Where ICE Transfers Go
ICE's Online Detainee Locator System covers people currently in ICE custody or people in CBP custody for more than 48 hours. It does not archive ordinary local jail releases. In Custer County research, ICE comes into play when Fremont or Custer records show an immigration hold, ICE detainer, federal immigration transfer, or similar destination. The county jail release record may show "released" from Fremont custody, but that can mean transfer to immigration custody rather than return to the community.
This is one of the most important release-status distinctions. A person can be released from a county jail and still be in custody elsewhere. If VINE shows release and the court or sheriff record mentions ICE, use the ICE locator. If there is no immigration clue, use the Custer court file, Fremont booking, CDOC, or BOP as appropriate instead of assuming ICE applies.
How to Search ICE Custody
USA.gov explains that ICE locator searches can use an A-number and country of birth, or name, country of birth, and date of birth. The A-number route is usually stronger when available. Name searches require careful comparison because names, spellings, dates, and countries of birth must match the search fields. If ICE does not show a result, that can mean no ICE custody, a mismatch, custody outside the locator scope, or timing issues.
Short how-to
- First confirm from Fremont, Custer, or court records that ICE is a plausible receiving agency.
- Search ICE by A-number and country of birth if available.
- If no A-number is available, search by name, country of birth, and date of birth.
- Compare details carefully before relying on the result.
- If ICE shows custody, treat the Fremont release as a transfer, not a community release.
ICE Locator and Local Follow-Up
The documented ICE locator source is https://locator.ice.gov/. The research also uses USA.gov's detained-by-ICE explanation for search methods. Local follow-up starts with Fremont Intake/Booking at 719-276-5555 option 2 when the question is whether the person left Fremont custody and where they were sent. The Custer Combined Court record may also identify a hold, transfer, or continued state case.
ICE Online Detainee Locator System
https://locator.ice.gov/
Search by A-number/country or name/country/date of birth
Use for: current ICE custody or CBP custody over 48 hours
County Release vs ICE Custody
A Fremont jail release to ICE should be described as a transfer out of county custody. It is not the same as release to the community. The county detention record should show release date, release type, and destination if available. ICE may then show current immigration custody. The court file may continue separately if criminal charges remain pending, resolved, or sentenced. These records should be reconciled rather than treated as duplicates.
| Record | What it confirms |
|---|---|
| Fremont release record | When the person left county detention and the release or transfer type. |
| ICE locator | Whether the person is currently in ICE custody or covered CBP custody. |
| Custer court | Criminal bond, disposition, sentence, warrant, or continued case activity. |
| VINE | Reported custody change from a participating agency. |
Facility History: Why Transfers Matter
Custer County's jail closure already means a local detainee is likely held outside the county at Fremont. A second transfer to ICE can make a release search look confusing because the person may disappear from a county custody tool without being free from all custody. Facility-history sources explain why Custer users should expect a split record trail. The release record, transfer destination, and receiving-agency locator are the facts that resolve the path.
ICE Locator Limits
ICE locator results are for immigration custody, not criminal case disposition. They do not replace Custer Combined Court records, Fremont release records, CDOC state prison records, or BOP federal prison records. A missing ICE result should not be treated as proof of a local release by itself. Use ICE as one branch of the verification chain only when the release record or court history supports it.
ICE Transfer Records to Compare
If Fremont or Custer records suggest an ICE transfer, compare three facts before drawing a conclusion. The first is the Fremont release type and destination, because that shows whether county custody ended by transfer. The second is the ICE locator result, because that shows current immigration custody within the locator's scope. The third is the Custer court case, because the criminal case may still show bond, sentence, dismissal, warrant, or future hearing information separate from immigration custody.
A person may also move through CBP, ICE, another jail, or a federal holding path before the public locator gives a clear result. USA.gov's search-method guidance helps with identifiers, but the locator is still current-custody oriented. If the question is a past Fremont release date, request the Fremont record. If the question is current ICE custody, use the ICE locator. If the question is the criminal case, use Custer Combined Court.
When Not to Use ICE
Do not check ICE just because a person is missing from a Custer or Fremont search. Missing local custody can mean bond release, court order, transfer to CDOC, transfer to another county, data delay, sentence served, or a name mismatch. ICE is appropriate when the record mentions immigration custody, an ICE detainer, an immigration hold, or a transfer to immigration authorities.
After an ICE Result
If the ICE locator shows current custody, return to the Fremont and Custer records to understand how the person left county custody. The county release record may identify the transfer date. The Custer court record may show whether the criminal case is pending, resolved, or separate from the immigration matter. If ICE does not show current custody but a Fremont record shows release to ICE, the timing or locator scope may explain the gap. A records request is the better tool for the historical county release event.
Keep the custody systems separate. ICE custody is immigration custody. It does not replace the criminal court docket, CDOC record, BOP record, or probation record. The correct follow-up depends on which agency had legal control at the moment being checked.