Locate ICE Releases

ICE Release and Transfer Paths

ICE civil immigration custody is separate from Bell County criminal custody. A person may leave the county jail under an immigration detainer and enter ICE custody, transfer among federal detention sites, or leave ICE custody during the ODLS recent-release window. The county actual release date marks the end of Bell County custody. It cannot stand in for the later ICE outcome.

No authoritative evidence located an ICE detention facility or current county detention contract in Bell County. Do not infer where a detainee is held from the place of arrest.

Search ICE Release Status

The ICE Online Detainee Locator System covers current detainees and people released from ICE custody during the prior 60 days. Search with an A-number and country of birth, or exact first and last name plus country of birth.

1. Separate the Bell County release question from the ICE release question.
2. Enter the A-number and country of birth when known.
3. Use exact name and country of birth when no A-number is available.
4. Compare the federal result with the county booking episode.
5. Use ICE support channels when a status appears wrong.

ICE Locator Search Fields

ODLS uses a narrow set of identity fields. It is not a criminal docket and does not reproduce Bell County charges or bonds.

A blank result outside the 60-day window cannot establish that ICE never held the person.

ICE Status Error Contacts

ICE lists the Law Enforcement Support Center for detainer and status-error routing at 855-448-6903 or 802-872-1310. The Joint Intake Center complaint line is 877-246-8253.

For the county side of a handoff, request the Bell County release type and destination or transfer agency.

Request ICE Custody Release Records

When the web episode lacks a destination or has disappeared, request a specifically named record rather than “all records.” Texas Local Schedule PS item PS4200-06 defines the county jail register as a permanent record. It includes the person's identifying and intake information, reason for commitment, and release or transfer date. That makes the register a strong fallback for an old ICE Custody booking.

A focused Texas Public Information Act request should identify the person, booking number, and dates, then ask for the jail-register entry and booking/release sheet. Request the actual release date and time, release type, and destination or transfer agency. A booking photograph is a separate item. Ask for electronic copies and a cost estimate before any work that may carry a charge. Bell County's Sheriff public-records instructions and NextRequest portal provide the official route.

Do not ask for unrelated protected identifiers. A permanent register does not mean every supporting jail document is permanent, and an expunction order may change ordinary access rules.

ICE Custody Transfer Checks

A completed ICE Custody episode may be only the first half of the search. Check the Loop Jail record in the same county booking environment if the location changed. If the destination is TDCJ, use the current TDCJ search to locate an incarcerated person, then request historical release or discharge information from TDCJ after the person leaves that current-only database. A state projected release date is not a county actual release date.

Release

The recorded end of custody by the named agency.

Transfer

A move to another custodian while confinement continues.

Discharge

The end of a correctional status, which may differ from release to supervision.

Detainer

A request from another agency tied to notice or temporary continued holding.

For federal custody, the BOP locator and the Western District of Texas docket answer different questions. No single portal follows a person across all of these systems.

ICE After ICE Custody Release

An immigration detainer can create two distinct custody events. Bell County may record the end of its booking while ICE custody begins. ICE describes a detainer as a request for notice and for detention for up to 48 hours beyond the otherwise authorized release time. It is not proof that ICE took custody, so the ICE Custody record and the federal immigration record must both be checked.

Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System with either an A-number and country of birth, or an exact first and last name with country of birth. ODLS covers current detainees and people released from ICE custody during the prior 60 days. A county release date can therefore precede an ICE release date. If ODLS is blank, the short window, spelling, data timing, or a different destination may explain the result.

Note: An ICE detainer signals a possible handoff, but only the receiving system can confirm that ICE custody actually began.

County Facility and ICE Boundaries

Bell County’s 2025 recovery plan report said the county jail expansion was nearing fall-2025 completion and included a 54-bed mental-health ward. The project is county jail history. It is not evidence of an ICE facility, detention contract, detainer, or release.

That distinction is vital in a two-stage handoff. The county may record an actual release or transfer first. ICE may then record current federal custody and later release. Obtain the county destination field and search ODLS while its 60-day released-person window remains open. A local capital project cannot substitute for either record.

ICE describes a detainer as a request for notice and for a hold of up to 48 hours beyond the time the person would otherwise be released. A detainer form does not prove ICE took custody. Confirm the handoff through the county release record and ODLS. If the locator result is disputed, use the documented ICE status-error channels and preserve the identifiers used in the search.

Bell County ICE Handoff Timeline

An ICE-related Bell County release question begins with two separate dates. The county jail record establishes when the Bell County booking ended and may name ICE or another transfer agency. The immigration record addresses whether ICE assumed custody and when that federal civil custody ended. A county actual-release entry closes only the county episode. It cannot prove return to the community.

ICE describes a detainer as a request for notice and detention for up to 48 hours beyond the time the person would otherwise be released. That request is not proof of a completed transfer. Ask Bell County for the release type, exact date and time, and destination. Then search ODLS with the required identifiers. The A-number route requires country of birth. The name route requires exact first and last names plus country of birth.

The 60-day released-person window makes timing crucial. A result during that period can help establish the later ICE boundary. A blank result after the window closes cannot show that ICE never held the person. It may reflect a spelling difference, identifier problem, data delay, or another custody path. Preserve the search date, spelling, A-number format, and country used.

No verified ICE detention facility or current county detention contract in Bell County was found. Do not attach a local address to this system page. If ODLS status appears wrong, use the documented Law Enforcement Support Center numbers. For complaints, ICE lists the Joint Intake Center. These contacts do not correct Bell County booking data; a county issue must go to its record custodian.