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ICE removes 16,000 detainees with final deportation orders from public database, causing family distress
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has quietly removed thousands of detainees with final deportation orders from its public locator database, making it nearly impossible for families and attorneys to locate their loved ones. According to The New Republic, the agency implemented this change on September 15 without public announcement, a move confirmed by three current and former agency officials. Immigration attorneys reported sudden difficulties in locating clients in the system, prompting the American Immigration Lawyers Association to alert its members. Data from the Deportation Data Project, a collaboration between UCLA and UC Berkeley, shows that approximately 16,000 people were processed into ICE detention with final removal orders in July alone, representing over a third of all individuals detained that month. Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, stated that families are 'freaking out' because they fear their relatives have been deported without their knowledge. The removal from the database has serious legal implications, as attorneys cannot determine which federal court district to file habeas petitions in, potentially allowing ICE to detain and deport individuals before legal intervention. Not all facilities are affected; detainees at California's Adelanto facility and temporary holding centers in Minneapolis, New York City, and suburban Chicago remain listed due to prior litigation requiring immediate documentation upon arrival. This change aligns with the Trump administration's broader pattern of creating obstacles to legal challenges against mass deportation efforts, adding a cruel dimension by leaving families unable to confirm the safety of detained relatives, particularly concerning given ICE's documented history of medical neglect in custody. The move has sparked concern among legal professionals and advocates who emphasize the importance of transparency in immigration proceedings.