If someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in Virginia, it helps to know how detention is set up here. Virginia has two main immigration detention centers: the Farmville Detention Center in Farmville and the Caroline Detention Facility near Bowling Green. People detained by ICE in the state are usually held at one of these, and the state's ICE field office near Washington, DC, also has a space used for short-term holding. Where your person is held depends on the case, and people can be 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.
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. Virginia falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington field office, based near Chantilly, which can be reached at 703-285-6200. You can also call the facilities directly for detainee information: Farmville at 434-395-8114 and Caroline at 804-633-0043. If you cannot find your person, call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024.
Where ICE detention happens in Virginia
Virginia has two main immigration detention centers, plus a short-term holding space at the field office.
The Farmville Detention Center, at 508 Waterworks Road in Farmville, is the larger of the two. It is run by a private company called Immigration Centers of America and houses detainees in dormitory-style units. The Caroline Detention Facility, near Bowling Green, is a smaller facility of a few hundred beds, run by the county in a former regional jail. It sits near the Fort A.P. Hill Army base but is not part of it. Both facilities hold people who are going through asylum or removal proceedings.
In addition, the ICE Washington field office, near Chantilly, has a space used to hold people for short periods during processing. It is not a long-term detention center. Because people can be moved between these places, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in Virginia
People come into ICE custody in Virginia in a few ways. A person can come into custody after contact with local law enforcement through a detainer, which is a request to hold someone for up to 48 hours beyond their normal release so ICE can take custody. Some local agencies also have 287(g) agreements that give officers certain immigration duties. People are also detained through ICE's own enforcement in the community.
If your person was first arrested or stopped 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. Virginia's immigration courts are in the Washington, DC, area, 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 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. Virginia has immigration attorneys and nonprofit legal organizations, and both detention centers allow legal representatives to schedule visits or video calls, generally arranged in advance. Have the A-Number ready when you call.
Understand how bond works here, because it surprises many families. If a bond is set, you cannot pay it at the Farmville or Caroline facility itself. Immigration bonds must be posted at an ICE office that is set up to accept them, and the closest one to both facilities is the ICE office in Richmond. Call ahead to confirm current procedures and accepted forms of payment, or use a licensed immigration bond agent.
Learn the facility's system. The rules for adding money, phone calls, mail, and visits are set by the specific facility. Both Farmville and Caroline use tablets for some communication and have set visiting hours. Call the facility where your person is held to confirm current procedures, including identification requirements.
Track any transfer, and keep the paperwork organized. Keep checking the locator so you always know which facility your person is in, and hold onto every document with the A-Number, every court notice, and every receipt to share 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 held away from home, often far from family, 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 Virginia?
Virginia has two main immigration detention centers: the Farmville Detention Center in Farmville, run by a private company, and the Caroline Detention Facility near Bowling Green, run by the county in a former regional jail. The ICE Washington field office near Chantilly also has a space used for short-term holding during processing.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in Virginia?
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 Farmville at 434-395-8114 or Caroline at 804-633-0043 for detainee information, or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
How and where do I post an immigration bond in Virginia?
If a bond is set, you cannot pay it at the Farmville or Caroline facility. Immigration bonds must be posted at an ICE office that accepts them, and the nearest one to both facilities is the ICE office in Richmond. Call ahead to confirm current procedures and accepted payment, or use a licensed immigration bond agent.
How do visits work at the Virginia detention centers?
Both Farmville and Caroline have set visiting hours and require a valid government issued ID, and both use tablets for some communication. Legal representatives can generally schedule visits or video calls in advance. Procedures change, so call the specific facility to confirm current visiting times and rules before you go.
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.