A national immigrant advocacy group has launched an interactive map aimed at assisting families in locating detained loved ones, finding legal and community resources, and understanding the complexities of the U.S. Immigration detention system. The map, created by Freedom for Immigrants, went live on March 12, 2026, and consolidates vital information about immigration detention facilities, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field offices, resource providers, and companies that profit from immigration detention.
Advocates assert that the project is designed to centralize information that is often difficult to access, making it available in one place for those most affected by the system. “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 oversaw the development of the new platform.
The updated map builds on an earlier version created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which focused on monitoring virus outbreaks within detention facilities. Over the past year, the organization has rebuilt the project on a new platform and broadened its scope.
Features of the Interactive Map
The new map includes five main sections:
- An immigration detention directory
- A resource hub
- An organizing and resistance section highlighting companies involved in detention
- A news and storytelling feed linked to individual facilities
- A “detention by the numbers” data section tracking statistics such as deaths in custody
Users can explore detention centers nationwide to view information including visitation policies, phone access rules, and how to add funds to commissary accounts. A resource directory allows individuals to filter organizations by the type of support provided, including legal services and rapid response networks.
Challenges in Mapping Detention Facilities
The task of maintaining accurate data on detention facilities is challenging, according to Wenhold. The system is continually changing, as ICE operates through a network of various facilities which includes privately run detention centers, local jails, and federal facilities that are occasionally used to hold immigrants. New locations may open or close with little notice, while others are utilized intermittently.
“Another challenge when it comes to resources is finding resource providers in resource-sparse areas,” Wenhold explained. “Across the board we’re seeing an increase in detention and the heavy strain on resource providers. Finding resource providers that aren’t maxed out or at capacity has been challenging for both our hotline and for populating the map.”
In compiling the map’s information, the organization draws from a variety of sources, including government records, their internal hotline database, media reports, and federal spending disclosures. Some data has also been acquired through public records requests.
Advocacy and Community Engagement
A newsfeed integrated into the map gathers stories about specific detention centers, with staff reviewing and approving articles before they become public. This feature is intended to help users grasp the extent of the detention system.
Josefina Mora-Cheung, director of organizing with the immigrant rights group La Resistencia in Washington state, noted the map’s comprehensiveness, particularly in distinguishing between full detention facilities and ICE field offices. “We’ve seen in places like Portland, where people are held for at most 24 to 48 hours, [places] are oftentimes called a detention facility, and they’re actually not a detention facility,” she said.
For those supporting individuals detained far from their communities, the centralized map offers a crucial connection to local support groups or legal aid organizations.
Future Developments and Collaborations
The project will also connect with a companion map developed by AJ Kim, an associate professor of city planning at San Diego State University, which focuses on real-time statistics regarding detention populations and facility capacities. The two tools are set to be merged into a single platform in the coming months.
The Freedom for Immigrants map aims to track government contracts and the companies involved in immigration detention, a measure advocates believe will bolster organizing campaigns to shut down facilities or end corporate involvement. “Ideally, this map will be used widely, and people will feel a sense of ownership over it,” Wenhold stated. “They will be using it, adding their updates, similar to how Wikipedia is maintained by the general population.”
Advocates also plan to enhance a section of the map that highlights organizing campaigns, protests, and resistance efforts associated with detention facilities. Wenhold mentioned that Freedom for Immigrants often hears from individuals inside detention who are organizing hunger strikes and other forms of protest, seeking to have their stories shared publicly.
The Human Impact of Detention
Mora-Cheung expressed hopes that the map will help the public grasp the human impact of detention. “At this point, it’s not necessarily about immigration anymore, it’s about the disappearance of a whole community and a whole group of people just because they’re from somewhere else,” she said. “It really ties down to xenophobia. We can’t allow for this expansion of detention sites any longer. Detention is not necessary. It’s used in a very arbitrary way and has very detrimental consequences, not only to people and their families, but to the communities that the detention facilities are in as well.”
Wenhold described the map as part of a broader initiative to create what advocates refer to as “abolitionist infrastructure”—tools that empower individuals to navigate and challenge the detention system while supporting those currently held inside. “This new evolution of the map supports the survival of people, families, loved ones,” Wenhold said. “it makes it easier for people to get what they need, so they can focus on the important work of organizing for systemic change.”
As this interactive map becomes more widely used, it holds the potential to significantly impact how individuals and families engage with the immigration detention system, fostering a community of support and advocacy.
For those interested in the human rights implications of immigration policies, this map serves as a critical resource. Your thoughts and engagement are encouraged; please share your comments and experiences regarding the immigration detention system.
