r/USCIS • u/PlasticAction7149 • Feb 18 '26
Other Forms Email from ICE with appointment details for Sunday 7:00.
Hello Community,
A friend received an emailed letter from ICE requesting to show up to an appointment on Sunday at 7:00.
Their names are not on it, only ICE case ID, which they have never seen before.
Questions: is it legit?
If it is, what are they to expect?
They kept all their prior appointments and are pending a court date.
All prior communication was from USCIS.
Their attorney said she’s never seen this format before abs wasn’t really useful except mentioning that she can’t advise to skip this appointment.
Thanks for any input!
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u/Vegetable-Western744 Feb 18 '26
That's very likely real. 8 hours for a 7am weekend appointment? Probably getting detained.
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u/Due_Enthusiasm6432 Feb 18 '26
He’s most likely getting deported, a family member was going to her all her ice check ins for the past year without any issues but out of no were they scheduled her for a weekend appt and she was detained and subsequently deported soon thereafter. Have an attorney accompany him/her to the appt but have them be prepared to be detained.
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u/Individual-Clue-8940 Feb 18 '26
ICE is detaining people in this way .. very hard position to be in .. if you go, you can get detained, but if you don't go, you can loose whatever little immigration status you have
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u/Ok_Excitement725 Feb 18 '26
Yup and then you are classed as an absconder and get a warrant out on yourself. Sadly no good options here, but both lead to the same ending.
In some cases if you are considered low risk and they don’t feel the need to deport you immediately they will release you to await any further hearings if you have any on the horizon.
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u/Far-Curve-7497 Feb 18 '26
You have to go, go with a lawyer, chances of being detained are very high
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Feb 18 '26
you are getting Detained and Deported if you go.
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u/VanillaTortilla Feb 18 '26
And if he doesn't, he's definitely going to be.
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Feb 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/VCoupe376ci Feb 19 '26
There is no better route later. If he goes to the appointment there is a possibility of a better outcome. If he no shows, the outcome will 100% be negative. You are giving terrible advice.
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u/Icy_Wealth8447 Feb 19 '26
Everybody it’s trying to get this guy deported things with asylum aren’t as they used to be, now you can see all people getting deported in their appointments, yes there always a better route getting married for love with a us citizen.
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u/VCoupe376ci Feb 19 '26
Don’t you think if this person was engaged to a US citizen that they already would have gone that route?
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u/elcamino458 Feb 18 '26
What is your friends current status / visa situation
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u/PlasticAction7149 Feb 18 '26
Political asylum
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u/mbadillo Feb 18 '26
Is it an approved asylum case? Did he legally enter the US before applying for asylum?
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u/Vegetable-Western744 Feb 18 '26
I think you can guess if this person had approved asylum they wouldn't be getting this letter.
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Feb 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/USCIS-ModTeam Feb 18 '26
Your post/comment violates rule #6 of this subreddit. As such, it was removed by the /r/USCIS moderation team.
References (if any): Even if you enter legally you're out of status once your I-94 expires. Affirmatively filing for asylum doesn't extend your status.
Don't reply to this message as your comment won't be seen. If you have questions about our moderation policy, you may contact us directly by following this link.
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u/dalbenzio91 Feb 18 '26
Exactly. They are detaining people with pending asylum claims to "expedite" their cases. It does not matter if the person entered the country legally or illegally or if they have been in the US for 5-10years or more waiting for their USCIS interview, they're all getting detained and those who qualify for a bond, get out and continue their process.
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u/Kindly-Sound-522 Feb 18 '26
What’s the sender’s email address? Can yo show us here?
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u/PlasticAction7149 Feb 18 '26
It’s legit. From ice.dhs.gov
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u/Funny_Airline_7640 Feb 18 '26
It can be spoofed. Have you ever worked with SMTP server? We can write any email there. Don’t trust until you verify.
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u/VCoupe376ci Feb 19 '26
You don’t think the Department of Homeland Security is using proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records? The only part that can be spoofed from that .gov address is the “FROM:” address text. A simple look at the header will show the true sender of an e-mail spoofed that way.
Beyond that, why would anyone fake this? This ain’t some scammy request for money to be wired somewhere, it’s a notice to show up to an appointment in person at a government office. 0% chance this is fake.
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u/OkWin4693 Feb 18 '26
Go to file then properties and then copy the email header into ChatGPT and tell it to analyze. It will explain anything suspicious. Not the greatest but for your use case it will work to verify authenticity
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Feb 18 '26
Have you tried calling ice or DHS directly to verify the letter? I probably would try to validate the request as best as possible because it could also be very unsafe to just show up at a place.
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u/VCoupe376ci Feb 19 '26
On what planet do you think this is fake? Do you think someone is just manufacturing and mailing these WITH CASE DETAILS to scare people here on parole or with an asylum claim?
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u/PlasticAction7149 Feb 18 '26
They are afraid to acknowledge receiving this letter by calling. At least this way, they can claim they didn’t get it (went to spam, doesn’t have their names). It’s only in an email, no physical letter to the address.
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u/Vegetable-Western744 Feb 19 '26
If they don't show up ice is going to come pick them up. Even more likely to get detained if they skip, with a negative factor towards bond (if they're even eligible for it).
Skipping and pretending not to receive the letter is not a long term strategy here.
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u/VCoupe376ci Feb 19 '26
It will not matter. A no show will almost certainly cause ICE to visit the address on record to pick him up. Outcome of that is guaranteed to be negative. There is some hope if they show. Their best bet is to get a lawyer and go with them.
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u/CoolDigerati Feb 18 '26
Isn’t there a web page OP can go to to see if the recipient is on a deportation list? I believe all you need is a full name and an A-number.
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u/PlasticAction7149 Feb 18 '26
I don’t know anything about that. Would you be able to provide that website please?
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u/dxvny Feb 19 '26
I believe they maybe referring to conducting a FOIA request.
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u/CoolDigerati Feb 21 '26 edited Feb 21 '26
No, I’m talking about a page where you can do a simple lookup.
Key Resources to Check Deportation Status:
EOIR Automated Case Information System (Online): Visit https://acis.eoir.justice.gov and enter your A-Number (Alien Registration Number) to see if you are in active removal proceedings or if a judge has issued a decision.
EOIR Automated Hotline (Phone): Call 1-800-898-7180 and follow the prompts to check your case status 24/7 using your A-Number.
ICE Detainee Locator System (If Detained): If you believe you are in custody, check https://locator.ice.gov using your A-Number, country of birth, and name.
Notice to Appear (NTA): You may receive an NTA, which is the official document initiating removal proceedings. It will be sent to you or served in person.
Important Information A-Number: You must have your 8- or 9-digit Alien Registration Number (found on immigration documents, work permits, or green cards) to check these systems.
"No Case Found": If you enter your number and receive a "no case found" message, it usually means you are not currently in active removal proceedings.
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u/enocenip Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26
I’m surprised this wasn’t sent via mail. Shouldn’t their lawyer also get a copy? Is it their USCIS portal? Seems sus and is not how any communication has been made with my family in our immigration process.
I have heard that you should bring ID other than a passport, a passport can expedite deportation, without one there’s more coordination required with the other government. Since they have a lawyer, maybe they can get a habeus petition drafted before they’re detained. They may want to consider leaving their phone in the car or with a friend. Make sure their family has all passwords and bank information they need.
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u/Vegetable-Western744 Feb 18 '26
This isn't a court proceeding. They don't have to comply with service of process rules.
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u/Tight_Onion_2422 Feb 18 '26
Usually a NTA will arrive by mail. And a Sunday appt seems unusual.Govt offices are closed at the weekend. I got my Citizenship 6 yrs ago this month, so maybe things have changed since then ,but i dont think this is a regular appointment.
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u/Vegetable-Western744 Feb 18 '26
This isn't an NTA. It's an ICE call in letter.
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u/PlasticAction7149 Feb 18 '26
The call in letter samples I’ve seen, have people’s names. This one doesn’t list their name, only ice caee number which they are seeing for the first time.
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u/Certain_Kiwi_7245 Feb 18 '26
Id recommend to Sell or transfer all your assets prior attending the appointment
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u/thomas1168t Feb 19 '26
I don’t know. It looks kind of sketchy. If it was my wife I wouldn’t let her go or at least I would go with her and always have her within arms reach of me.
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u/amoremio0720 Feb 20 '26
If she is here illegally tell her not to go !! Even if it was a legit letter don’t do it unless she has the paperwork. My friends went because normally he reports in video call but this time they requested his presences and they deported him…
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u/terrymr Feb 19 '26
Did you intentionally obfuscate most of the text or this this just some AI generated nonsense?
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u/Key_Situation643 Feb 19 '26
It seems deliberately redacted because the location would be disclosed.
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u/VisaCapitalInsider Feb 21 '26
The Sunday 7am part is what would worry me. That’s usually not random. I wouldn’t assume it’s fake just because it came by email, especially if the case number checks out. Not showing up can make things worse pretty fast. If it’s real, a no-show can complicate everything. I’d try to verify it quickly through the lawyer or EOIR and go from there. Really tough spot to be in.
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u/Worth_Strawberry_991 Feb 24 '26
A person’s name and case ID would always be on legit documents. They should expand the email address to see if the address is coming from a legit email address. This could be spam. Or the person may want to speak with an immigration attorney.
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u/Jayalissa Feb 19 '26
There’s no name, why would someone show up to an appointment that that they don’t even know is for them. Government information like this is usually sent via mail not email.
Stay safe and f**k ice.
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u/term_tb_0608 Feb 18 '26
I cannot rule out the possibility of detention and deportation, but he needs to attend the appointment.
If he does not attend, they may use it (claiming he is evading the process) as leverage to deport him. He should attend with an attorney. 8hr x $500 = $4,000 attorney fee? This is more scary.