U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has launched the second phase of its ICE Community and Detainee Helpline (CDH). Detainees from Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami and New Orleans will now be able to directly contact the Office of the Public Advocate by phone through toll-free telephone lines in these ERO facilities. This expansion of the CDH service will further streamline the means by which detainees can request assistance.

Nationwide implementation of the CDH is planned to be completed by the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2013. While the addition of this toll-free helpline should not replace regular staff-detainee communications, it will provide detainees with the opportunity to obtain basic immigration case information, report systemic incidents, or inform ICE of pertinent issues such as detainee vulnerabilities.

"We are excited to launch the next phase of the ICE Community and Detainee Helpline," said ICE ERO Public Advocate Andrew Lorenzen-Strait. "We are confident that this expanded service will allow us to promote further dialogue with our many stakeholders and continue to build bridges with our communities."