BLOUNT COUNTY, ALABAMA · ICE & CUSTODY RECORDS
Blount County, Alabama
ICE Detainers and Arrest Warrants: The Records Behind Blount County Custody Questions
ICE’s guidance describes a custody request. Its sample arrest warrant serves a different purpose. Neither document, by itself, establishes that a person has been deported.
Sources reviewed
A detainer asks another agency to act
An immigration detainer and an arrest warrant are different documents. For readers following custody questions in Blount County, Alabama, identifying which record is actually available is an essential first step.
ICE’s detainer guidance, updated May 8, 2026, describes a request to another law-enforcement agency: notify ICE before the person’s release and maintain custody for up to 48 hours beyond the time the person would otherwise be released so DHS can assume custody. The agency describes detainers themselves as requests. That description does not resolve every separate state-law obligation or individual detention question.
The linked sample carries a 2017 revision date
The guidance links a Form I-247A sample marked March 2017. It includes fields for the receiving institution, DHS office, the basis for the agency’s determination and information about service. One listed basis is ongoing removal proceedings; another is a final removal order. Those are distinct stages.
The form’s date matters. A sample linked on a current webpage should not be described as proof that a particular jail uses that revision today. We reviewed the published template, not a completed detainer naming a Blount County detainee.
The I-200 sample directs an immigration arrest
ICE’s sample Form I-200, marked revised September 2016, directs an authorized immigration officer to arrest the named person and take them into custody for removal proceedings. Its signature line is for an authorized immigration officer.
That is a different function from an I-247A request addressed to the agency already holding someone. The sample is not a court judgment and does not document a completed removal. This comparison concerns the forms’ stated purposes; it does not determine whether a particular arrest was lawful or authorize entry into private property.
Service and a removal outcome require separate evidence
ICE’s FAQ says its request to maintain custody depends on service of the detainer on the person. It also distinguishes a detainer from the lawful orders under which removals occur. A blank form cannot establish service, transfer of custody or the outcome of immigration proceedings.
The county’s participation in a federal partnership likewise does not establish that every detainee has an immigration hold. Our report on Blount County’s signed ICE agreement addresses the partnership’s terms separately.
Direct custody questions to the responsible agency
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office website lists 205-973-0517 as its 24-hour non-emergency number. ICE’s detainer page provides separate contacts for a disputed detainer or a complaint. A specific release question requires the actual custody record and any other applicable hold.
This explanatory report does not identify a detainee, report a new operation or establish a local detainer total. The county roster and ICE locator report explains the separate limits of online custody searches.
Sources and reporting
Document-based comparison of ICE’s current detainer webpage and older linked sample forms. Sample revision dates are identified rather than presented as current issuance dates. No completed detainer, individual immigration status, local custody decision, arrest legality, transfer or removal was established. The article does not resolve state-law obligations or calculate a particular release time.
- ICE: immigration detainers and FAQUpdated May 8, 2026; retrieved October 19, 2026
- ICE: linked Form I-247A sampleForm marked March 2017; text reviewed October 19, 2026
- ICE: sample Form I-200Form marked revised September 2016; text reviewed October 19, 2026
- Blount County Sheriff: official contact informationReviewed October 19, 2026