Every year, more people are held in custody for immigration violations. A violation could be for being in the United States without authorization. Long-time lawful residents with criminal convictions are also at risk of being held. This includes convictions of misdemeanors and non-violent crimes. Immigrants can be held in custody for several months or longer while fighting their cases.

Where immigrants are held in immigration custody

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the agency that holds people in immigration detention. The Chicago ICE office is located at 101 W. Ida B. Wells Dr., 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60605. The Chicago office oversees all immigrants who are arrested and detained in:

• Illinois,
• Indiana,
• Wisconsin,
• Missouri,
• Kansas, and
• Kentucky. 

You can use the Online Detainee Locator System to find someone in immigration detention. 

When ICE arrests an immigrant in one of these states, it first takes him or her to the closest ICE field office. If the immigrant is closest to Chicago, then he or she goes to the Broadview, Illinois processing center. Other than Broadview, the main sub-offices where they may be processed are Indianapolis, Louisville, Springfield, and Milwaukee.