Michigan: Resources for ICE Detainees

This guide is for people detained by ICE in Michigan and for their families. Michigan became a major immigration detention hub in 2025. The North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin - a remote village in rural Lake County, west Michigan - is the largest ICE detention facility in the Midwest, with 1,800 beds and approximately 1,300 average daily detainees as of late 2025 into 2026. Opened June 16, 2025 by the GEO Group under a two-year contract, it is projected to generate $70-85 million annually. Over half of North Lake's population has no criminal convictions. Four county jails - Calhoun, Chippewa, Monroe, and St. Clair - also hold ICE detainees. All Michigan facilities fall under the ICE Detroit Field Office. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) is the primary free legal resource and provides free phone calls from all Michigan ICE detention facilities. Habeas corpus petitions in federal court have been a significant tool - Michigan federal judges granted hundreds between November 2025 and February 2026 - though bond amounts have risen sharply (median $7,000+ by early 2026) and the government has appealed many releases. A second detention facility, a warehouse in Romulus, was proposed but blocked by a city/state lawsuit. Average stay at North Lake is approximately six weeks. Last verified: June 2026.

Step 1: Find Your Family Member - Right Now

ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

You need: the person's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth - OR their A-Number (Alien Registration Number). The locator may lag 24-48 hours after an arrest or transfer. MIRC recommends also using Vinelink (vinelink.com) - a state-level inmate locator that updates more frequently than the ICE locator for Michigan detainees.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024 (toll-free)

EOIR Immigration Court Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE Detroit Field Office: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (313) 771-6601

ICE Detroit Field Office address: 985 Michigan Avenue, Suite 207, Detroit, MI 48226

North Lake Processing Center: (231) 876-4900

MIRC (Michigan Immigrant Rights Center) free call from detention: Available from North Lake, Calhoun, Chippewa, Monroe, and St. Clair - see Step 3 for calling instructions. For families outside detention: (734) 239-6863 | michiganimmigrant.org

Vinelink: vinelink.com - Search by name and county for Michigan detainees; updates more frequently than the federal ICE locator. Recommended by MIRC as a supplement to the ICE locator.

Step 2: Where ICE Detainees Are Held in Michigan

North Lake Processing Center - Baldwin (Primary and Largest Facility)

North Lake Processing Center, Baldwin, MI 49304 (Lake County)

Phone: (231) 876-4900

ICE case information: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

Operated by: GEO Group under two-year contract with ICE (signed July 18, 2025)

Capacity: 1,800 beds

Average daily population: approximately 1,300-1,400 (late 2025-2026)

Attorney visits: 7 days a week including holidays, 8 AM-4 PM | Schedule via email: 135attorneyvisits@geogroup.com

Legal calls: Contact (231) 876-4900

Tablets: Available - messaging through GlobalTel's website (globaltellink.com)

Money: AccessCorrections website (accesscorrections.com) | kiosks available at facility

North Lake Processing Center is located in Baldwin, Michigan - a small village in Lake County, approximately 2.5 hours north of Detroit and 3 hours northeast of Chicago. Baldwin has a population of approximately 1,200 people, in one of Michigan's poorest counties. The facility previously operated as a federal prison for non-citizens convicted of federal crimes and closed in 2022; it reopened as an ICE detention center on June 16, 2025. GEO Group estimates the facility will generate $70-85 million annually at full capacity, with hundreds of jobs created in Lake County. GEO secured a two-year contract finalized July 18, 2025.

As of March 2026, over half of North Lake's population had no criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. Many are held as 'immigration violators' - a civil charge with no criminal equivalent. Conditions concerns documented by attorneys and advocacy organizations include: inadequate food, inadequate medical care, extreme cold inside, language barriers affecting communication with staff, and extended detention periods - as of June 2026, some people had been held there for nine months or longer. A hunger strike began in April 2026 involving hundreds of detainees protesting medical neglect, unsafe conditions, and prolonged legal delays.

Visiting: Four days a week in 1.5-hour windows at times dependent on the detainee's housing classification. Call (231) 876-4900 to confirm current visiting schedule and registration requirements. Males and females visit on separate days. Visitors must be 18 or older (or accompanied by parent/guardian with proof of relationship). Government-issued photo ID required. All visitors subject to search. Non-contact visits for detainees in Special Management Unit (SMU).

Mail: Contact facility at (231) 876-4900 for current mail address and procedures. GEO and ICE facilities typically use the format: [Detainee Full Name + A-Number], North Lake Processing Center, [address].

County Jails Holding ICE Detainees

Calhoun County Correctional Center - Battle Creek

185 East Michigan Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49014

Phone: (269) 969-6440 (Calhoun County Sheriff)

ICE case information: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (313) 771-6601

MIRC free calls available from this facility (see Step 3)

Chippewa County Correctional Facility - Kincheloe (Upper Peninsula)

Kincheloe, MI (Chippewa County)

Phone: (906) 495-5556 (Chippewa County Sheriff)

ICE case information: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

MIRC free calls available from this facility

Note: Chippewa County is in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, significantly more remote than southern Michigan facilities.

Monroe County Jail - Monroe

100 East Second Street, Monroe, MI 48161

Phone: (734) 240-7530 (Monroe County Sheriff)

ICE case information: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

MIRC free calls available from this facility

St. Clair County Jail - Port Huron

1170 Michigan Road, Port Huron, MI 48060

Phone: (810) 985-8115 (St. Clair County Sheriff)

ICE case information: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov

MIRC free calls available from this facility

Romulus Warehouse - STATUS: BLOCKED (Verify)

Romulus, MI (Wayne County) - In 2026, DHS proposed converting a warehouse in Romulus into an ICE detention facility. City and state officials sued to stop the conversion, and hundreds protested in April 2026. As of publication, the conversion was blocked. Verify current status at ice.gov or by contacting MIRC.

Step 3: Get Legal Help - Free Calls Available from All Michigan ICE Facilities

Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) - Primary Free Resource

michiganimmigrant.org | (734) 239-6863 | Monday-Friday 9 AM-5 PM

MIRC is the primary free immigration legal services organization for Michigan detainees. Their number is posted inside North Lake and all Michigan county jails holding ICE detainees. MIRC provides legal information, intake screening, brief advice, and referrals to pro bono attorneys for priority cases.

MIRC provides free calls from detention at: North Lake (Baldwin), Calhoun County, Chippewa County, Monroe County, and St. Clair County - unlike regular calls, which cost money. Detainees should ask facility staff how to make a free call to MIRC, as procedures vary by facility. MIRC also posts county-specific calling instructions at michiganimmigrant.org.

MIRC intake: Call (734) 239-6863 for intake screening. Income screening applies (household income at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines for most services, with exceptions for domestic violence, naturalization, and Detroit Immigration Court Helpdesk cases). If MIRC cannot take a case, they provide referrals and self-help information.

MIRC's Senior Managing Attorney Ruby Robinson has been a prominent voice in Michigan habeas corpus litigation. MIRC tracks bond outcomes and conditions across all Michigan ICE facilities.

Detroit Immigration Court Helpdesk - MIRC

MIRC operates a help desk at the Detroit Immigration Court available to all income levels. For detained people with immigration court hearings in Detroit, this is an accessible resource.

Immigration Law and Justice Network - Michigan affiliate

iljnetwork.org | Immigration Law and Justice Michigan is the state affiliate network; contact MIRC for current affiliate information.

No Detention Centers Michigan

Advocacy organization active in monitoring North Lake and organizing community response. Contact for community support and referrals. Spokesperson JR Martin has been active in media coverage of North Lake conditions.

Habeas corpus petitions - a critical tool in Michigan

Michigan federal courts (both the Western District in Grand Rapids and the Eastern District in Detroit) have been active venues for habeas corpus petitions challenging unlawful detention. Between November 2025 and mid-February 2026, Michigan federal judges granted most of the hundreds of habeas petitions they reviewed. Contact MIRC or a private immigration attorney immediately if a family member has been denied bond or detained for an extended period.

EOIR Pro Bono List

North Lake and all Michigan county jails holding ICE detainees are required to post pro bono legal service lists in housing units. Ask your family member to request this list immediately. At North Lake, MIRC's number is posted and free calls are available.

Immigration Advocates Network

immigrationadvocates.org - National searchable directory; search by Michigan.

Step 4: Bond - How to Get Someone Released

Bond has been actively contested in Michigan. The Trump administration's mandatory detention policy was challenged through hundreds of habeas petitions in Michigan's federal courts. In the Western District (covering North Lake and Calhoun County), judges granted most petitions, finding detainees were 'unlawfully' detained without a bond hearing. However, bond amounts have risen sharply: the median bond set by immigration judges for Michigan ICE detainees was at or below $5,000 in late 2025, but rose to $7,000+ by early 2026. Some bonds have been set at $30,000 or higher, effectively keeping people detained.

The Detroit Immigration Court has been using out-of-state judges to handle the North Lake docket, creating jurisdictional complications that have delayed some bond hearings. An immigration attorney is critical for navigating these issues.

Bond posting for Michigan detainees

Bond for Michigan ICE detainees is posted at the ICE ERO Detroit Field Office:

ICE ERO Detroit: 985 Michigan Avenue, Suite 207, Detroit, MI 48226 | (313) 771-6601

Payment: Money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to 'Department of Homeland Security.' Bring the detainee's full name, A-Number, and bond order.

A licensed immigration bond agent can post bond electronically for a fee, avoiding travel to Detroit.

Bond Funds

National Immigrant Bond Fund

immigrantbondfund.org - National fund; requires family contribution.

Michigan mutual aid

Contact MIRC and No Detention Centers Michigan for current Michigan-specific bond assistance resources.

Step 5: Communication at Michigan Facilities

North Lake Processing Center - Baldwin

Visiting: 4 days per week, 1.5-hour windows by housing classification; males and females on separate days. Call (231) 876-4900 for current schedule. Government ID required; visitor must be 18+ or accompanied. No items passed to detainees. All visitors searched.

Tablets/Messaging: GlobalTel - globaltellink.com

Phone: Outgoing calls only; outgoing calls cost money. To leave an urgent message: call (231) 876-4900 (facility main); ask for a staff member to relay a message.

Money: Access Corrections - accesscorrections.com | facility kiosks also available.

Attorney visits: 7 days/week 8 AM-4 PM; schedule at 135attorneyvisits@geogroup.com

County Jails

Calhoun County (Battle Creek): (269) 969-6440

Chippewa County (Kincheloe): (906) 495-5556

Monroe County (Monroe): (734) 240-7530

St. Clair County (Port Huron): (810) 985-8115

Contact each facility directly for current visiting hours, phone system, and mail procedures. MIRC free calls are available from all four county jails.

Step 6: Michigan's Enforcement Context and Your Rights

Remote location as a barrier:

North Lake is in Lake County, one of Michigan's poorest counties, approximately 2.5 hours north of Detroit. This remote location was noted immediately by advocacy groups as creating barriers to legal access and family visits. 'It's pretty easy for things not to be observed, because literally, there's no one up there to keep an eye on it,' said an immigration law nonprofit director at opening. Attorneys report that the facility's distance creates practical challenges for representation. Families must plan carefully for visits, including lodging in the Baldwin area.

Over half detained with no criminal convictions:

As of March 2026, more than half of North Lake's population had no criminal convictions or pending charges. Many are held on civil immigration violations. As Berkeley sociologist Caitlin Patler noted, 'legally speaking, people are being held administratively - but the experiences they're having while they're detained are very, very similar, if not identical to the experience that any incarcerated person is having.' Extended detention - some approaching a year - is documented with no set endpoint.

Habeas corpus in Michigan:

Federal habeas corpus petitions in Michigan's Western and Eastern District courts have been a significant legal tool. As North Lake's population grew in September 2025, habeas petitions began appearing rapidly. Michigan federal judges granted most petitions they reviewed between November 2025 and February 2026. However, the government has appealed many releases, and bond amounts have risen. Contact MIRC immediately about habeas options if a family member has been detained for more than a few weeks without bond or has been denied a bond hearing.

Do not sign anything without an attorney:

MIRC and private attorneys document that detainees at North Lake and Michigan county jails are approached about Voluntary Departure. Signing can permanently waive legal rights. Say: 'I will not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.' Call MIRC at (734) 239-6863 or use the free call from detention.

Key rights every detainee has:

The right to speak with an attorney - MIRC's number is posted in all Michigan ICE facilities; free calls available.

The right to a bond hearing before an immigration judge (contact MIRC immediately if denied).

The right to be free from physical, sexual, and verbal abuse.

The right to access adequate medical care.

The right to adequate food.

The right to communicate in a language you understand - the hunger strike documented language barriers; this is a rights violation.

The right to communicate with your home country's consulate (free calls required).

To report conditions or file a complaint:

MIRC: (734) 239-6863 | michiganimmigrant.org

No Detention Centers Michigan: nodetentioncentersmi.org

DHS Inspector General: oig.dhs.gov | 1-800-323-8603

ICE Detroit Field Office: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | 985 Michigan Avenue, Suite 207, Detroit, MI 48226

Quick Reference - Michigan ICE Detainee Resources

Find a detainee:

ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov

Vinelink (updates faster for Michigan): vinelink.com

ICE Detention Reporting Line: 1-888-351-4024

EOIR Case Status: 1-800-898-7180

ICE Detroit Field Office: Detroit.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (313) 771-6601

Michigan ICE detention facilities:

North Lake Processing Center (Baldwin): (231) 876-4900

Calhoun County (Battle Creek): (269) 969-6440

Chippewa County (Kincheloe, Upper Peninsula): (906) 495-5556

Monroe County (Monroe): (734) 240-7530

St. Clair County (Port Huron): (810) 985-8115

Free legal help - free calls from all Michigan ICE facilities:

MIRC: michiganimmigrant.org | (734) 239-6863 - Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM

(Free calls available from North Lake, Calhoun, Chippewa, Monroe, St. Clair)

Post bond:

ICE ERO Detroit: 985 Michigan Avenue, Suite 207, Detroit, MI 48226 | (313) 771-6601

North Lake communication:

Tablets: globaltellink.com | Money: accesscorrections.com

Attorney VTC: 135attorneyvisits@geogroup.com

Visiting: (231) 876-4900 for current schedule - 4 days/week, 1.5 hours

Sources and verification: Detroit News, 'Michigan's Newest ICE Detention Center Draws Scrutiny as It Grows,' September 4, 2025 (North Lake officially opened June 16 2025; 400 detainees by August; Calhoun Chippewa Monroe St. Clair combined 362 as of August 4; GEO ICE contract two years finalized July 18; $85 million annually full occupancy per GEO August 6 press release; ICE Detroit Field Office covers Michigan and Ohio; 3,000+ arrests through late July 2025 more than all 2024; Richard Kessler No Detention Centers Michigan attorney Grand Rapids; Christine Sauvé MIRC manager policy communications; 60,000 beds GEO 50 facilities 16 ICE; GEO ICE biggest customer one-third beds 40% revenue); Bridge Michigan, 'As ICE Detention Center Opens, Dangerous Times to Be an Immigrant in Michigan,' July 25, 2025 (Baldwin Lake County remote Manistee National Forest; 1,800-bed complex; closed 2022 previously federal noncitizens; GEO CEO David Donohue $70 million annually May 7 quarterly earnings call; first ICE contract Michigan largest; Julie Powers Immigration Law and Justice Michigan quote on no one up there to observe; GEO 60,000 beds); Michigan Public/IPR, 'Inside the Midwest's Largest Immigration Detention Center with a Retired Pastor,' January 27/March 31, 2026 (average daily population ballooned to more than 1,300; retired pastor Dale Dalman weekly visits; Kimberlin Atencio detained November pending asylum case window broke dragged scars released Christmas Day bond; cold inside phone calls luxury fee); Michigan Public/Interlochen Public Radio, 'What Lawyers Have Seen and Heard Inside Baldwin's ICE Detention Center,' September 18, 2025 (Kessler four visits no pre-scheduling; seven days attorneys; Christine Sauvé estimate 600 September 2025; free calls MIRC from North Lake; moves rapidly out of state to staging; Calhoun County extremely cold lawyer wears jacket; civil violations not criminals; GEO cancelled visitation Saturday protest); Michigan Advance, 'Detainee Speaks Out as Hunger Strike Continues,' April 22-23, 2026 (hunger strike Monday April 21 hundreds involved; Ahmad Alnajdawi Jordan Arabic language barriers; No Detention Centers Michigan Ale Rojas; dozens protesters outside April 22; April 25 hundreds protest Romulus warehouse proposal); Michigan Public, 'Bond Hearings Used to Be a Path to Freedom,' April 13-22, 2026 (500 habeas cases reviewed November 2025 to mid-February 2026; MIRC Ruby Robinson senior managing attorney habeas petitions reasonable bond outcomes late 2025; bond hearings 'almost pre-ordained denied' early 2026; Lawrence Burman retired Republican immigration judge 'nothing like what's been going on' quote; February federal Western District cases; Jose Puerto-Hernandez 18-year-old New Jersey high school graduate first Western District habeas; Judge Paul Maloney Republican appointed Grand Rapids; $5,000 bond released days later; state and city sue stop Romulus warehouse); Michigan Public, 'After Detained Immigrants Get Bond High Costs Keep Some in Lockup,' April 27, 2026 (median bond below $5,000 late 2025; January February 2026 median at or over $7,000; Ali Petit Oropeza $50,000 Calhoun November highest found; attorney Brittni Rivera; dozens over $10,000 several $15,000+; Mexican father five US citizens work permit arrested check-in appointment $15,000; George Pappas fired immigration judge quote on cruelty self-deportation; Daniel Caudillo Texas Tech quote); Michigan Public, 'Extended ICE Detention at North Lake Psychological Impact,' June 18, 2026 (Tijani Jordan October 2025 nine months student visa expired wife Georgia lost apartment; Minjale Malawi 2021 student visa extension March 2027 terminated no enrollment work permit US citizen son two years old missing milestones; hundred people six months or longer as of March; average length of stay six weeks per Deportation Data Project March 2026; over half no criminal convictions or pending charges; Caitlin Patler Berkeley sociologist quote); ICE North Lake page (ice.gov; (231) 876-4900 schedule visits; females males separate days; low medium log visit housing units; SMU non-contact; 18+ unaccompanied parent guardian birth certificate; government ID; attorneys 7 days including holidays 8-4; 135attorneyvisits@geogroup.com; legal calls (231) 876-4900; tablets GlobalTel; AccessCorrections website kiosks; Detroit Field Office 985 Michigan Avenue Suite 207 Detroit MI 48226 (313) 771-6601 for complaints); MIRC (michiganimmigrant.org; (734) 239-6863; Monday-Friday 9-5; free calls from Calhoun Chippewa Monroe North Lake Baldwin St. Clair; county-specific calling instructions website; Vinelink alternative locator; guides in English and Spanish; intake screening 200% federal poverty guidelines exceptions domestic violence naturalization Detroit Court Helpdesk; Ruby Robinson senior managing attorney). Volatile items: Verify North Lake current average daily population (1,300+ late 2025/early 2026; facility ramping up through 2025 per GEO; verify June 2026 status); verify Romulus warehouse current status (city state lawsuit to block; hundreds protested April 25 2026; verify if still blocked or open as of June 2026); verify all county jail ICE detainee counts (fluctuating; contact MIRC for current situation); verify Detroit Immigration Court current operations (out-of-state judges covering North Lake docket per April 2026 reporting; jurisdictional issues affecting bond hearings); verify bond landscape (habeas petitions active in both districts; bond amounts rising; rapidly changing legal environment in Sixth Circuit after May 2026 ruling vs Eighth Circuit vs Sixth Circuit divergence). Last verified: June 2026.