If someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in Ohio, it helps to know how detention is set up here. Ohio does not have a single large immigration detention center. Instead, ICE contracts with about six facilities around the state, mostly county jails plus one private prison, and which one your person is held in often depends on where they were detained. Some of these facilities hold people only for a short time, while others hold them for longer. So finding exactly where your person is matters. The two most urgent things you can do are find that location, 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.
Because people can be moved between facilities, check the locator again every few days. Ohio falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit field office, which also has a Cleveland office that handles detainee and case information, reachable at 216-749-9200. You can also call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024.
Where ICE holds people in Ohio
ICE contracts with about six facilities across Ohio to hold immigration detainees. They include the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, the Mahoning County Justice Center in Youngstown, the Seneca County Jail in Tiffin, the Geauga County Safety Center in Chardon, and the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker. The Northeast Ohio Correctional Center is a private prison; the others are county facilities.
These facilities serve different roles. Some, such as the jails in Butler and Mahoning counties, tend to hold people for shorter periods, while others, such as the jails in Seneca and Geauga counties, hold people longer. The number of people held for ICE in Ohio rose sharply in 2025. Because people are moved between these facilities, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in Ohio
The most common path runs through local jails that contract with ICE. 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, including community operations that have at times detained large numbers of people in a short span.
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. Most Ohio cases are heard through the Cleveland Immigration Court, with some handled through the court in Detroit, and hearings for detained people are often conducted 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 for release on bond. There are a couple of ways bond can come up: ICE can set a bond, or, if ICE declines to release the person, an immigration judge can set one. Some people are eligible for bond while others fall under mandatory detention and are not. 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. Ohio has immigration attorneys and nonprofit legal organizations, and getting one involved early matters. Have the A-Number ready when you call.
Learn the facility's system, because it differs from one to the next. For example, at the private prison in Youngstown, money is placed on a detainee's account through Western Union, by phone or online, or by mailing a money order that references the detainee's name, and cash should not be sent in the mail. Visiting hours and phone rules vary by facility. Call the specific facility where your person is held to confirm how to add money, how calls work, and when you can visit.
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. Detention is isolating and frightening, and being shuffled between county jails far from home only deepens that, 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 Ohio?
ICE contracts with about six facilities across the state: the Butler County Jail in Hamilton, the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center in Youngstown, the Mahoning County Justice Center in Youngstown, the Seneca County Jail in Tiffin, the Geauga County Safety Center in Chardon, and the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker. The Youngstown correctional center is a private prison; the others are county facilities.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in Ohio?
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 ICE Cleveland office at 216-749-9200 for detainee information, or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
How do I send money to or visit someone in an Ohio ICE facility?
It depends on the facility. At the private prison in Youngstown, for instance, money is added through Western Union or by a mailed money order referencing the detainee's name, with no cash sent by mail, and visiting is on a set weekend schedule. Each county jail has its own rules, so call the specific facility to confirm money, phone, and visitation procedures.
How does bond work for someone detained in Ohio?
Bond can come up in two ways. ICE may set a bond directly, or, if ICE declines to release the person, an immigration judge can set one. Some people are eligible for bond, which can then be paid for release while the case continues, while others are subject to mandatory detention. An immigration attorney can advise on which applies.
Will my person be held in Ohio or moved?
It varies. Some Ohio facilities hold people only briefly while others hold them longer, and people are sometimes moved between facilities or out of state. Keep checking the locator to see where your person is at any given moment.
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