ICE Transfers From Lawrence Custody
ICE detention is a federal civil immigration system, not a Lawrence County jail or Kentucky prison system. It belongs in a release search only when a detainer, transfer record, immigration case, or agency source establishes immigration custody. A person’s birthplace, language, name, or absence from a jail roster cannot support that conclusion.
When Big Sandy Regional Detention Center ends its custody by turning a person over to ICE, the regional jail episode has ended. Physical custody continues under another authority. The BSRDC release sheet should be requested for the actual date and time, disposition code, and receiving agency. Phrase the event as “transferred” or “released to ICE custody” only when the authoritative record supports that wording.
Search the ICE Locator
The Online Detainee Locator System offers two search methods. The most precise uses a nine-digit A-number and country of birth. If the number has eight digits, add a leading zero for the search. The name method requires exact first and last name plus country of birth; date of birth can narrow the result. Spelling, spacing, hyphens, and multiple surnames can affect a match.
- Use the complete A-number and country of birth when both are known.
- Otherwise enter the exact name as it may appear in ICE records and select country of birth.
- Add date of birth to distinguish people with similar names.
- Record the displayed custody wording and retrieval date without broadening its meaning.
- If no result appears, use the official telephone fallback and the immigration case sources.
The locator does not display minors. ICE says it may include current detainees and people released within the prior 60 days. That does not create a complete 60-day archive. Not every person appears, and data entry may lag. A failed search cannot prove that ICE never held the person, that release occurred, or that another custodian does not hold them.
The official ICE detainee locator provides the A-number and name search controls. Treat its status as a point-in-time agency result and preserve the search date.
ICE Locator Field Limits
The A-number is the strongest matching field because names can be common and transliteration can vary. Country of birth is a required locator input, not proof of citizenship or legal status. Date of birth narrows the name search but does not replace the A-number when similar records exist. Do not guess a country merely to force a result.
| Search field | Use | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| A-number | Nine-digit immigration identifier | Must be entered accurately |
| Country of birth | Required identity control | Not a custody or status conclusion |
| Exact first and last name | Alternative search route | Spelling and surname format matter |
| Date of birth | Optional narrowing field | Does not ensure a unique match |
| Displayed result | Current or recent agency information | May lag and is not a permanent archive |
Save the exact result rather than replacing it with “released.” A location result means ICE reports detention information. A recent-release indication concerns the ICE episode only. Another warrant, state case, federal criminal custody, or supervision arrangement can still matter.
ICE Phone Search Fallback
When the online locator does not return a reliable match, contact the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line at 1-888-351-4024. The researched schedule is Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The line handles basic location and case concerns. Have the full name, aliases, date of birth, country of birth, and A-number ready.
Explain the last known facility and date. If BSRDC was the last confirmed custodian, first ask the regional jail whether it transferred the person and which agency received custody. This prevents a speculative ICE search from replacing a known local record. When ICE confirms a facility, contact information from the official result can guide the next inquiry.
ICE Detention Reporting and Information LinePhone: 1-888-351-4024
Monday to Friday, excluding holidays
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern
Use for basic detention location or case concerns
Release, Transfer, or Removal
Immigration custody can end through several legally distinct events. ICE may release a person under conditions, transfer the person to another detention facility, move the person into another agency’s custody, or carry out a removal. A disappearance from the locator does not identify which one occurred. Obtain the agency wording and relevant case documents.
- ICE release
- End of ICE physical detention, potentially with conditions or continuing proceedings.
- Transfer
- Movement to another detention site or custodian without community release.
- Detainer
- A request or basis for a custodial agency to hold or notify immigration authorities.
- Removal
- An immigration enforcement outcome that should be stated only from an authoritative record.
- Bond
- A release mechanism that can involve a court or ICE decision and specific conditions.
An immigration court order and a physical custody event also answer different questions. A judge’s ruling may precede later agency action. Use the Executive Office for Immigration Review case source for court information when applicable, and use ICE for detention status. Neither should be replaced by a county roster.
Records After an ICE Transfer
Start with the record made at the point of transfer. For a Lawrence County detainee held at BSRDC, request the booking/release sheet, actual transfer time, exact disposition, receiving authority, and linked court or detainer reference. The Lawrence criminal docket may explain the local case outcome but will not necessarily contain the full immigration record.
A focused ICE records request should identify the person by full name, aliases, date of birth, A-number, last known facility, and date range. Ask for an existing detention, transfer, or release record rather than a broad account. Privacy and law-enforcement rules can restrict what a third party receives. Preserve the agency response and any cited exemption.
Federal immigration records can be split among ICE, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Customs and Border Protection, and the immigration courts. Direct the request to the office that created the document. BSRDC can confirm its own custody exit, but it cannot certify the full outcome of an immigration proceeding.
ICE Versus BOP Custody
ICE civil detention and BOP criminal incarceration are not interchangeable. A person can leave BOP custody and transfer to ICE. Another person may be in ICE custody without a federal criminal prison sentence. Search the BOP locator only when a federal prison record is relevant and the ICE locator only when immigration custody is supported.
| Question | Correct starting source |
|---|---|
| Did BSRDC transfer the person? | BSRDC release sheet and VINE local record |
| Is ICE reporting detention? | ICE locator or information line |
| Did BOP release a federal prisoner? | BOP Inmate Locator and federal docket |
| What did the immigration judge order? | Immigration court case source |
| What happened in the Lawrence criminal case? | Lawrence court docket and signed order |
A complete Lawrence County release search follows the named custodian at each stage. It does not treat a missing result as proof of release.
Verify an ICE Release
Use at least two records when the outcome matters. A locator result can be checked against the last jail’s transfer document, the immigration case record, and an ICE response. Confirm the person through the A-number and biographical details. Note every source date because the locator’s recent-release coverage is limited.
If BSRDC says the person transferred to ICE but the locator has no result, call the reporting line. Entry can lag, the name format can differ, or the person may have moved again. If the local release sheet says community release with no ICE transfer, do not introduce immigration custody without separate evidence.
Keep the wording narrow: “BSRDC reported transfer to ICE,” “ICE reported detention at the checked time,” or “the locator showed a recent ICE release.” These statements preserve the boundary between a county custody exit, federal civil detention, and a return to the community.