If someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in Minnesota, it helps to know that Minnesota has no dedicated immigration detention center. Instead, ICE contracts with several county jails around the state to hold people, and the largest holding site is the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. So a person detained in or near Minnesota is often held here in the state at a county jail, though some people have been transferred out of state. 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 follows your person from facility to facility, and it is the key to locating them, 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.
If you cannot find your person, you can call the specific county jail for detainee information, having their biographical details ready, or call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. Minnesota falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul field office, located at Fort Snelling.
Where ICE holds people in Minnesota
Minnesota does not have a dedicated immigration detention center. Instead, ICE holds people in county jails under agreements known as intergovernmental service agreements. The largest holding site is the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, one of the biggest jails in the state, which has held a substantial number of immigration detainees. ICE has also long used the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar and the Freeborn County Jail in Albert Lea, and has agreements with other counties, including Nobles and Carver, with the Crow Wing County Jail used more recently.
People are sometimes moved between these jails, and ICE can transfer people out of state. There have been cases of detainees moved from rural Minnesota jails to a facility in Texas, far from family and lawyers. Because of that movement, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in Minnesota
In Minnesota, people are most often held through county jails that contract with ICE. When a person is booked into a jail, 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. The county jails that contract with ICE then hold people for the agency while their cases proceed.
Cooperation varies. Several counties contract with ICE, while at least one large county stopped holding immigration detainees years ago, and legislation has been proposed at the state level to end these county contracts, though that is not currently law. If your person was first arrested locally, ask the attorney exactly how they came into ICE custody, because the circumstances can matter to the case.
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. Minnesota's immigration court is at Fort Snelling, in the Twin Cities area, and hearings for detained people are often conducted by video from the county jail, though some are in person. 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. Minnesota has experienced immigration attorneys and nonprofit legal organizations, including groups in the Twin Cities that work with detained people across the state. Have the A-Number ready when you call.
Learn each jail's system, because it varies. At some jails, detainees cannot receive incoming calls, and you set up prepaid phone service through the jail's vendor so your person can call out. At others, you can schedule remote video visits from home through the jail's video system, by appointment and in advance. Call the specific jail to confirm how its phone, money, and visitation systems work.
Track any transfer. Keep checking the locator so you always know which facility your person is in, since money, phone, mail, and visitation all depend on where they are, and a move can take them out of state.
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 in a rural county jail, sometimes hours from home or even in 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, and they can follow your person from one facility to the next. 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota has no dedicated immigration detention center. ICE holds people in county jails it contracts with, the largest being the Sherburne County Jail in Elk River. It has also long used the Kandiyohi County Jail in Willmar and the Freeborn County Jail in Albert Lea, and has agreements with other counties including Nobles and Carver, with Crow Wing used more recently.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in Minnesota?
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. If you cannot find them, you can call the specific county jail for detainee information or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
Does Minnesota cooperate with ICE?
It varies by county. Several Minnesota counties contract with ICE to hold detainees in their jails, while at least one large county stopped years ago. Legislation has been proposed to end these county contracts, but it is not currently law. 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 call or visit someone in a Minnesota ICE jail?
It depends on the jail. At some, detainees cannot receive incoming calls, so families set up prepaid phone service through the jail's vendor for outgoing calls. At others, you can schedule remote video visits from home by appointment, arranged in advance through the jail's video system. Call the specific jail to confirm its current phone, money, and visitation rules.
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