Immigration Detention Support — Chicago & Illinois

Go to locator.ice.gov and search by full legal name and country of birth. If found, write down the facility name and detainee ID number. If not found, do not stop — the system can lag 24–48 hours. Call ERO Chicago directly at (312) 347-2400.

Time is the most important factor. An attorney can file for a bond hearing and review the basis for detention. If you do not have one, contact the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) at (312) 660-1370 or visit illinoislegalaid.org.

Collect: full legal name, date of birth, country of birth, any immigration documents (A-number, visa, work permit), and the circumstances of the detention. This is needed for the locator, for attorneys, and for any investigative work.

At Broadview, families may deliver a limited bag of personal items — clothing, hygiene items, and in some cases medication with documentation. If you are out of state, an investigator can accept and deliver property on your behalf with written confirmation.

Transfers to out-of-state facilities happen fast and are not always communicated to families. Check the ICE locator daily. If the facility changes, contact the new facility to confirm visitation rules, property policies, and attorney access.

Advocacy organizations can be overwhelmed or unreachable nights and weekends. A licensed investigator is available seven days a week for field tasks: locating the detainee, delivering property, confirming facility information, and maintaining contact with the family until legal counsel is engaged.

If the ICE locator is not showing your family member yet, we pursue alternative channels — ERO field office coordination, direct facility contact, and investigative databases — and provide the confirmed location to you and your attorney in writing.

If you cannot travel to Illinois, we coordinate property delivery to Broadview on your behalf. You ship items to us per facility guidelines, and we handle the delivery in person — with written confirmation sent directly to you.

When counsel needs documents delivered to a detainee before a hearing, we handle delivery with chain-of-custody documentation — a record of what was delivered, when, and to whom, ready for the attorney's file.

We monitor and confirm facility transfers, updating families and attorneys in writing. If your family member is moved to Indiana or Wisconsin, we confirm the new location and access policies so you are not starting over.

We stay in regular contact with families throughout every engagement by phone, email, or text, so you always know what has happened, what was confirmed, and what comes next. You will never be left waiting for a callback.

We are available seven days a week, including evenings and weekends. If you call on a Saturday night because your family member was detained that afternoon, we can respond and begin immediately.