If someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in North Dakota, it helps to know how detention is set up here. North Dakota does not have a large dedicated immigration detention center. Instead, ICE holds people in county jail facilities, and the main one is the Grand Forks County Correctional Center. The number of people held for ICE in the state at any one time is relatively small. So your person is likely held at a county facility in North Dakota, though people are sometimes moved. The two most urgent things you can do are find exactly where they are 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, and especially important here, because North Dakota has very few immigration attorneys.
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 place to place, 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.
Because people can be moved, check the locator again every few days. North Dakota falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations St. Paul field office, located at Fort Snelling in Minnesota, which can be reached at 612-409-7799, with case information sent to StPaul.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov. You can also call the jail directly for detainee information, or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024.
Where ICE holds people in North Dakota
North Dakota does not have a dedicated immigration detention center. The main facility ICE uses is the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, which is run by the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Office under a contract with ICE. Other county jails may hold people for short periods as well. The statewide ICE detention population tends to be small compared with larger states.
The Grand Forks facility uses an electronic kiosk and messaging system, through a service called HomeWav, for certain communications. Because people can be moved between facilities, or held in North Dakota after being detained elsewhere, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in North Dakota
The most common path runs through local custody. When a person is booked into a county 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. People are also taken into custody through ICE's own enforcement in the community.
One thing worth knowing is that not everyone held in North Dakota was arrested there. Because of how detention space is arranged in the region, a person can be held in a North Dakota facility even if they were detained elsewhere. 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. North Dakota does not have its own immigration court, so cases are generally heard through the regional immigration court in the Fort Snelling area of Minnesota, usually by video from the facility. 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, and start the search early, because North Dakota has very few immigration attorneys. Many families end up working with lawyers in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, which handles much of the region's immigration work. A pro bono legal services list is available, and an attorney can also advise on the federal court petitions that are sometimes used to challenge a detention. Have the A-Number ready when you call.
Learn the facility's system. The rules for adding money, phone calls, messaging, and visits are set by the specific jail and its vendor. At the Grand Forks facility, an electronic kiosk and the HomeWav service are used for some communications. Call the jail to confirm how to add funds, how calls and messages work, and what the visiting rules are.
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 at that moment.
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 detained in a rural state, often far from any family and with few familiar resources, can be deeply isolating, 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 North Dakota?
North Dakota has no dedicated immigration detention center. ICE mainly uses the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, run by the county sheriff under a contract with ICE, and other county jails may hold people for short periods. The statewide ICE detention population tends to be small.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in North Dakota?
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. You can also call the jail directly, or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
How do I communicate with someone at the Grand Forks facility?
The facility uses an electronic kiosk and a messaging service called HomeWav for certain communications, along with phone and visitation systems run by the jail. Call the jail to confirm how to set up messaging, add money, arrange phone calls, and schedule any visits.
How do I find a lawyer if there are so few in North Dakota?
It can take extra effort. Many families work with immigration attorneys based in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area, which handles much of the region's immigration work, and a pro bono legal services list is available through the immigration court system. Starting the search early matters.
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.
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