The call might come from a neighbor, a coworker or the person themselves, speaking fast from a detention phone. ICE has arrested someone you love in San Antonio. In that moment, it is hard to think clearly. This guide gives you a plan, hour by hour, for the first three days.
It was written by Lozano Law Firm, whose managing attorney, Alfredo Lozano, is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Our team handles detention and deportation cases in house from our San Antonio office, in English and Spanish.
ICE, Border Patrol or Local Police?
Knowing who made the arrest tells you where to look. ICE officers arrest people at homes, workplaces and traffic stops across San Antonio. Local police and sheriff’s deputies arrest people on criminal charges, and ICE may later take custody from the jail. Border Patrol operates mostly near the border and at checkpoints. Each path leads to a different process, so ask whoever called you which agency was involved.
The First Few Hours: Stay Calm and Collect Information
Before anything else, write down what you know: the person’s full legal name, date of birth, country of birth and A-number if they have one, where and when the arrest happened and which agency made it. The A-number is an eight- or nine-digit number found on most immigration papers. Gather the person’s passport, ID and any immigration documents in one place.
If the arrest followed a jail booking, ask the jail whether ICE placed a detainer. An ICE detainer asks the jail to hold someone for up to 48 hours past their release so ICE can take custody. In Bexar County, jail bookings are an increasingly common path into ICE custody as Texas sheriffs sign agreements with ICE under SB 8.
Hours 6 to 24: Find Out Where They Are
People arrested in San Antonio are usually processed through ICE’s San Antonio field office before being sent to a detention center. Many adults end up at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall or the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center. Parents held with children go to Dilley.
Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator with the A-number and country of birth, or with the person’s name, date of birth and country of birth. New arrests can take a day or two to appear, so keep checking. Our guide to Texas ICE detention centers explains each facility, visits and how to put money on an account.
If the arrest happened at the San Antonio Immigration Court on Dolorosa Street, the person is usually taken first to ICE’s San Antonio field office for processing. Families sometimes wait outside the courthouse for news. It is better to go home, start the checklist above and let the locator and a lawyer find the person.
Hours 24 to 48: Protect the Case
The most important thing your loved one can do in custody is avoid signing papers they do not understand. If ICE gives the person a Notice to Appear, keep a copy, because it lists the charges and starts the court case. Officers may also offer voluntary departure or a stipulated removal order. Those documents can end the case quickly, before anyone has looked at the person’s history or defenses.
People who recently entered may face expedited removal, which can lead to removal without a hearing in front of a judge. Proof of how long someone has lived in the U.S. can matter in those cases. Read more about expedited removal.
If the person is a Mexican citizen, they can ask that the Consulate of Mexico be told of the detention. The consulate in San Antonio, at 127 Navarro St., has a protection department that assists Mexican nationals in custody.
Hours 48 to 72: Push for Release
Status as of October 2026: Bond rules in Texas are in active litigation before the full Fifth Circuit, which heard arguments on September 24, 2026.
Whether a person can get out depends mostly on how they first entered the United States. People who entered without inspection have generally been denied bond hearings by Texas immigration judges since a February 2026 Fifth Circuit ruling. People who were inspected and admitted, such as someone who came on a visa, can usually still ask a judge to set bond. Even when bond is unavailable, ICE can grant parole for serious medical or humanitarian reasons, and a federal habeas petition can challenge detention that has become unlawful. See how we handle immigration bond hearings.
If There Are Children at Home
An arrest can leave children without a parent overnight. Arrange for a trusted adult to care for them, update school pickup lists and keep birth certificates and medical information in one place. Texas law allows parents to sign an authorization agreement that gives a relative or other trusted adult temporary authority to care for a child, which can make school and medical decisions easier while a parent is detained. A family plan like this is worth making even before anything happens.
Visits, Phone Accounts and Money
Each detention center sets its own visiting schedule, ID rules and dress code, and many require scheduling in advance. Detainees call out using accounts set up through the facility, and families can deposit money for phone calls and commissary through facility-approved services. Before sending money, confirm the person is still at that facility, since funds may not follow a transfer right away.
What to Gather for a Bond or Parole Request
- Proof of identity and how the person entered, such as a passport, visa or I-94 record
- Birth and marriage certificates for U.S. citizen and permanent resident relatives
- Leases, tax returns and pay stubs showing years in San Antonio
- Letters of support from employers, pastors and neighbors, with contact information
- Medical records and a list of medications, if the person has health conditions
- Certified court records for any arrest, including dismissals
Mistakes Families Make in the First Three Days
- Waiting for things to settle down. Transfers and hearings move quickly, and the first days offer the most options.
- Paying bail on a criminal charge without asking about ICE. If a detainer is in place, release from jail may just mean a transfer to ICE.
- Trusting anyone who promises a quick release for cash. Only ICE and the courts can release someone.
- Discussing the case on detention phones. Calls are usually recorded. Save the details for the lawyer.
- Losing track after a move. Check the locator daily, because people are often transferred.
How a Lawyer Helps in the First 72 Hours
A lawyer can confirm where the person is held, file a notice of representation so ICE knows the person has counsel, assess release options, prepare for the first hearing and stop harmful papers from being signed. We meet detained clients in person and by confidential video through our detainee consultations. Our page on immigration bond and detention in San Antonio explains the release process in more depth, and our San Antonio deportation defense page covers the court case that follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out where ICE took my family member?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with the person’s A-number and country of birth, or their name, country of birth and date of birth. New arrests can take a day or two to appear.
Can someone arrested by ICE in San Antonio get out on bond?
It depends mostly on how the person entered the U.S. People who entered without inspection have generally been denied bond hearings in Texas while the Fifth Circuit reviews the issue. People who were admitted with a visa can usually still ask a judge for bond.
Should my family member sign the papers ICE gives them?
Not without legal advice. Some papers agree to leave the country or accept removal, which can end the case before anyone reviews the person’s options.
What if my family member has a green card?
Permanent residents can be detained, usually because of certain criminal convictions. Many still have defenses, such as cancellation of removal for long-time residents, so an early review of the criminal records is essential.
Can I call my family member in detention?
Detainees generally cannot receive incoming calls. They can call out using phone accounts set up through the facility, and families can leave urgent messages through the facility.
How much is an immigration bond?
The law sets a minimum of $1,500, and amounts vary widely above that depending on flight risk, danger and the evidence presented.
Get a Board Certified Lawyer on the Case
The first 72 hours shape everything that follows. You do not have to figure them out alone.
Alfredo Lozano is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a Marine Corps veteran and a member of the State Bar of Texas, the San Antonio Bar Association and the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Our bilingual team handles detention cases across South Texas from our San Antonio office.
Request a free case evaluation and tell us who was detained and when. We will explain the options and move quickly, in English or Spanish.
