IMMIGRATION UPDATES & NEWS
Immigration and Customs Enforcement will Rollout New Online Detainee Locator System Next Month
May 5, 03:28 PM
The Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) is a publicly accessible, web-based system owned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ODLS allows the public to conduct online Internet-based queries to locate persons detained by ICE for civil violations of the Immigration and Nationality Act. ODLS is intended to allow members of the public, especially family members and legal representatives, to determine whether an individual is currently in ICE detention and, if so, at which facility the person is detained. ICE conducted this PIA because this system makes available to the public personally identifiable information (PII) about individuals detained by ICE.
Overview
ODLS is owned by the ICE Office of Detention and Removal Operations (DRO). DRO is responsible for promoting public safety and national security by arresting, detaining, and removing persons from the United States in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act. ICE developed ODLS as a service to the public, especially family members and legal representatives, to help locate individuals arrested for administrative immigration violations and who are in or have recently left ICE custody (“detainees”). Currently, members of the public must contact a DRO field office by phone to determine the location of a detainee. With the deployment of this automated system, the public will be able to locate detainees more quickly and efficiently through an online query. The system will ultimately be available in several languages to help users whose native language is not English.
ODLS is a web-based system that is accessible from an Internet browser and may be used by any member of the public.
ODLS is scheduled to deploy in June 2010, and will be accessible by visiting ICE’s public website (http://www.ice.gov/locator).
Persons using ODLS do not need to set up an account or get special permission to use the system. ODLS provides two ways to search for a detainee: (1) perform a query using an Alien Registration Number (A-Number) and country of birth; or (2) perform a query using a full name and country of birth. After receiving the query entered by the user, ODLS searches for a match among current ICE detainees and detainees who have been booked out of ICE custody (regardless of the reason) within the last 60 days.1 All records that match the user’s query are returned to the user in a list of one or more search results.
ODLS only performs exact-match searches. This means that the search query entered by the user (specifically, the name or A-Number) must exactly match the information in a detention record in order for the record to be identified as a match and included in the ODLS search results. For example, a search for “Robert Smith” will not return a detention record for “Robert Smyth” or “Bob Smith.” When conducting an A-Number search, ODLS users will see a maximum of one record in the results because A-Numbers are assigned to individuals uniquely. When conducting a name-based search, however, ODLS users may see multiple records in the results if several detainees share the same name and country of
birth.
The data searched by ODLS is extracted from detention records maintained in ICE’s Enforcement Integrated Database (EID) and stored in a separate ODLS database. See Enforcement Integrated Database PIA at http://www.dhs.gov/privacy. The ODLS extract is updated approximately every 20 minutes.
Privacy Impact Assessment ICE, Online Detainee Locator System
Users may use the year of birth provided in the results to distinguish among detainees with the same name.
ODLS only contains information about individuals who are currently in ICE custody or were previously detained by ICE within the past 60 days.2 If a search is performed for detainees who have never been in ICE custody or were released from ICE custody more than 60 days ago, ODLS will return a result of “no records found.” If a matching detainee record is found, the ODLS results screen will display the detainee’s custody status as either “in custody” or “not in custody.” An “in custody” status means the individual is currently in ICE custody, and ODLS will display the detention facility where the person is being held, the contact information for the facility, a link to the facility’s website, and the contact information for the DRO office responsible for the detainee’s immigration case.3 A status of “not in custody” means the individual was released from ICE custody within the last 60 days for any reason. The “not in custody” status will be displayed if the individual was removed from or voluntarily departed the United States, was released on bond or through an alternatives-to-detention program, was released into the United States due to the resolution of their immigration case (e.g., grant of an immigration benefit that permits them to remain in the country), or was transferred into the custody of another law enforcement or custodial agency. For individuals released from ICE custody within the last 60 days, ODLS displays contact information for the DRO office responsible for the detainee’s immigration case.
ODLS also provides resources to help users find or identify the detainee they are seeking. First, ODLS includes a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page to answer common questions about the system and to help troubleshoot problems. Second, for those who are unable to locate the detainee in ODLS, a link is provided to all DRO offices so the public can contact the office in the appropriate geographical area for assistance. Finally, for every detainee included in ODLS, the responsible DRO field office is identified and its contact information is provided so family members and attorneys can call to confirm the detainee’s identity, arrange for bond, or ask for additional information.