ICE Records (FOIA)

What ICE keeps

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) keeps the records of its enforcement and removal work: arrests made by ICE, detention (dates and facilities), bond, orders of supervision and check-ins, and deportations or removals. ICE notes that many of these records are also in the USCIS A-file, and that border and entry records are kept by CBP.

Who needs them

They’re requested by people who were detained, who were deported or have a removal order, and people with ICE check-ins who want to know exactly what their history shows before seeking immigration relief or reopening a case.

How to request them

ICE takes requests only online through the SecureRelease portal, choosing the Department of Homeland Security and then ICE. The exception is people who are detained or incarcerated, who may mail their request. The request must clearly describe which records you want. For your own records you need a certification of identity with a handwritten (not digital) signature, or a statement that’s notarized or signed under penalty of perjury; for someone else’s records, that person’s signed consent; and representatives add Form G-28. ICE closes requests that arrive without identity verification.

The more specific the request, the easier the search: ICE recommends including the approximate dates of the arrest, detention or removal and the place where they happened. Those details go in the official request, which we prepare with you in person.

Requesting your own records usually costs nothing, although the Department of Homeland Security changed some fees on September 1, 2026. Response times vary and can take months.

Why request them before a new case

A past deportation or a removal order can completely change a person’s options, and the details — dates, the type of order, whether you left with permission — matter. Because ICE says the full history is also held by USCIS, it’s often best to request both records at the same time.