Boone County Jail

How to Find Someone in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee Locator

When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE. 

Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.

However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.

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There are two ways to search for an ICE Detainee:

You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.

• An A-Number is a 9-digit number that either looks like this: A-123456789, or like this 123-456-789. This is required if you do not know their name.
  It is also called a Registration Number when on a visa, or a USCIS# when on a Green Card.
  If for whatever reason the A-Number you have does not have 9-digits, you need to add 0s (zeroes) to the front of the number until the number has 9-digits.
  That number might then look like this:  001234567.

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You can also try and look them up by using their name.

• In order for this to be effective, you need to have the exact name that is either on their paperwork, or the the name with the exact spelling that they gave ICE. This is required.
• You also need to know the country of their birth, or the country of their birth that they gave ICE. This is required.
• Knowing their Date of Birth is helpful but not required to find them in the system.

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Important things to know about using the ICE Detainee Locator

• You do not need to set up an account to use the Detainee Locator System.
• A-Number stands for 'Alien Registration Number'.
• The System does not have information on all detainees in custody.
• Juvenile names are NOT in the System.
• The Detainee Locator System is updated every 8 hours, sometimes sooner.
• If the detainee is being moved to a new facility, the new location will not be shown until they have arrived and are processed. 
• No warnings or prior notice are given in advance of a detainee being moved.
• While being transferred to a different facility they may still be shown online as being in the original facility.
• If you are planning a visit, always call before you come to confirm the detainee is still at the facility and has not been moved.
• To visit a detainee you must have some type of government issued photo ID, or other identification when photo identification is unavailable for religious reasons.
• If you are unable to find the detainee using the System, contact the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in the area where you believe the person's immigration case was initiated or the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 888-351-4024.

Pamphlets in various languages with Instructions on how to use the Online Detainee Locator System:

• Online Detainee Locator System Brochure (PDF | 732 KB)
• Folleto del Sistema Localizador de Detenidos en Línea (PDF | 720 KB)
• Brochure du Système de recherche en ligne de détenus(es) (PDF | 739 KB)
• Folheto Informativo do Sistema Online Para Localização de Detentos (PDF | 733 KB)
• Брошюра Онлайновая Система Определения Местонахождения Задержанного (PDF | 893 KB)
• Buug yaraha Nidaamka Lagu Ogaado Halka Ay Ku Xiran Yihiin Dadka Xiran ee barta internetka (PDF | 741 KB)
• Tài Liệu về Hệ Thống Tìm Người Bị Giam Trực Tuyến (PDF | 1.3 MB)
• 被拘留者在线查询系统手册 (PDF | 1.4 MB)
• كتيب نظام تحديد مواقع المحتجزين على شبكة الانترنت (PDF | 1.3 MB)

A Closer Look at Boone County Jail in Kentucky

Boone County Jail (BCJ) in Burlington, Kentucky first opened its doors in 2005. Owned and operated by the Boone County Fiscal Court, this facility serves the northernmost county of the Bluegrass State. With a capacity to house 424 maximum, medium and minimum-security inmates at the main jail and 76 minimum security inmates at the workcamp facility, Boone County Jail provides detention services for all law enforcement agencies across Boone County. This includes the Florence Police Department, Boone County Sheriff’s Department, Greater Cincinnati Airport Police Department, and Kentucky State Police. 

On an annual basis, Boone County Jail processes over 8,000 prisoners through its system. This is no small feat for a facility that only became operational in the early 2000s. Even more impressive is that Boone County Jail has garnered a reputation nationally for its efficient operations and self-sufficient services. 

All About Boone County Jail Architecture and Operations

The architecture and detainee management approach utilized at Boone County Jail enables smooth operations and optimal supervision. When the facility completed an expansion in early 2003, the jail grew from an original 48 beds to its current capacity of 150 detainees. The architectural style complements the direct supervision detainee management style employed here. 

Direct supervision requires that staff closely monitor detainees in the day room of each housing unit. This allows for direct, unobstructed contact between officers and inmates. Assigned staff act as role models and coordinate all unit activities while reinforcing positive behavior with rewards like day room time, games, classes, and television access. Negative actions receive proportionate consequences like cell lock downs or access restrictions.

Boone County Jail’s facilities include the main jail located at 3020 Conrad Lane and the minimum-security Work Camp situated just 0.4 miles away at 5359 Bullitsville Road. The Work Camp enables low-risk inmates to engage in constructive activities like growing produce, cutting grass, and litter clean up across Boone County. These work programs provide the county over $700,000 worth of free labor every year.

Two unique aspects about Boone County Jail are the elected Jailer position and its self-sufficient services model. Kentucky remains the only state where Jailers are elected officials who manage county detention operations. Jailers serve four-year terms after being elected on a partisan ballot. The current Jailer strives to make the facility economically self-sufficient through the aforementioned work programs as well as operating a garden to offset food costs. 

Visiting Boone County Jail: What to Expect

Boone County Jail offers public visitation hours three days per week. Visitors can park in the lot adjacent to the jail and should arrive 45 minutes early to clear the intake process. The facility provides accessibility accommodations to disabled individuals when required. 

Visitation schedules are:

- Tuesdays from 7am to 1pm for detainees with last names A-M
- Thursdays from 7am to 1pm for last names N-Z 
- Saturdays from 7am to 1pm for all detainees

All visitors must present valid government-issued ID and pass through security checkpoints prior to entry. Minors can only visit when accompanied by an adult guardian. Visitors should note that all interactions with detainees are non-contact, so physical contact is not allowed during visits. Additionally, the jail prohibits contraband items and reserves the right to inspect or reject packages mailed to inmates.

Contacting Detainees at Boone County Jail

Friends and family cannot directly call detainees at Boone County Jail but can leave urgent messages that will be relayed. To do so, callers must contact (859) 334-2143 and provide the detainee’s full name, alien registration number, plus their own name and callback number. 

For immigration court matters, detainees or their advocates can call 1-800-898-7180. Applications and petitions should be filed directly with the court. Legal representatives coordinating confidential visits do not need appointments but should contact the Supervisory Deportation Officer at (708) 449-2488 for consular visits.

Attorney and Consular Visitation

Attorneys have flexible visitation options at Boone County Jail. In-person confidential visits are available daily except when public visits occur. Remote confidential visits can also be scheduled online. For verification to enable confidential visits, legal representatives should email [email protected] and [email protected]. 

Consular officials can meet with their detained nationals at any time after making prior arrangements with the Supervisory Deportation Officer. All attorneys and consular visitors must present valid credentials when entering the facility.

Other Key Policies

Mail sent to detainees should include the sender’s full name and address plus the last four digits of the detainee’s file number. All mail is inspected for contraband before delivery within 24 hours of receipt. Postage stamps can be purchased by detainees and outgoing letters are collected daily. 

The jail permits delivery of authorized travel items or release necessities when approved by the ICE Deportation Officer. Friends or family seeking to deliver packages must contact the Chicago Deportation Section at (312) 347-2400. 

Anyone wishing to share feedback or report misconduct at Boone County Jail can contact the following:

- Jail administration: (859) 334-2143 

- ICE Field Office Director in Chicago: (312) 347-2400

- ICE Office of Professional Responsibility: 1-833-4ICE-OPR or [email protected]

- DHS Office of Inspector General: 1-800-323-8603 or [email protected]

Final Thoughts

With its unique supervision model, full-service offerings, and reputation for efficiency, Boone County Jail serves its region of Kentucky as a self-sufficient institution. Visitors require patience and an understanding of policies but can maintain connections with detainees through scheduled visitation. Ongoing improvements to the facility and operations provide quality services for all involved.

Frequently Asked Questions

**How do I locate someone detained at Boone County Jail?**  
You can call (859) 334-2143 between 8am to 4pm and provide the detainee's full name, aliases, birthdate, and country of birth to find out if they are housed at this facility.

**What are the hours for visitation at the jail?**  
Public visitation hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7am to 1pm and Saturdays from 7am to 1pm. Visitors must arrive 45 minutes early for processing.

**Can I call a detainee at Boone County Jail?**   
You cannot call the jail to speak to a detainee but can leave an urgent message by calling (859) 334-2143. Provide the detainee's information and your callback number.

**How do I send money to a detainee in Boone County Jail?**
You can post a delivery bond if the detainee is in removal proceedings. To do so, contact the nearest ICE bond acceptance office and have the detainee's name and alien registration number ready.

**What items can I mail to someone detained at this jail?**
You can mail letters, books, magazines, photos, and similar items after they pass inspection. Confirm with jail staff before mailing other items.

What is an ICE Detention Center?

Men, women, and children that are in the United States illegally and are apprehended by the US Border Patrol or ICE will most likely be placed in removal proceedings and may be detained in one of the more than 200 jails and detention centers that make up ICE’s detention system.

Many of the illegal immigrants that are detained are held in county and local jails that contract with ICE to detain immigrants. The rest are held in dedicated immigration detention facilities run by ICE or contracted to private prison corporations, including family detention centers that hold mothers and children.

What Determines if an Illegal Immigrant gets Detained?

ICE will typically detain an immigrant because DHS (Homeland Security) believes that an illegal immigrant is either a “flight risk” and may move to another location within the U.S. or that they pose a public safety threat. Detaining the person allows the government to guarantee that the person will show up for their hearing before an Immigration Court.

Some of the reasons that causes an illegal immigrant to get arrested and held in detention prior to their day in court is as follows:

The illegal immigrant has:

• committed a crime, or multiple crimes
• arrived at the border without a visa prior to formally applying for asylum or refugee status
• an outstanding removal (deportation) order on record, either pending or past due, or
• missed prior immigration hearing dates.

 

How do you find someone that is in an ICE Detention Center?

The first step to finding out if an illegal immigrant is in ICE or DHS custody is by using the ICE Detainee Locator.

It’s easier to find the person if you have an Alien Number (A#), if one exists. A green card or work permit will show this number. If you don’t have an A# the person is much more difficult to locate.

The information you will need is as follows:

• the person’s full name as it appears in the ICE System. The exact spelling and the order of how the name is listed is required.
• the person’s date of birth
• the person’s country of birth

If you are having difficulty, try different spellings and the order of how the name is listed.

If the illegal immigrant was only recently detained, the ICE Detainee Locator may not be updated with the latest information. Keep in mind that ICE does not give information (online or over the phone) for people under 18 years of age. In such cases, you can only get information on them from the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest you.

If the person you are looking for is not in an ICE Detention Center, they may have been taken to a local jail that contracts with ICE, so contact their local City and County Jail, all which can be found here.

Another option, short of the expense of hiring an Immigration Lawyer, is to go to this website and use their online form to get their help.

Once an illegal immigrant is located and you find out the facility where they are being held you need to find out the Deportation Officer that has been assigned to their case. The Officer can tell you how to call or visit the detainee, or pay for the detainee to be able to call you, or how you can send any needed items such as clothing, prescriptions, etc.

The last option, and the most expensive, is to hire an experienced immigration attorney to assist you in tracking down the Deportation Officer. If the person being detained requires specific medical care, an attorney can ensure that they receive that care.

If the detained illegal immigrant has been deported from America previously or has an outstanding removal order - in which case they have no right to see an immigration judge - they can be removed within a few days, or even hours, of the initial arrest.

Even if the government does not immediately remove the person, it is possible that they can be moved around to different Detention Centers. There is never a warning that a person is being moved around and during the transfer there is a complete blackout of any information.

How long are people held in ICE Immigration Detention Centers?

The time that an illegal immigrant is held in an ICE Detention Center can vary. It all depends on several factors such as the individual’s personal situation, criminal record, the severity of the crime they are being charged with, previous deportations and the current caseload that the Detention Center is dealing with.

This image portrays the most recent data available on the time a detained illegal immigrant remains in custody before their release and/or deportation.

Can you visit someone in ICE Detention Centers?

The short answer is yes. The person visiting an illegal immigrant in an ICE Detention Center must be lawfully present in the United States. In other words the visitor must have some form of currently valid immigration status at the time of the visit. A detention center or jail will not allow the visit unless visitor can show valid I.D. and offer proof that they are lawfully in the United States.

If you want to become a volunteer that visits illegal immigrants in order to offer emotional support, it may be possible. You can join one of these visitation networks by going here and contacting the network in your area.

What crimes can cause an illegal immigrant to be deported?

(The following information comes from Nolo.com, a trusted legal resource)

• Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (see list). This includes any attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime. It does not include crimes that were committed that the illegal immigrant committed when they were under the age of 18 years, however the person must have been released from jail more than five years before applying for a visa or other immigration benefit. It also does not include crimes for which the maximum penalty did not exceed one year in prison and the person was not, in fact, sentenced to more than six months in prison.
• Conviction or admission of a controlled substance violation, whether under U.S. or foreign law. This includes any conspiracy to commit such a crime.
• Convictions for two or more crimes (other than purely political ones) for which the prison sentences totaled at least five years. This multiple-offense ground of inadmissibility applies whether or not the convictions came from a single trial and whether or not the offenses arose from a single scheme of misconduct or involved moral turpitude.
• Conviction of or participation in (according to the reasonable belief of the U.S. government) controlled substance trafficking. This includes anyone who knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, conspired, or colluded in illicit drug trafficking. It also includes the spouse, son, or daughter of the inadmissible applicant if that person has, within the last five years, received any financial or other benefit from the illicit activities, and knew or reasonably should have known where the money or benefit came from.
• Having the purpose of engaging in prostitution or commercialized vice upon coming to the United States, or a history, within the previous ten years, of having engaged in prostitution.
• Procurement or attempted procurement or importation of prostitutes, directly or indirectly, or receipt of proceeds of prostitution, any of which occurred within the previous ten years.
• Assertion of immunity from prosecution after committing a serious criminal offense in the U.S., if the person was thus able to depart the U.S. and has not since submitted fully to the jurisdiction of the relevant U.S. Court.
• Commission of particularly severe violations of religious freedom while serving as a foreign government official.
• Commission of or conspiracy to commit human trafficking offenses, within or outside the U.S., or being a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with such a trafficker according to the knowledge or reasonable belief of the U.S. government. Also inadmissible are the spouse, son, or daughter the applicant if they, within the previous five years (but when older than children), received financial or other benefits from the illicit activity and knew or reasonably should have known that the money or other benefit came from the illicit activity.
• Conviction of an aggravated felony, if the person was removed from the U.S. and seeks to return (this ground of inadmissibility lasts for 20 years)
• Seeking to enter the U.S. to engage in money laundering, or a history of having laundered money, or having been (according to the knowledge of the U.S. government) a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with money launderers.

These are the straightforward crimes that are mentioned in the immigration law. The statute also lists a number of security violations, such as involvement in espionage, sabotage, terrorism, Nazi persecution, totalitarian parties, and so forth.

Once an illegal immigrant is deported, how long before they can come back to the United States?

If an illegal immigrant has a deportation or removal order in their immigration file, it's possible that they won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. for five, ten, or even 20 years.

The applicable law comes from Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.).

Five-Year Ban: If they were summarily removed or deported upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry because they were found inadmissible, or if they came to the U.S. but were immediately put into removal proceedings and then removed or deported, they may be ineligible to return to the U.S. for five years. The five-year ban also applies if they failed to show up for their removal hearing in the United States.

Ten-Year Ban: If a ‘removal order’ was issued at the conclusion of their removal hearing in Immigration Court, they may not be able to return for ten years after their removal or departure.

Twenty-Year Ban: If they were convicted of an aggravated felony or have received more than one order of removal, they are barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years. And if they entered without permission after having been removed, or illegally reentered the U.S. after having previously been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than one year, they may be barred from entering the United States for 20 years or permanently.