Every day, emotional posts circulate on Instagram claiming that an illegal alien has “disappeared,” been human trafficked, or kidnapped by ICE, or that thousands of illegal aliens or children are “missing.” These claims are presented without follow-up from families reporting missing loved ones days or weeks later. If large numbers of people were truly disappearing, family members would be searching for them. Instead, the claims are largely amplified by liberal activists, not relatives.
Assertions that illegals detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are “missing” typically stem from misunderstandings of immigration law and detention procedures rather than actual disappearances. In most cases, “missing” simply means the detainee has not yet contacted family members. Generally, detainees are able to call home within hours of an arrest, although arrests occurring on Fridays or immediately before holidays can result in brief delays of two to three days. At no point, however, are detainees unaccounted for or missing.
Liberal activists often claim that someone is missing, or that ICE is hiding a detainee, when ICE refuses to provide information in response to their inquiries. Under U.S. law and ICE protocols, however, personal information may be released only to the detainee’s attorney or to an immediate family member. When activists who lack legal standing request information and are denied, they frequently portray that denial as evidence that the individual is “missing,” even though the detainee remains in documented federal custody.
In many widely circulated cases, the individuals involved were subject to long-standing removal orders that went unenforced for years due to policy decisions rather than any change in legal status. When an immigrant fails to appear for a scheduled immigration hearing, an immigration judge issues an in-absentia removal order, which remains valid unless it is successfully reopened or stayed. Once issued, the individual is considered unlawfully present and remains subject to detention at any time.
Hellbound and Down 