Being separated by immigration detention is hard, and moves can happen with little warning. Photos are allowed at most facilities that hold people for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), but sending them takes a little more care than other mail.
Find them with their A-Number
Everyone in ICE custody has an Alien Registration Number (A-Number), 8 or 9 digits, often written with an "A" in front. It's on their immigration papers and notices. With the A-Number and their country of birth, you can search the ICE Online Detainee Locator to see where they're held.
The locator doesn't show children, and it stops showing someone 60 days after release.
Most detainees are held in local jails
As of mid-2026, ICE was using about 200 facilities nationwide. Only a minority are ICE processing centers or detention centers run just for ICE. Most are county and city jails that hold ICE detainees alongside their usual population, under agreements with ICE or the U.S. Marshals.
When someone is held in a county jail, the jail's mail rules apply: its address format, its photo limits, and often a booking number rather than the A-Number. Some jails scan all mail and deliver it on tablets.
At ICE's own detention and processing centers, mail is usually addressed with the person's name and A-Number, and each facility sets its own rules for what mail and photos it accepts.
Moves and releases
People in immigration detention are moved more often than people in prison, and can be released or removed with little notice. Check the locator shortly before you send, and avoid sending large orders far in advance.
Sending through InmatePics
We list the facilities ICE uses, including which county jails hold ICE detainees, so you can find the right one. For ICE's dedicated facilities we confirm each facility's mail rules before printing, and if we can't deliver your order you get a full refund. If the person is moved before we mail and we learn of it, we hold your order and help you redirect it.