The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is helping a New Zealander in detention in the US, but says they are not being held at an immigration facility.
Media reporting had linked the consular assistance to a social media post saying a man had been awaiting sentencing in an American prison since August.
The poster had claimed the man was accused of hitting a police officer but a judge overturned it, then US Immigration and Customs Enforcement got involved.
A spokesperson for the ministry provided a statement.
"Consular officials are providing assistance to a New Zealander in detention in the United States. Note, this is not an immigration facility, as has been incorrectly reported.
"For privacy reasons no further information will be provided."
It's the second case of a New Zealander being detained after Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old were stopped on re-entry from Canada, after dropping her other children off for a flight in Vancouver.
Shaw and her son returned to their home in Washington "in good spirits" three weeks later.
