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How to Find a Missing Migrant
- Chavez O Sebastian
- Jun 2
- 6 min read
Updated: May 28
Migration has become one of the most important topics in debate in the United States. Everyday thousands of people risk their lives in the hope of finding a better place to live. Some people don't have a choice because their homes have been threatened by war, violence and crime.
There are organizations dedicated to the help of finding missing migrants, within the border of the United States and Mexico.
Table of Contents
Looking for someone who is lost crossing through the dessert
Colibrí Center for Human Rights
Are you desperately searching for a loved one who went missing on the dangerous journey across the U.S.-Mexico border? Reading about the Colibrí Center for Human Rights feels like finding a crucial support in this overwhelming time. Based in Tucson, Arizona, they are dedicated to ending migrant death and suffering and upholding human dignity. Their primary focus is on family advocacy, working directly with families like yours to help find those who have disappeared.
Through their Missing Migrant Project and DNA Program, they collect detailed information and DNA samples from families, comparing them with unidentified remains found in the borderlands, all in the hope of providing the answers you urgently need. Many families have shared that after being turned away by other agencies like law enforcement or embassies, Colibrí was the first organization that truly listened and offered support. They understand the unique challenges and devastating loss you face. They work in solidarity with families searching for loved ones from many countries and U.S. states. If you are looking for a dedicated organization to help in your search, reaching out to the Colibrí Center for Human Rights is a vital step.
Call:520-585-5881
Email: info@colibricenter.org
South Texas Human Rights Center
The South Texas Human Rights Center is an organization dedicated to helping migrants and reducing suffering in South Texas. If you are looking for ways to make a tangible difference and support vital human rights work, contacting the center could be a meaningful step.
The center is involved in several crucial projects aimed at saving lives and providing assistance. These include the Water Station Project, which involves installing water points in border areas, a concept supported by sympathetic ranchers and applauded by people around the world. They also conduct Search and Rescue operations and are involved in Forensic Recovery and Identification efforts. People around the world view their work as "massively heartwarming" and recognize the importance of organizations like this in helping those trying to escape difficult circumstances
Call:361-325-2555
Email:MPSTHRC@gmail.com
If the person crossed the Mexican border into Texas: Reportar un mirant desaparacido/to report a missing migrant: llame a/call 1-361-325-2555
No more deaths
No More Deaths is a humanitarian organization based in southern Arizona, founded in 2004 as a coalition of community and faith groups. Now a ministry of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, its mission is to end death and suffering in the Mexico–US borderlands through civil initiative and a commitment to upholding human rights.
The organization operates according to Faith-Based Principles for Immigration Reform and focuses on five key areas: direct humanitarian aid, bearing witness and responding to injustices, raising public awareness, fostering global solidarity, and advocating for humane immigration policies.
Call:520-585-5881
If the immigrant crossed the mexican border into Arizona or New Mexico, if we don’t answer, please email them through this form: http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/contact-us/contact-the-search-and-rescue-team/
Aguilas del Desierto
If you are desperately searching for a loved one who has gone missing while trying to cross the border, finding the Aguilas del Desierto website could offer vital hope. They state their core mission is Saving Lives at the US/Mexico Border, and critically, they provide a direct way for you to Report a Missing Person / Reportar a una persona desaparecida. This service is designed for families like yours facing this terrifying situation. They also include a crucial warning that their services are completely free and they will NEVER call asking for money. If you need help finding someone missing or want to understand how they can assist, you can reach out through the
Contactanos / Contact Us section on their website to directly connect with an organization focused on saving lives.
Call: 760-521-3768
Looking for someone who is detained or arrested while crossing the border
No more deaths
Recommended steps to search for someone who may have been arrested while crossing the border.
Call the consulate
What country is the person from? Call the consulate of that country. You should call the office that’s closest to where they attempted to cross.
Often the consulate will only provide information about a detained person to an immediate family member of theirs, such as a parent, sibling, spouse, or child. You will need their full name and birth date.
Refugees, unaccompanied minors, and families: call the Office of Refugee Resettlement If you are looking for a minor or a family group from Central America, South America, or Africa, or anyone who is claiming asylum in the United States, call the Office of Refugee Resettlement at 800-203-7001.
At this voicemail box, leave your name, your phone number, and the details of the person you are looking for, including your relationship to them. If this person is in their custody, they will confirm your relationship with them before calling you back. This phone line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Check online detainee locators
Use “search by biographical information”/“find by name” unless you know the person’s A number or BOP number.
Put in just the person’s name (and, for ICE, their country of origin) and leave the fields blank that are not required.
Enter the person’s first name (primer nombre) under “first name.” Enter both of their last names (paterno y materno) under “last name,” connected with a hyphen.
If you didn’t find anyone, try again with the last names in reverse order and spell the names in different ways. (For example, if the last names are González-Holguín, try searching also for holguin-honzalez, changing the z to s, and dropping the h.) This will help you find the person even if there was an error when the name was entered.
If you got too many results, try adding the middle name or date of birth to narrow the search.
Call the US Marshals
The US Marshals are the bailiffs of federal court, they have custody of those who are facing federal criminal charges, especially for immigration or smuggling violations. Remember that you have a right to know where your family member is, and that you do not need to respond to any questions about your status or location.
Call ICE
ICE is in charge of enforcing immigration laws. It has custody of those who are in long-term detention awaiting deportation or fighting an immigration case. Remember that you have a right to know where your family member is, and that you do not need to respond to any questions about your status or location.
Looking for someone who is lost or missing in Mexico
El Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes
El Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes is a group that assists families in their search for a migrant who has gone missing in Mexico. Their phone number is 55-55-27-54-23 and their email is desaparecidos@sjmmexico.org. This group is in communication with the network of migrant shelters throughout Mexico, and can conduct a search with them as well as with government authorities if you ask them to.
If you have a Mexican phone number, here is how you can call El Servicio Jesuita a Migrantes
If you are in the United States dial: 01152 55-55-27-54-23
If you are in Mexico dial 01 55-55-27-54-23
Looking for someone among the perished
Searching for your loved one among the perished
We are so sorry that your loved one is missing. There are groups that help families search through the forensics system.. We would like to pass their contact information to you.
Call the Colibri Center for Human Rights. This group does forensics interviews and helps families search the forensic systems all across the border. They are also collecting DNA samples from relatives of migrants who have disappeared on the Arizona–Sonora border. When you call, leave a message and wait for them to call you back.
Call:520-724-8644.
For cases in Texas, call the South Texas Human Rights Center at. This group can coordinate DNA testing for relatives of migrants who have disappeared in Texas.
Call:361-325-2555
You are not alone!
We understand the overwhelming obstacles immigrants and their families face, and how challenging it can be to navigate a system that often feels weighted against you.
That’s why we’re committed to providing resources that truly make a difference.
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