ICE check-ins and Alternatives to Detention (ISAP)

This page is for people who are not in detention but are under ICE supervision — released on an order while their case continues, reporting to ICE on a schedule, or enrolled in an Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. It explains, categorically, what an ICE check-in is, how the ISAP supervision program works, what happens at an in-person appointment, your rights, and the address-change rules. It does not tell anyone whether to attend an appointment or predict what will happen in any individual case — those depend on facts that only an attorney can evaluate.

What an ICE check-in is

An ICE check-in is a scheduled reporting appointment with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) — the part of ICE that supervises the non-detained docket and runs ATD. The appointment can be in person, by phone, or through a smartphone app. At a check-in, ICE confirms identity, current location, and compliance with the conditions of release. Notice of when and how to report comes from your own paperwork: the release order itself, mail or a phone call, or a message in the app.

The release order is the document that sets the rules. An Order of Supervision (Form I-220B) is the standing document for a person released after the removal period under a final order of removal that has not yet been carried out. It is issued under 8 CFR 241.5, with statutory authority in INA 241(a)(3) (8 USC 1231(a)(3)). Under 8 CFR 241.5(a), an order of supervision can require the person to: (1) report to a specified officer periodically and give information under oath as directed; (2) continue efforts to obtain a travel document and assist the government; (3) report for a medical or mental examination as directed; and (4) get advance approval before traveling.

A different document, Form I-220A (Order of Release on Recognizance), is used to release someone in pending proceedings without a bond when they are not deemed a flight risk. The two are not the same, and practice varies — the conditions that actually apply to a person are the ones written in that person’s own order. Read your own order and follow exactly what it says.

Alternatives to Detention (ATD) and the ISAP program

Alternatives to Detention keeps people on ICE’s non-detained docket under community supervision instead of in a detention facility. The program vehicle is the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), which combines case management with monitoring technology. ICE runs ISAP through a contractor, BI Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The GEO Group.

ISAP uses three monitoring technologies:

  • Telephonic reporting / voice identification — reporting by phone with voice verification.
  • A body-worn GPS monitor — an ankle monitor (in some cases a wrist device) that reports location.
  • SmartLINK — a smartphone app that confirms identity by facial recognition and reports location at check-ins.

The program can also include scheduled and unannounced home visits, office visits, and phone check-ins, depending on the assigned supervision level. ICE sets that level on an individualized basis, weighing factors such as criminal history, compliance, community and family ties, caregiver responsibilities, and humanitarian or medical needs.

As of November 2024, SmartLINK was the dominant technology, used in over 85% of ATD cases, and 181,888 people were monitored under ATD (TRAC, as of November 2, 2024). The specific device counts reported around that time — roughly 18,000 on a GPS ankle monitor and roughly 6,000 on a wrist device (as of November 2024) — change over time, so the program totals here are tied to that date.

What happens at an in-person check-in — and the detention risk

At an in-person appointment, the officer verifies identity, reviews compliance with the conditions of release, and may adjust those conditions. A check-in is a reporting appointment and is not by itself an arrest.

It is important to be clear about one thing: ICE can, and does, take people into custody at a check-in. Arrests at routine check-ins and field-office appointments have risen. This page does not and cannot predict what will happen in any individual case, and it does not advise anyone on whether to attend — that is a decision to discuss with an attorney, because attendance is also a condition of release whose violation can itself trigger an arrest. The point is simply that the possibility of detention at a check-in is real and should be understood ahead of time.

Your rights at a check-in and during supervision

  • You have the right to remain silent. You do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, your history, or other people.
  • You may have an attorney with you. You may consult and be accompanied by an attorney or BIA-accredited representative, but an attorney is not required to attend a check-in. If you have a lawyer, tell them about the appointment in advance. See your right to an attorney and your right to remain silent.
  • Do not sign documents you do not understand. You can ask for time, ask for a copy, and ask to speak with a lawyer before signing anything.
  • A check-in is not an arrest — but it can become one, and skipping it is a violation of the conditions of release. Understanding both facts is the categorical point here.

Keeping your address current — three separate obligations

If you move, you may have three separate address-change duties, with three different agencies. Doing one does not satisfy the others.

  • ICE (your supervision). Report an address or employment change to your assigned ERO officer or to ICE through the Online Change of Address (OCOA) tool at portal.ice.gov/ocoa, or by phone at 1-833-383-1465. Do this promptly — and by any specific deadline set in your own order. Filing the USCIS Form AR-11 does not satisfy this ICE obligation.
  • The immigration court (EOIR). If you have a case in immigration court, file Form EOIR-33/IC with the court within 5 working days of moving. The court does not learn of your AR-11 or your ICE update. See how to check your immigration court date and case status.
  • USCIS. Report your move to USCIS on Form AR-11 (or through your online account) within 10 days, under INA 265 (8 USC 1305).

Three filings, three agencies, three deadlines. Keeping all three current is one of the most important practical things a person under supervision can do, because the consequences of a missed notice land on the person, not the agency.

If you miss a check-in or violate a condition

Missing a check-in or violating the conditions of release can lead to revocation of release and arrest; missing a check-in is one of the situations that puts a person especially at risk of being detained.

A missed court hearing is a separate and serious matter. If a person fails to appear at an immigration court hearing, the immigration judge can order removal in absentia under INA 240(b)(5) (8 USC 1229a(b)(5)) when the government shows that written notice was provided and that the person is removable. An in-absentia order can be challenged by a motion to reopen: there is a 180-day window for a motion based on exceptional circumstances, and no time limit for a motion based on lack of proper notice or being in federal custody at the time. Filing the motion to reopen automatically stays removal while it is decided. Because the rules and deadlines here are exacting, anyone in this situation should get counsel quickly.

Cost and a scam warning

ATD and ISAP are administered by ICE and its contractor at no charge to the participant. The government’s own figures put ATD’s per-participant daily cost at a small fraction of the cost of detention — but the load-bearing fact for a participant is simpler: you are not billed for the program.

Because the legitimate program never charges the immigrant, treat anyone who demands payment to enroll you in ISAP, remove your ankle monitor, or handle your check-in as a notario-fraud red flag. Only attorneys, BIA-accredited representatives, and recognized organizations may give immigration legal advice; non-lawyers who promise to manage your supervision or your appointments for a fee are a warning sign. See how to recognize notario fraud.

Last verified: 2026-06-24. General information, not legal advice. The conditions of supervision, the technology assigned, deadlines, and the consequences of missing a check-in or hearing vary by case and by the terms of your own order. For any specific case, contact a licensed immigration attorney or BIA-accredited representative.