The Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a new hotline established for detainees who "believe they may be U.S. citizens or victims of a crime" if they are held in custody by local law enforcement. The Obama Administration launched the hotline in response to cases where local law enforcement were detaining U.S. citizens, believing they were illegal immigrants.
The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day by ICE personnel, seven days a week, with interpreters fluent in several different languages. Once a phone call is made, a hotline staffer will collect information from the detainee that will be forwarded to the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office. The detainee will be presented with a form available in different languages that will inform them of their rights, including a notification that ICE officials should take custody of the individual within 48 hours. The press release also stated "if ICE does not take them into custody within the 48 hours, they should contact the [law enforcement agency] or entity that is holding them to inquire about their release from state or local custody."
The toll-free number is (855) 448-6903.
Glickman Turley's experienced attorneys represent individuals on a wide range of immigration matters, as well as other legal issues. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss representation on immigration matters, real estate purchase and sales, condominium associations, criminal defense, non-profit law, civil litigation, business litigation, business law, probate matters including wills, powers of attorney, health care proxy, same-sex parent adoptions, guardianships, animal law, or LGBT legal matters.
