding well over 1,000 detainees above contractual capacity during peak overcrowding periods, making it one of the most overcrowded ICE detention facilities in the country. The center primarily houses male detainees, although temporary overflow housing involving women has also been documented during periods of severe population spikes. Immigration detainees processed through Krome often originate from South Florida enforcement operations, maritime interdictions, airport detentions, border transfers, and interstate ICE transportation networks connected to the broader national detention system.
Originally developed on property associated with former military infrastructure in Miami-Dade County, Krome has evolved into a central processing and detention hub for ICE operations throughout the southeastern United States. The facility works closely with the nearby Miami Krome Immigration Court, where detainees appear before immigration judges regarding asylum claims, bond determinations, deportation proceedings, and other immigration matters. Krome also serves as a transfer point for detainees being moved between federal detention facilities nationwide. Because South Florida remains one of the nation’s busiest immigration enforcement regions due to its proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America, the facility experiences constant detainee movement and heavy operational demands. Intake, medical screening, classification, transportation coordination, and federal custody processing occur around the clock within the secured compound.
ICE Detainee Information
This facility holds immigration detainees under an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in addition to its regular population. ICE detainees are civil immigration detainees, not criminal defendants, and are held while their immigration cases are processed. The rules, rights, and services that apply to ICE detainees differ from those that apply to the general jail population.
To locate an ICE detainee at this facility, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. You will need the detainee's A-Number, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number that appears on any immigration document they have received. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning. If you do not have the A-Number, you can search using the detainee's full legal name, country of birth, and date of birth. Names must be an exact match; try variations if the first search returns no results.
Immigration bond works differently from criminal bail. Not all detainees are eligible for bond; those with certain criminal convictions or prior deportation orders may be subject to mandatory detention. For those who are eligible, bond is set by an immigration judge and typically ranges from $1,500 to over $10,000. Bond must be paid in full before release. An immigration attorney can request a bond hearing and argue for a lower amount based on the detainee's circumstances.
Unlike criminal defendants, ICE detainees do not have the right to a government-appointed attorney. They must hire a private immigration attorney or find free legal help through a nonprofit organization. RAICES provides legal services and bond assistance at raicestexas.org. The National Immigrant Justice Center offers free legal representation at immigrantjustice.org. Many immigration courts also maintain a list of free and low-cost legal service providers available to detainees upon request.
ICE transfers detainees between facilities frequently and with little advance notice, sometimes to locations far from family and legal counsel. If you cannot locate your family member through this page, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator again at locator.ice.gov with their A-Number. If they have an attorney, notify the attorney immediately as transfers affect court appearances and case timelines. Search here - ICE Detainee Locator.
Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you must call (305) 207-6424 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number, and your name and telephone number where you can be reached. The detainee will be given your message.
Following the intake process, which includes property inventory, medical screening, and booking, inmates are assigned to the general population. Housing assignments are based on the classification of their charges, whether felony or misdemeanor, to ensure proper management and safety within the facility.
After processing, inmates are assigned to a housing area based on classification. Compliance with jail rules typically results in a lower classification and more privileges, while rule violations or additional charges lead to a higher classification and fewer privileges. Inmates serving as trustees within the jail undertake various tasks, including cooking, laundry, and commissary management, often receiving minimal compensation or sentence reduction for their services.
The jail is designed with "pods," featuring a large common area with affixed tables and attached seats, and individual cells typically on two levels. Inmates spend certain times in their cells and other times congregating in the pod for activities like playing cards, games, reading, or watching television. Movement outside the pod, such as trips to the commissary, library, or recreation area, occurs under the constant supervision of unarmed correctional officers. The environment in the county jail is considered less stressful than that of a prison because the sentences are much shorter.
The jail offers a phone program for outbound calls only, with inmates unable to receive incoming calls. Accepting collect calls can be expensive, sometimes exceeding $10 per call. Alternatively, setting up an account through a third-party phone company may entail high fees per minute of usage. Click here for discounts on inmate calls, especially if the communication with your inmate is frequent. It's important to remember that all phone calls are recorded, and discussing sensitive legal matters over these lines is discouraged.
Books and magazines ordered for inmates must come directly from the publisher. This policy ensures that the items are new, untampered, and comply with the facility's regulations. The Jail enforces this rule to prevent the introduction of contraband or prohibited materials. By restricting orders to publishers, the facility can better maintain security and control over the content entering the institution. Any books or magazines not received directly from the publisher will be rejected and not delivered to the inmate. You may, however, send letters and selfies to inmates with this easy-to-use app, packages starting at only $8.00.
The facility has also become nationally known for repeated scrutiny regarding detention conditions, overcrowding, medical care, and detainee treatment. Human rights organizations, immigration attorneys, advocacy groups, and federal lawmakers have periodically criticized conditions inside Krome, particularly during surges in immigration arrests and detention expansion initiatives. Reports released during 2025 and 2026 described detainees sleeping on floors, extended intake delays, overcrowded holding areas, sanitation concerns, and temporary overflow housing structures erected on the property to accommodate increasing detainee populations. Several investigations and public demonstrations surrounding Krome have amplified national debate over federal immigration detention practices, particularly as ICE expanded detention operations during renewed immigration enforcement efforts.
Despite the controversy surrounding the facility, Krome remains one of the most operationally important immigration detention centers within DHS infrastructure. The center functions not as a traditional criminal jail, but as a civil detention facility where detainees are held pending immigration proceedings rather than criminal sentencing. Staff coordinate detainee transportation, court appearances, attorney visitation, medical services, communication systems, intake processing, and deportation logistics under federal detention standards established by ICE and DHS. Its strategic Miami location, close proximity to international airports and ports of entry, and role within national immigration enforcement operations ensure that Krome North Service Processing Center continues to occupy a central position in America’s immigration detention system.
