ICE Transfer and Release
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations oversees civil immigration detention. That custody is separate from a Goochland criminal case, Pamunkey Regional Jail, VADOC, USMS, and BOP. When ICE takes custody at the end of a jail or prison episode, the first authority may correctly report “released” even though the person remains detained by a new custodian.
An ICE detainer is a request that a jail notify ICE before release and hold the person for up to 48 hours beyond the ordinary release time so DHS can assume custody. If ICE takes the person, the event is a transfer. ICE states that if it does not assume custody within the authorized period, the jail must release the person.
No evidence showed a dedicated Goochland ICE contract or release page. Use ICE only after the records trail supports that branch.
Search ICE Custody Records
Open the official ICE Online Detainee Locator System, often called ODLS. The strongest search uses the person’s nine-digit A-number and country of birth. Add leading zeros if needed to reach nine digits. The second route uses exact first and last name, country of birth, and an optional date of birth.
- Confirm that a jail, prison, court, lawyer, or other official source points to ICE.
- Choose the A-number route when that identifier is known.
- Enter all nine digits and the correct country of birth.
- Otherwise, enter the exact name and country of birth, adding date of birth when lawful and known.
- Copy the result language and access time without expanding its meaning.
- If no result appears, check spelling and identifiers, then call DRIL.
Never choose a person on surname alone. An ICE A-number is not a Pamunkey inmate ID, VADOC DOC ID, BOP register number, or court case number.
ICE Locator Coverage Limits
ICE’s public descriptions require caution. Attorney guidance says ODLS includes current ICE detainees and people released from ICE custody within the prior 60 days, subject to limits. The public search text refers to current ICE or certain CBP custody lasting more than 48 hours. Because those descriptions differ, a negative result should not be treated as conclusive.
ICE also warns that not every detainee appears. Minors do not appear. Data entry, an exact-name mismatch, a recent transfer, time in custody, or another coverage rule can affect the search. A result is a navigation aid, not a complete immigration case file.
| ODLS outcome | Next step |
|---|---|
| Current match | Read facility and instructions exactly, then confirm through ICE |
| Recent release indication | Ask ICE what custody event the record describes |
| No match | Recheck exact inputs and call DRIL |
| Minor | Do not expect a public ODLS result; use authorized channels |
ICE DRIL Contact Route
When ODLS does not resolve a lawful search, use the Detention Reporting and Information Line. DRIL can answer basic ICE custody questions and route concerns. Staff may require identifying facts and may limit what can be disclosed.
ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line888-351-4024
Weekdays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern
Closed federal holidays
Have the full name, A-number if known, country of birth, date of birth if lawfully available, prior custodian, and approximate transfer date. Explain that Pamunkey, VADOC, BOP, or USMS identified an ICE transfer when that is supported by the record. Do not add a guessed nationality or detention site.
If the caller is counsel or otherwise has formal authority, use the applicable ICE attorney or case channel as well. ODLS does not replace legal notices, case filings, or direct communication with the responsible office.
Goochland ICE Custody Trail
A Goochland-linked immigration custody question usually begins elsewhere. Pamunkey may hold an adult for a Goochland arrest. A state-responsible sentence can lead to VADOC. A federal matter can involve USMS or BOP. ICE becomes the correct next search only when that source identifies immigration custody or an authorized representative confirms it.
At Pamunkey, ask Booking/Release whether the booking ended, what the release type was, and whether another agency received the person. Request the release entry when telephone disclosure is limited. A court order may explain the criminal release authority, while the jail entry shows whether ICE pickup followed.
The Goochland County release search covers the earlier county steps. Once ICE receives the person, stop using Pamunkey’s current list as the status source. It only shows that Pamunkey no longer holds the person.
ICE Release Confirmation
ICE attorney guidance describes a limited release-history window in ODLS, but the exact result should be verified. Ask whether ICE custody ended, the effective date, and whether the person moved to another authority. Immigration case proceedings and custody are related but not identical, so a case event does not always establish the physical release time.
A released ICE result cannot prove that state or federal supervision ended. It also cannot establish the resolution of a Goochland criminal case. Check each authority only for the part it controls. When official systems conflict, preserve both results and their access times, then contact the custodians rather than choosing one.
- ODLS
- ICE’s public detainee locator, with stated coverage limits.
- A-number
- The immigration identifier used for the most precise locator route.
- Detainer
- An ICE request for notice and a limited hold so DHS can assume custody.
- Transfer
- Movement from one custodian to another, not community release.
ICE Record Boundaries
Do not request or publish immigration information merely because someone was born outside the United States. The research supports neutral custody confirmation after an identified transfer, not speculation about immigration status. Use enough data to distinguish the person and ask only for records an authorized recipient may lawfully receive.
A public ODLS screen can change. Save only what is needed for the permitted purpose, note the time, and avoid spreading sensitive identifiers. An A-number deserves special care because it connects records across an immigration case. Do not place it into unrelated search boxes or public posts.
For a records issue, contact the authority that made the entry. Pamunkey controls its booking and release record. VADOC controls state custody. USMS and BOP control their federal records. ICE controls ODLS and immigration detention information. A correction in one system does not automatically update the others.
Note: ODLS results are dynamic and coverage is limited, so record the access time and confirm an unclear result directly with ICE.
ICE Versus Federal Prison
ICE detention and federal imprisonment are both federal in a broad sense, but the agencies and legal bases differ. BOP holds sentenced federal prisoners. USMS manages many federal defendants and prisoners around court proceedings. ICE civil detention relates to immigration enforcement. Searching the wrong database can produce a technically accurate negative result that answers the wrong question.
A former BOP prisoner may show a historical federal release date, then enter ICE. In that sequence, “Not in BOP custody” and “in ICE custody” can both be true. Likewise, Pamunkey can report a release to ICE while ODLS needs time to display or does not cover the record publicly. Use the handoff evidence to bridge the gap.
| System | Identifier | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pamunkey | Inmate ID | Regional jail booking |
| VADOC | Seven-digit DOC ID | Virginia prison or supervision |
| BOP | Register number | Federal prison custody |
| ICE | Nine-digit A-number | Immigration record and locator search |
Preserving these boundaries is the safest way to confirm which custody ended and which, if any, followed.
ICE Release Evidence Chain
A careful ICE release check begins with proof of the handoff. Pamunkey’s release entry, a VADOC record, a BOP result, a USMS record, or counsel may identify ICE as the receiving authority. ODLS then helps locate the immigration custody episode. DRIL or the responsible ICE office can address a missing or unclear result.
For the end of ICE custody, preserve the exact locator wording, the access time, and any direct official confirmation. Ask whether the result describes release, transfer, or another event. Immigration court activity can supply case context, but it should not be used as the sole proof of the physical exit time.
If another authority takes custody after ICE, name that system instead of calling the person free. If ICE releases the person while a criminal supervision term remains, the corrections or court record still governs that separate obligation. The custody timeline must keep each event and agency distinct.
ICE Locator Error Checks
Before treating a negative ODLS result as meaningful, check the A-number length, leading zeros, country of birth, exact spelling, spacing, and date of birth. Confirm that the person is not a minor and that the prior record really named ICE. Recent transfers can also create timing gaps.
Do not try broad guesses across nationalities or similar names. Call DRIL with the supported identifiers. A careful failed search plus an official phone inquiry is stronger than a forced match to the wrong person.
ICE Releases and Goochland
Goochland’s unusual facility geography makes agency identity more reliable than location. Pamunkey sits in Hanover but officially houses Goochland adult detainees. VCCW sits in Goochland but serves a statewide VADOC prison population. No dedicated ICE detention center was identified in the county. ICE becomes relevant through a documented handoff, not because a facility is near Goochland.
Choose the first custodian correctly, then follow its receiving-agency record. This prevents Pamunkey release, VADOC transfer, BOP release, and ICE detention from being merged into one event. ODLS answers only the immigration-custody part.
Official ICE Release Sources
ICE’s attorney locator guidance supplies the stated recent-release window and system limits. Pamunkey’s official jail page establishes its role for Goochland detainees, while the VADOC directory identifies state facilities. Use those sources to prove the custody chain before moving to ODLS.
No one portal spans local jail, state prison, federal prison, and immigration custody. The separate official pages keep a local release or state transfer from being mislabeled as an ICE event.