"Blonde Allies," the group of volunteers that helps locate immigrants detained by ICE - CNN in Spanish
Key Takeaways
- It has been reported that “Güeras Aliadas,” a volunteer network, helps families locate loved ones in U.S. immigration detention.
- Gaps in the ICE Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) and frequent transfers can make people effectively “disappear” for days.
- Families can use ODLS, call ICE’s Detention Reporting and Information Line (DRIL), and check immigration court and consular channels to track detainees.
- Rising detention numbers have intensified demand for grassroots help and legal navigation support.
A volunteer lifeline amid opaque detention practices
CNN en Español has profiled “Güeras Aliadas,” a volunteer group that, it has been reported, helps families and attorneys locate immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the enforcement arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The group reportedly combs public databases, calls detention centers and local jails, and guides anxious relatives through the first crucial hours after a loved one is picked up. For people caught in the enforcement pipeline, these are the calls that can cut through silence.
Why detainees are hard to find
The confusion starts early. Many migrants are first held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), not ICE, and won’t appear in ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS) until after transfer. Even then, ODLS—searched by Alien Registration Number (A-Number) or biographical data—doesn’t list minors (who go to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, ORR) or people in U.S. Marshals Service or state criminal custody. Detainees can be moved between facilities, including county jails under contract, often with little notice. Although immigrants have a right to contact counsel at no government expense and to seek consular access, language barriers, phone restrictions and transfers can stall that contact. With ICE’s average daily detained population topping 36,000 in 2024, the scale compounds the problem.
What families can do right now
Practical steps exist. Check ICE’s ODLS with the A-Number if available; otherwise use full name, country of birth, and date of birth. Call ICE’s Detention Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 1-888-351-4024 for custody and transfer information, interpretation help, and to address urgent medical or legal access issues. For immigration court status, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) hotline at 1-800-898-7180 provides hearing updates by A-Number. Contact the person’s consulate, which can invoke consular notification rights. If a recent arrest occurred near the border, remember that CBP custody may delay appearance in ODLS; in that window, checking nearby jails that contract with ICE can help. Pro bono legal services lists are posted in detention centers and online by legal aid organizations.
The broader policy picture
Grassroots aid like that described by CNN en Español fills gaps while Washington debates detention capacity and alternatives to detention (ATD) such as ICE’s ISAP monitoring program. Transfers, data silos, and limited transparency frustrate due process, even as immigration courts face heavy backlogs. For immigrants and their families, clarity on where someone is—and how to reach them—can determine whether they see a lawyer before a crucial bond or removal hearing. Volunteers, for now, remain a vital bridge.
Source: Original Article