When someone is arrested in Fort Worth and the family learns there is an ICE hold, the case can quickly become much more complicated than an ordinary criminal arrest.
The person may resolve the local bond.
The criminal case may be pending.
The family may expect the person to walk out of the Tarrant County jail.
Instead, immigration authorities may take custody.
That means there can be two separate systems operating at the same time:
the local Tarrant County criminal case and the federal immigration case.
Understanding that distinction is critical.
If someone is facing immigration detention after a Fort Worth arrest, The Piri Law Firm handles ICE detention and immigration habeas corpus matters throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
Quick Answer: What Happens After an ICE Hold in Tarrant County?
A person arrested in Fort Worth may first be booked into the Tarrant County jail system.
Tarrant County identifies its main Corrections Center at 100 N. Lamar Street in Fort Worth and also operates additional jail facilities, including the Lon Evans Correction Center and Green Bay Jail.
If ICE becomes involved, the person may be transferred from local custody into federal immigration custody rather than being released into the community.
After ICE assumes custody, the person may be:
- Processed by ICE
- Transferred to an immigration detention facility
- Placed into or returned to removal proceedings
- Evaluated for immigration bond where legally available
- Held under a detention statute that limits ordinary bond jurisdiction
- Subject to an existing removal order
- Eligible for another form of relief
- In some circumstances, able to challenge detention through federal habeas corpus
The exact path depends on the person’s immigration and criminal history.
Step 1: Confirm Whether the Person Is Still in Tarrant County Custody
Before assuming ICE has already taken custody, determine whether the person is still in the Tarrant County jail system.
Tarrant County maintains an online inmate search for jail information.
The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office currently lists the Detention Bureau and Corrections Center at:
100 N. Lamar Street
Fort Worth, TX 76196
817-884-3000
The first questions should be:
- Is the person still in county custody?
- Has criminal bond been set?
- Has criminal bond been satisfied?
- Is another hold listed?
- Has the person already been transferred?
Do not assume that someone who disappears from the county inmate system was released home.
They may have been transferred to another agency.
Step 2: Understand That Criminal Bond and Immigration Custody Are Separate
A local criminal bond controls release from the Tarrant County criminal case.
It does not necessarily control what ICE does.
A person might:
- Post bond
- Complete a sentence
- Have charges dismissed
- Receive probation
- Resolve the criminal case
and still be taken into immigration custody.
That is because ICE detention is based on federal immigration law rather than Texas criminal bond law.
Families should therefore avoid assuming that paying the county bond guarantees release into the community.
What Is an ICE Detainer?
An ICE detainer generally involves federal immigration authorities asking another law-enforcement agency to notify ICE before release and, under applicable circumstances, maintain custody temporarily so ICE can assume custody.
For families, the most important practical point is this:
A person who otherwise appears ready for release from local criminal custody may instead be transferred to ICE.
Once the transfer occurs, locating the person may require using ICE’s detention system rather than the Tarrant County inmate search.
Step 3: Use the ICE Detainee Locator After Transfer
If the person is no longer in Tarrant County custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
The most useful search information is often:
- A-Number
- Country of birth
If the A-Number is unavailable, ICE also permits searches using biographical information.
Our guide on how to find someone detained by ICE in Dallas-Fort Worth explains that process in detail.
Remember that a newly transferred person may not appear immediately.
Processing can take time.
Step 4: ICE May Move the Person Outside Fort Worth
Someone arrested in Fort Worth does not necessarily remain in Fort Worth after ICE takes custody.
ICE can transfer detainees within its detention network.
One important North Texas facility is the Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado.
ICE currently lists Prairieland under its Dallas Field Office at:
1209 Sunflower Lane
Alvarado, TX 76009
ICE states that families seeking information about someone housed there can call 817-409-3995 and should have identifying information available.
That location is south of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but ICE can also use other facilities.
Never assume the detainee will remain at the first location where the family finds them.
Why Detention Location Matters
The facility can affect:
- Family visitation
- Attorney access
- Immigration court logistics
- Legal calls
- Transportation
- Federal habeas venue
- Which court may hear certain detention challenges
That last point can become particularly important if a federal habeas petition is being considered.
The physical place of detention may affect where the federal case must be filed.
Step 5: Determine Why ICE Is Holding the Person
Finding the detainee answers only one question.
The next—and more important—question is:
Why is ICE legally detaining them?
An attorney may need to determine:
- Immigration status
- How the person entered the United States
- Whether removal proceedings are pending
- Whether a final removal order already exists
- Whether the person was previously removed
- Criminal history
- Prior immigration court cases
- Pending USCIS applications
- Whether mandatory detention is alleged
- How long detention has continued
The legal basis for custody determines what release options may exist.
What If the Person Has Never Been in Immigration Court?
ICE may initiate removal proceedings.
The government can issue a Notice to Appear alleging that the person is removable from the United States.
Depending on eligibility, the person may be able to pursue defenses or applications such as:
- Asylum
- Withholding of removal
- Convention Against Torture protection
- Cancellation of removal
- Adjustment of status
- Waivers
- Other relief
The availability of relief depends on the person’s history.
What If There Is Already a Removal Order?
This situation can be more urgent.
Someone with a final removal order may be detained so ICE can pursue removal under the existing order.
Counsel should determine:
- When the order was entered
- Whether the person knew about it
- Whether it was entered in absentia
- Whether appeal occurred
- Whether reopening may be available
- Whether new circumstances exist
- Whether a stay of removal should be considered
- Whether continued detention itself can be challenged
Time may be extremely important because ICE may already be attempting to execute the removal order.
What If the Person Missed Immigration Court Years Ago?
A person may discover after a Fort Worth arrest that an immigration judge previously entered an in absentia removal order.
Depending on the facts, immigration law permits certain in absentia orders to be challenged through a motion to reopen.
Issues can include:
- Whether proper notice was received
- Whether exceptional circumstances prevented attendance
- Whether another statutory ground exists
The original immigration court record needs to be reviewed carefully.
Do not assume the existence of an old order automatically ends the case.
Step 6: Determine Whether Immigration Bond Is Available
Some detainees can request an immigration bond hearing.
Others cannot.
Whether an immigration judge has bond jurisdiction depends on the statutory basis for detention.
Important factors can include:
- Criminal convictions
- Immigration status
- Manner of entry
- Prior removal orders
- Current removal charges
- Whether mandatory detention applies
This is why two people transferred to ICE from the same Fort Worth jail can have completely different release options.
What Does an Immigration Judge Consider at a Bond Hearing?
Where bond jurisdiction exists, relevant issues can include whether the person presents a danger or is likely to appear for future proceedings.
Evidence may address:
- Family ties
- Residence in Fort Worth or North Texas
- Employment history
- Community ties
- Criminal history
- Rehabilitation
- Prior court appearances
- Immigration relief
- Financial support
- Proposed living arrangements
The family can often help gather this information.
What If ICE Says There Is “No Bond”?
That phrase needs careful analysis.
It may mean:
- ICE declined to set an administrative bond
- The government believes the immigration judge lacks bond jurisdiction
- Mandatory detention is being asserted
- A final removal order changes the custody framework
- Another detention statute applies
“No bond” does not explain the legal reason.
An attorney needs to identify the statute and procedural posture before determining whether another remedy exists.
Step 7: When Can Habeas Corpus Become Relevant?
A petition for writ of habeas corpus is a federal court action challenging the legality of detention.
Habeas corpus can become relevant in certain cases involving:
- Prolonged detention
- Lack of adequate custody review
- Disputes over statutory detention authority
- Post-removal-order detention
- Due-process concerns
- Other allegedly unlawful custody
Habeas corpus is not simply another word for immigration bond.
The two proceedings occur in different legal systems.
Learn more about immigration habeas corpus representation.
Immigration Bond vs. Habeas Corpus
An immigration bond hearing generally occurs before an immigration judge when the judge has statutory authority to review custody.
A habeas corpus petition is filed in federal district court and challenges whether the detention itself is lawful.
A detainee might have:
- A bond option
- A habeas option
- Both at different times
- Neither, depending on the law and facts
The next article in this series will focus specifically on immigration bond versus habeas corpus.
Step 8: Gather the Criminal Records
The Fort Worth criminal case can matter enormously to the immigration case.
Gather:
- Charging documents
- Bond paperwork
- Plea documents
- Judgment
- Sentence
- Deferred adjudication documents
- Dismissal paperwork
- Probation terms
- Certified dispositions
Do not rely only on how the criminal attorney or family casually describes the case.
Immigration law has its own rules for determining whether a criminal disposition counts as a conviction and what immigration consequences can follow.
Why “It Was Just Probation” May Not Be Enough
Families sometimes believe that a case cannot affect immigration status because the person did not go to prison.
That is not necessarily true.
Depending on the facts, immigration consequences can arise from:
- Guilty pleas
- Deferred adjudication
- Certain misdemeanor convictions
- Certain felony convictions
- Domestic violence cases
- Drug offenses
- Theft or fraud offenses
- Other criminal dispositions
The precise statute and disposition need to be reviewed.
Step 9: Check the Immigration Court Case
If you have the A-Number, check EOIR’s Automated Case Information System.
That can sometimes help determine whether the person has:
- A pending immigration hearing
- A previous immigration judge decision
- A BIA appeal
- Another case status
However, online information is not a substitute for the actual immigration court file.
Bond proceedings may also require separate inquiry.
What If the Detainee Has a BIA Appeal?
A person may be taken into custody while a BIA appeal is already pending.
The effect of the appeal depends on the type of case.
For many timely direct appeals from removal decisions on the merits, an automatic stay can prevent execution of the removal order while the BIA adjudicates the appeal.
But that does not automatically require release from detention.
The Piri Law Firm also handles BIA appeals throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
Step 10: Act Quickly After a Fort Worth Arrest
Families should focus on practical tasks immediately.
Check the Tarrant County inmate system.
Find the A-Number.
Use ICE’s detainee locator if local custody has ended.
Gather immigration documents.
Gather the exact criminal disposition.
Identify prior removal orders.
Contact immigration counsel.
Track every deadline and hearing date.
Waiting can make a detention case more difficult, particularly when the detainee has an existing final removal order.
What Families Should Not Assume
Do not assume:
- Paying Tarrant County bond means the person is coming home
- Every ICE detainee qualifies for immigration bond
- No bond means no legal challenge is possible
- ICE will keep the person in Fort Worth
- A pending green card application prevents detention
- An old removal order cannot be reopened
- A criminal dismissal means the arrest has no immigration significance
Each of these questions depends on the individual case.
Fort Worth ICE Detention and Prairieland
Prairieland Detention Facility is especially relevant to North Texas because of its location in Alvarado.
ICE lists the facility under the Dallas Field Office and provides separate procedures for detainee contact, legal access, and visitation.
Families should verify current visitation information before traveling because facility procedures can change.
Frequently Asked Questions About ICE Holds in Tarrant County
What is an ICE hold in Tarrant County?
An ICE detainer generally involves immigration authorities seeking notice of release or temporary continued custody so ICE can potentially assume custody after the local criminal detention ends.
Where is the Tarrant County Corrections Center?
Tarrant County lists its Corrections Center at 100 N. Lamar Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76196.
How do I find someone in the Tarrant County jail?
Tarrant County operates an online inmate search through the Sheriff’s Office.
Can someone post criminal bond and still be transferred to ICE?
Yes. Criminal bond and federal immigration custody are separate legal systems.
Where can ICE take someone arrested in Fort Worth?
ICE can transfer the person to an immigration detention facility. Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado is one facility currently listed under ICE’s Dallas Field Office.
Can someone detained by ICE get immigration bond?
Some detainees may qualify for bond. Others may be held under statutes that limit immigration judge bond jurisdiction.
What if ICE says there is no bond?
An attorney should determine the legal basis for detention and whether bond, federal habeas corpus, or another custody remedy may be available.
Can habeas corpus challenge ICE detention?
In appropriate cases, yes. Federal habeas corpus can challenge the legality of immigration detention.
Is Fort Worth immigration detention handled by a separate ICE field office?
ICE lists Prairieland and other North Texas detention matters under its Dallas Field Office structure.
Talk to a Fort Worth ICE Detention and Habeas Attorney
An ICE hold after a Fort Worth arrest can turn a local criminal case into a federal immigration detention matter almost immediately.
The first priority is figuring out:
Where is the person?
Why is ICE holding them?
Is immigration bond available?
Is there already a final removal order?
Can detention be challenged through habeas corpus?
The Piri Law Firm represents families throughout North Texas in ICE detention and immigration habeas corpus matters and provides dedicated Fort Worth immigration representation.
Call (833) 600-0029 to discuss the case.
This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. ICE detainers, criminal custody, immigration bond, removal proceedings, and habeas corpus remedies depend on the particular facts and governing law.
