A national immigrant advocacy group launched an interactive map on March 12 designed to help families locate detained loved ones, uncover legal and community resources and better understand the U.S. Immigration detention system. The map, created by Freedom for Immigrants, compiles information about immigration detention facilities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, resource providers, and companies that profit from immigration detention.
“Detention operates through speed, confusion, [and] isolation, and so the role of this map is to try to interrupt that by centralizing the information that people will need,” said Gillian Wenhold, database and IT manager at Freedom for Immigrants, who led development of the modern platform.
The updated map includes five main sections: an immigration detention directory, a resource hub, an organizing and resistance section highlighting companies tied to detention, a news and storytelling feed linked to individual facilities, and a “detention by the numbers” data section that tracks statistics such as deaths in custody. Users can click on detention centers to find information including visitation policies, phone access rules, and how to add money to commissary accounts.
The project is primarily intended for families, friends, and loved ones navigating the detention system, Wenhold said. Freedom for Immigrants’ hotline frequently connects them with people who are detained and their families, and the map aims to provide the resources those individuals need.
The platform allows members of the public to submit updates, which advocates hope will help keep the information current. Maintaining accurate data is challenging because the system is constantly changing, with ICE relying on a network of privately operated detention centers, local jails, and temporary federal facilities.
To compile the map’s information, the organization combines government records, Freedom for Immigrants’ internal hotline database, media reports, and federal spending disclosures. The map will also link to a companion map developed by AJ Kim at San Diego State University, which focuses on detention population statistics and facility capacity. The two tools will eventually merge into a single platform.
The Freedom for Immigrants map also tracks government contracts and companies involved in immigration detention, information advocates say can help support organizing campaigns. Advocates also plan to expand a section highlighting organizing campaigns, protests, and resistance efforts tied to detention facilities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the new map?
The map is designed to help families locate detained loved ones, find legal and community resources, and better understand the U.S. Immigration detention system.
Who created the map?
The map was created by Freedom for Immigrants.
What kind of information does the map include?
The map includes information about immigration detention facilities, ICE field offices, resource providers, companies that profit from immigration detention, visitation policies, phone access rules, and how to add money to commissary accounts.
As this new tool becomes available, how might communities and advocates utilize this centralized information to address the challenges within the immigration detention system?
