When federal immigration agents take your family member into custody in New York, the first 48 hours dictate everything that follows for your loved one.
You need clear facts and immediate legal action, not panic.
What you and your family do during these initial hours determines whether your relative stays in the New York metropolitan area, qualifies for an immigration bond hearing before a judge, or faces rapid transfer to a remote detention facility across state lines.
The Critical 24 to 72 Hour Window
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moves fast after making an arrest in your neighborhood. If your family member does not have legal representation on record, officers can pressure them into signing away their right to see an immigration judge before you even locate where ICE took them.
Find Where ICE Is Holding Your Relative
ICE will never call you to announce an arrest.
When agents arrest someone on the streets of Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, or Brooklyn, they almost always bring your relative first to the ICE New York Field Office intake facility at 201 Varick Street in lower Manhattan for booking, photographing, and fingerprinting.
Because New York City municipal jails do not hold civil immigration detainees for federal authorities, ICE quickly transfers your family member to contracted county correctional centers in New Jersey or upstate New York.
The most common regional facilities holding New York detainees include the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the Orange County Correctional Facility in Goshen, New York, and regional holding centers in Bergen, Hudson, or Essex counties.
To locate your relative online, you should check the official ICE Online Detainee Locator System (ODLS).
You will need your relative's nine-digit Alien Registration Number (often called an A-Number) and their exact country of birth.
If you do not have their A-Number, you can search by your relative's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth, but the spelling you enter must match ICE records exactly.
And if the online system shows no record during the first 12 hours of your search, that does not mean they were released.
It simply means your relative's intake data has not finished syncing with the central database.
- Find the 9-digit A-Number: Check your household immigration paperwork (such as an I-797 approval notice, work authorization card, or past visa notice).
- Search the ICE Detainee Locator: Visit locator.ice.gov and run searches with both the A-Number and name variations.
- Contact the NYC Field Office: Call the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) intake desk at 201 Varick Street at (212) 863-3401.
Tell Your Relative to Exercise Their Constitutional Rights Immediately
Every person physically present in the United States possesses fundamental rights under the U.S. Constitution that protect your family.
These constitutional protections apply to your loved one regardless of whether they entered on a valid visa, overstayed their status, or entered without inspection.
When your relative gets their phone call from custody, tell them to follow these three rules without exception to protect your family's future.
First, your relative must exercise their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.
They should never answer questions about where they were born, how they entered the country, or what their current immigration status is without your attorney present in the room.
Second, you must instruct them to refuse to sign any paperwork presented by deportation officers.
Deportation officers frequently hand your detained relative Form I-827 (Notice of Rights and Request for Disposition) or ask them to accept a "Stipulated Order of Removal."
Never let your relative sign Form I-827 without an attorney. Signing that document waives your loved one's right to an immigration court hearing and triggers immediate deportation.
Instruct your loved one to write a single clear sentence on any sheet ICE places in front of them: "I request to speak with my lawyer before signing anything."
Third, tell your relative to ask for a formal bond hearing before an Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Immigration Judge.
Do not let your loved one wait for officers to volunteer this information.
Have an Attorney File Form G-28 to Halt Immediate Deportation
ICE deportation officers will not discuss your relative's case details or custody status with you or your family members.
To get information, protect your loved one, and stop expedited removal actions, your attorney must formally enter the case by filing Form G-28 (Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative).
Once Attorney Mahfuzur Rahman submits Form G-28 to ICE ERO on your family's behalf, federal officers must direct all communications and legal notices through your legal counsel.
We immediately demand a copy of your relative's Notice to Appear (Form I-862) and the initial Notice of Custody Determination (Form I-286).
So why is this initial paperwork so vital to your family?
Because the Notice to Appear lists the government's specific legal charges against your relative and establishes whether you can win their release on bond.
Request an Immigration Bond Hearing Under INA § 236(a)
If ICE issues a "no bond" decision on Form I-286, you should know that this is not the final word.
Under Section 236(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (codified at 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a)), your relative has the legal right to ask an independent Immigration Judge to redetermine custody and grant release on bond.
Our office drafts and files an emergency Motion for Custody Redetermination with the appropriate EOIR Immigration Court (such as 26 Federal Plaza or 290 Broadway in Manhattan, or the Elizabeth Immigration Court in New Jersey).
To win your bond hearing, we must prove two core legal requirements to the Immigration Judge under established Board of Immigration Appeals precedents (such as Matter of Patel and Matter of Guerra):
Your Relative Is Not a Danger to Persons or Property
We present evidence showing your loved one has no violent criminal convictions, poses no danger to your community, and maintains good moral character in New York.
Your Relative Is Not a Flight Risk
We document your family's deep ties to New York, including your relative's continuous residence, consistent tax filings, and family responsibilities that ensure you will have them home safely.
Under INA § 236(a)(2)(A), the minimum statutory cash bond is $1,500.
In practice, immigration judges in New York and New Jersey typically set bond amounts between $3,000 and $15,000 depending on the depth of evidence you and your attorney submit in your bond motion package.
What if ICE claims your relative is subject to "mandatory detention" under INA § 236(c) due to a prior criminal contact?
We immediately request a specialized Joseph hearing on your family's behalf to challenge the government's mandatory detention classification and argue that the underlying offense does not trigger automatic custody.
- Proof of NYC Family Ties: Birth certificates and green cards of your U.S. Citizen or LPR children, spouse, or parents.
- Proof of Address & Residence: Your residential leases, utility bills, and proof of physical presence in New York.
- Financial & Tax History: Certified IRS tax transcripts and W-2 forms demonstrating your family's lawful financial contributions.
- Community Support Letters: Character reference affidavits from your employers, religious leaders, and neighbors in Queens or Brooklyn.
- Certified Court Dispositions: Complete certified certificates of disposition for any past arrests or traffic matters.
Fight the Underlying Removal Case with Available Defenses
Securing your relative's release on bond is only the first victory for your family.
Once your relative is released from custody, you must still defend against the deportation charges listed on their Notice to Appear.
Depending on your relative's immigration background, several potent forms of relief can protect your family, stop deportation, and secure lawful permanent status:
- Asylum, Withholding of Removal & CAT: Protection for immigrants who face severe persecution or torture in their native country based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group.
- Cancellation of Removal for Non-Permanent Residents (INA § 240A(b)): Available to individuals who have lived in the U.S. for at least 10 continuous years, have good moral character, and whose removal would cause exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to your qualifying U.S. Citizen or permanent resident spouse, parent, or child.
- Family-Based Adjustment of Status: Applying for a green card through your U.S. Citizen spouse or adult child (via Form I-130) combined with unlawful presence waivers (Form I-601 or I-601A) where necessary.
- Humanitarian Relief (U Visa, T Visa, VAWA): Dedicated legal relief for victims of certain crimes, trafficking, or domestic abuse who assisted law enforcement or suffered abuse from a qualifying resident relative.
Plus, if ICE committed serious constitutional violations during your relative's arrest (such as entering your private home without a judicial search warrant), your attorney can file a Motion to Terminate proceedings and suppress unlawfully obtained evidence.
Is Your Relative in ICE Custody Right Now?
Do not wait until your loved one is transferred out of New York. Contact the Law Office of Mahfuzur Rahman immediately for emergency intervention, G-28 filing, and aggressive bond representation for your family.
How to Pay the Immigration Bond Once Granted
When the Immigration Judge grants your bond request, you and your family must post the money promptly to secure your relative's physical release.
The person paying the bond on your family's behalf is known as the "obligor."
Your bond obligor must be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident who is at least 18 years old, possesses a valid Social Security Number, and presents valid government-issued photo identification.
- Obligor Status: Must be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident with government photo ID and SSN.
- Acceptable Payment: Official bank cashier's check payable to the "Department of Homeland Security" (cash, credit cards, and personal checks are not accepted).
- Payment Locations: ICE ERO Bond Acceptance Window at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, regional field offices, or online through the ICE CeBONDS system.
You can pay immigration bonds in person at an authorized ICE ERO payment location (such as the bond window at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan) or process your payment online through ICE's electronic CeBONDS platform.
You cannot pay your relative's bond with cash or a personal check.
ICE requires you to provide an official bank cashier's check made payable to the "Department of Homeland Security."
Once your bond payment is processed and accepted, the detention center receives the clearance order and releases your loved one directly back to your family within several hours.
Frequently Asked Questions About ICE Detention in New York
Where does ICE take someone arrested in New York City?
Individuals arrested by ICE in NYC are taken first to the 201 Varick Street processing center in Manhattan. Within 24 to 72 hours, ICE routinely transfers detainees to contract facilities in New Jersey (such as Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility) or regional county jails in upstate New York (such as Orange County Correctional Facility).
How do I find a family member's Alien Registration Number (A-Number)?
The A-Number is an 8 or 9 digit number listed on prior immigration paperwork, such as Form I-797 approval notices, work permits (EAD cards), visa stamps, or previous deportation notices (Form I-862 Notice to Appear).
Can my relative get a bond hearing if ICE initially denied bond?
Yes. Even if ICE sets a "no bond" custody determination, your attorney can immediately file a Motion for Custody Redetermination before an EOIR Immigration Judge under INA § 236(a) to secure an independent bond decision.
What is the minimum statutory bond amount?
Under INA § 236(a)(2)(A), the minimum cash bond set by law is $1,500. However, immigration judges in New York and New Jersey commonly set bonds between $3,000 and $15,000 depending on flight risk and community ties.
Who is allowed to post an immigration bond?
The bond obligor must be at least 18 years of age and hold legal status as a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident. They must present valid government photo identification and pay via a certified bank cashier's check.
Take Immediate Legal Action Today
Facing an ICE arrest in your family is terrifying, but prompt legal representation makes all the difference for your future.
Attorney Mahfuzur Rahman provides immediate, bilingual representation in English and Bengali (বাংলা) for you and your loved ones across Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Queens, and the greater New York metropolitan area.
Call our Elmhurst office today at (347) 856-1736 or visit our Emergency Consultation Page to protect your loved one's freedom.