What Happens When Someone is Arrested By Immigration

Many immigrants and their families fear the possibility of an immigration arrest. When it happens, the experience is often distressing and uncertain. Whether you’re worried about what might happen or dealing with an arrest or its aftermath, understanding the process can help. 

This article provides some basic information about immigration arrests. For more, see the additional articles and information linked below. 

What happens if someone is arrested by an immigration officer?

When someone is arrested by an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), that is because the officer thinks the person has broken an immigration law and could be deported. 

The first decision ICE will make in most cases is whether to:

• Give the person a court date and release them, or 
• Hold the person in an immigration detention center 

Currently, there are no detention centers in Oregon. Most people who are not released by ICE are taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.   

If you are trying to find someone who was arrested by ICE, you can try calling the Tacoma detention center at 253-779-6000. You can also search for them using ICE's Online Detainee Locator. 

People are sometimes held overnight at a local ICE office before being sent to a detention center. It may take a day or two for them to show up in the detainee locator.  

If someone is arrested by an immigration officer, will they be deported?

Not always. What happens with someone's case depends on a lot of factors, including: 

• What immigration law they are accused of violating
• Whether they have been deported or ordered deported before
• Whether they have serious criminal convictions

Most people who are arrested by ICE will have a chance to talk to an immigration judge and may be able to apply to remain in the United States, even if they are being held in a detention center. People who are arrested while crossing the border may be deported more quickly. 

For more information about immigration issues, including dealing with ICE, deportation cases, and your immigration options, see the following articles.

More on immigration: