<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><span class="section-lead">On September 17,</span> immigration attorney Rachel Marandett searched for a man held by ICE in the agency’s detainee locator.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Searching his name returned zero results, raising concerns that he had been deported without notice. Marandett, who works with the American Friends Service Committee, expressed her worry, stating, “He was missing, and I panicked.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Eventually, she learned that he had not been deported; his name was simply missing from the system.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This incident is part of a larger issue affecting thousands of detained immigrants with “<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/8/1241.1">Final Orders of Removal</a>,” whose records have been hidden or deleted from ICE’s tracking system, complicating efforts for families and lawyers to locate them.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to a report by the Associated Press, these records began to disappear on September 15, impacting many individuals in ICE custody.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">ICE has denied these claims, stating, “ICE does not ‘disappear’ people. This is a ridiculous lie that the media is peddling to demonize ICE law enforcement,” as communicated by an ICE representative to <em>Mother Jones</em>. The representative also noted that individuals in detention have opportunities to communicate with their families and lawyers.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>“This puts a wall between attorneys and their clients, and produces tremendous anxiety for families.”</p></blockquote></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">However, effective communication is hindered when family members and lawyers cannot determine where individuals are being held. This lack of information can have significant consequences, especially for those who have received orders of removal in absentia due to missed court dates.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Marandett noted that many individuals are unaware that a court hearing has even occurred. If attorneys are informed in time, they can file motions to reopen cases based on lack of notice.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">An ICE representative stated that the agency is “working rapidly overtime” to deport as many individuals as possible, and the inability to locate a client can hinder a lawyer’s ability to make last-minute appeals.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One notable case is that of Wilber Garcés Pérez, a Venezuelan delivery worker who was shot by a federal agent in Texas. After being taken into custody and moved to detention, his name was not found in the Detainee Locator, leaving his lawyers and family unable to track him down. Eventually, attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch managed to contact him, revealing that his deportation order was issued in error after the court sent notice of the hearing to the wrong address.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A deportation order that was issued in absentia because the immigration court is so incompetent they sent a hearing notice to the wrong address. <br /><br />I see this all the time in my practice and it’s a mistake we can easily correct. It does not justify shooting people in the street.… <a href="https://t.co/yDMZFQcdhd">https://t.co/yDMZFQcdhd</a></p>— Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch (@AttorneyKateLG) <a href="https://x.com/AttorneyKateLG/status/2102141756284301672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2026</a></blockquote></div></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Lincoln-Goldfinch emphasized that such errors are common and can be corrected, stating, “It does not justify shooting people in the street.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Other individuals with final orders of removal may also find their names missing from the Detainee Locator, including those with open circuit court appeals or those granted withholding of removal under the United Nations Convention Against Torture. This lack of visibility complicates legal proceedings, as attorneys often rely on the Detainee Locator to determine where to file lawsuits.</p>
<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>“Now it’s like we’re dealing with these same obstacles, but with a blindfold on.”</p></blockquote></figure>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There appears to be inconsistency in who is affected by this issue. Immigration attorney Stefi Bastiaensz noted that one of her clients, who fled political persecution in Nicaragua and is currently held in a New Jersey detention center, still appears on the Detainee Locator despite having a final order of removal while his case is under appeal.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bastiaensz expressed concern, stating, “What makes my firm panic is whether ICE is looking underneath the final order.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">While there are alternative methods for lawyers to locate their clients, none are as efficient as the Detainee Locator. Families often have limited options, relying on phone calls from their loved ones or contacting their congressional representatives. Bastiaensz concluded, “Regardless of what’s going on, this puts a wall between attorneys and their clients, and produces tremendous anxiety for families.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Obstacles to communication are not new for immigration lawyers, but Marandett remarked, “now it’s like we’re dealing with these same obstacles, but with a blindfold on.”</p>