Houston Field Office
Houston Contract Detention Facility

About Us

Who Are We?
Where Are We?
Hours and Visitations
Contacting Us
Local Procedures

Who Are We?

This is a temporary detention center for individuals who are awaiting a decision on their immigration case or who are awaiting repatriation. The facility is operated under contract with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). ICE works together with CCA to administer the operations of this facility.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director: Kenneth L. Landgrebe
Assistant Field Office Director: Tai T. Nguyen
(281) 985-8400

Corrections Corporation of America (CCA)
Warden: Robert Lacy
Assistant Warden: David Price
(281) 449-1481

Where Are We?

Street Address:
Houston Contract Detention Facility
Corrections Corporation of America
15850 Export Plaza
Houston, TX 77032

Parking: Visitor parking is located in front of the main entrance (designated parking is marked).

Accessibility for Individuals with Special Needs: ADA-compliant handicap parking and restroom facilities are located on site.

Hours and Visitations

General Visitation:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• Male Detainees – 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Female Detainees – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday
• Male Detainees – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Female Detainees – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Saturday
• Male Detainees (Dorms A1-A5, B1 – B8, B17) – 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• All Female Detainees – 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• Sunday
• Male Detainees (Dorms B9- B16) – 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• All Female Detainees – 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Segregation Visitation

• Male and Female
• 7 Days a week
• 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Attorney Visitation Hours:

Monday through Friday Saturday and Sunday

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

On days that detainees are scheduled for court, visitation is allowed from 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Attorneys may visit detainees as described above (see “Attorney Visiting Hours”) in order to determine whether an attorney/client relationship will be established. Return visits by an attorney for the purpose of legal consultation will require the filing of a G-28 with ICE and an EOIR-28 with the court.

A list of pro bono (free) legal organizations is posted in all detainee housing units and other appropriate areas. This list is updated quarterly.

Consular Visits:

Consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time. It is requested that prior arrangements be made with the office of the ICE Assistant Field Office Director to the extent possible, and that consular officials bring appropriate credentials when they come to the facility.

Clergy Visits:

Clergy may visit detainees at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the office of the ICE Assistant Field Office Director. For information, the HCD Facility has the following religious services / programs available to detainees: Catholic Services, ECCC Episcopal, ECCC Bible Study, Islamic Services, Catholic Service (Lumen Die). Any other denominations wishing to hold services should contact the Warden in writing.

Visitation Restrictions:

1. Must have a valid picture ID and Detainee’s A-number (or date of birth).
2. Only two (2) adults and two (2) children.
3. Approved visitors for the visit must stay in the front lobby area until the visit begins. All other persons [not approved] must leave and wait outside.
4. Money is limited to an amount that would be used in a vending machine.
5. Dress Code: No shorts, skirts must extend below the knees, no short dresses, no sleeveless or see-through clothing (including children).
6. Items not allowed: knives, cell phones, pagers, jackets, purses, hats, diaper bags, pens, papers, pictures, tobacco products, lighters, matches, etc.
7. All family / social visits are non-contact.
8. If visitors are or appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any drug, visitation will not be allowed.
9. All visitors are subject to search.
10. Last hour to sign in is one hour before end of visitation time for that day.
11. Violation of the visitation rules and the introduction of prohibited items will result in the cancellation of the visit.
12. Minors who are visiting the facility must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 years or older). Children must not be left unaccompanied in the waiting room, visiting room, or any other area.
13. Any disruptive conduct by either party will result in the termination of the visit.

Search Procedures:

All individuals requesting admittance to the facility or the visitation area are subject to a pat-down search of their person, an inspection of their belongings, and a metal scan search. Individuals refusing to cooperate with a reasonable search will not be admitted.

No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) are permitted in the secure areas of this facility. All detainees are required to submit to a search when visiting with their family members, friends, attorneys, paralegal, etc., prior to the start of the visit. Detainees will also be subject to a pat-down search upon termination of their visit.

Contacting Us

Detention:

Many of the detainees held in the facility were taken into custody at one of the area’s surrounding airports, seaports or land ports or by other ICE or DHS Components. Some detainees have been transferred in from other states. If you need information about a detainee you may call (281) 985-8400 during normal business hours. (Please do not call until the detainee has been in our custody for at least 24 hours). When you call, please have his or her biographical information ready, including first, last and hyphenated names, any alias names he/she may use, date of birth and country of birth. If you do not have this information, we may not be able to help you.

In an emergency, if you need to get in touch with a detainee, you must call (281) 449-1481, and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and a telephone number where you can be reached. He or she will be given your message.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):

All FOIA/PA requests must be submitted on form G-639 (Freedom of Information / Privacy Act Request) or in letter format. All requests must contain the original notarized signature of the subject in question. Please complete the form G-639 thoroughly and if writing a letter, be sure to include your full name, any other names used, date of birth, place of birth, A-number, and your address and telephone number, so that we may contact you if we have any questions.

Mail your FOIA/PA request to:

Mail (U.S.Postal System and all overnight mail/Fedex):
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Freedom of Information Act Office
800 North Capitol Street, NW, Room 585
Washington, DC 20536

Phone – 1-866-633-1182
E-mail – ICE-FOIA@dhs.gov

Finding the status of your case:

Immigration Court:
For information about a matter before the Immigration Court you may contact them at 1-800-898-7180. Applications for relief from removal, stay of removal, and other applications requested by the Immigration Judge must be filed directly with the Immigration Court at the address above.

Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA):
For information about a matter before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) you may contact them at (703) 605-1007 where you can obtain automated information and/or speak to a live representative during office hours. Their menu of automated options includes:

• Information about the Board's mailing address, location, and web site information
• Appeals and motions
• Transcripts and briefs
• Board decisions and stays of deportation
• Change of address

Legal Help:

Click the link for a list of pro bono representatives who might be able to assist you.

Talking with the Press/Media:

The facility has a responsibility to protect the privacy and other rights of detainees and members of the staff; therefore, interviews will be regulated to ensure the orderly and safe operation of the facility. Ordinarily, live television or radio interviews will not be permitted in the facility.

Correspondence and Phone Contacts with the Media:
Detainees may correspond with the media and may use facility telephones at their own expense to call the media.

Personal Interviews:
A news media representative who desires to conduct an interview with a detainee must apply in writing to the Houston Office of Detention and Removal, indicating familiarity with and agreement to comply with the rules and regulations of the Facility as provided to that person by staff.

Detainee Consent:
A detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed, or recorded by the media. Before interviewing, photographing, or recording the voice of a detainee, a visiting representative of the media must obtain written permission from that individual.

Press Information Office:

For press inquiries, please contact the ICE Public Affairs Officer in Houston, Texas at (281) 985-0947.

Feedback:

We strive to provide quality service to people in our custody, their family, friends, and to their official representatives. If you believe that we have not lived up to this commitment, we would like to know. If we have met or exceeded your expectations, please let us know that as well. To comment on the services provided at this office, please write to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Assistant Field Office Director, Tai T. Nguyen, Houston, Texas.

If you feel that an ICE employee or a facility employee mistreated you and wish to make a complaint of misconduct, you may call or write to:

Director of Detention and Removal Operations
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
126 Northpoint Dr.
Houston, TX 77060
(281) 774-4968

or

Director, Office of Professional Responsibility
Potomac Center North (PCN)
500 12th St., SW, Washington, DC 20024
(877) 246-8253

You may also file a complaint by filing a DHS Form I-847.

Local Procedures

Bonds:

To post a Departure or Delivery Bond:
These bonds are posted when a person has been placed into Removal/Deportation Proceedings while in the United States. The person supplying the bond money must show proof of identity. This person (the obligor) is responsible for ensuring that the alien presents himself before an officer or agent of this agency whenever a request is made. For bond information, please call (281) 985-8400 and ask to speak to the Deportation Officer handling the case. You must have the last name of the detainee and alien registration number before calling.

Bonds are accepted between the hours of 7:30a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at: 126 Northpoint Dr., Houston, TX 77060.  (281) 774-4968

Commissary:

Commissary services are available to detainees at this facility.

Mail:

A postal allowance has been established at government expense for indigent detainees. Detainees will be permitted to mail a reasonable amount of mail each week, including five pieces of special correspondence and three pieces of general correspondence. The facility generally does not limit the amount of correspondence detainees may send at their own expense, except to protect public safety or facility security and order. All outgoing mail must have a return address with the detainee’s name, alien registration number, and complete address of the facility clearly written on the envelope.

Receiving Mail:

Detainees may receive mail from anyone they know personally. The letter/mail must have the detainee’s immigration number (File Number), detainees name, plus the sender’s name and address. All incoming social and legal mail will be opened and inspected for contraband. The mail is not read, only inspected by the delivering officer. When a detainee departs the facility, his or her mail is sent to the detainee’s designated forwarding address. If no forwarding address is provided, the mail is endorsed, "No Forwarding Address, Return to Sender," and then returned to the Post Office.

Medical Care:

The facility is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with qualified medical staff of United States Division of Immigration Health Services (USDIHS). They are responsible for the medical services provided at the facility. If a medical emergency arises that the USDIHS staff is unable to control or is beyond the scope of their practice, or the detainee is in need of more comprehensive care, the detainee will be referred to the nearest emergency medical facility.

Money:

Detainee Sending Money Out:

Money orders will be generated at the detainee’s request.

Receiving Money:

Money will be received Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The detainee’s A-Number must be provided to the facility when delivering money and included on money orders.

Sending Packages:

A detainee may send out packages at his or her own expense. In some cases, the agency may pay for an indigent detainee to send packages within the United States.

Receiving Packages:

A detainee may receive items that are determined to be of necessity for the sole purpose of travel. These are issued or purchased by the detainee at the facility. Do not send magazines and photographs depicting nudity or explicit sexual acts. Material offering training in martial arts, destructive device manufacturing, or similar devices is prohibited. Any food items received will be confiscated and destroyed in the presence of the detainee.

To receive property at the detention facility, a detainee must submit a written request and obtain approval from the facility’s Chief of Security, Chief of Unit Management, or higher authority. Detainees may receive the following: one change of clothing, one jacket, and one pair of shoes. The total weight of the property cannot exceed twenty pounds.

Upon approval, property may be delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9a.m. and 10 a.m. A detainee arrested at an airport or seaport who already has baggage in excess of 20 pounds, will not be allowed any additional luggage. Please be advised that for security reasons, no electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, lap-top computers, radios, etc.) will be accepted.

Religious Services and Observances:

Detainees in the facility have access to religious resources, services, instructions, and counseling on a voluntary basis. See “Clergy Visits” above. Detainees are extended the opportunity to pursue any legitimate religious belief or practice within the constraints of security and safety.

Smoking:

This is a non-smoking facility. No cigarettes, tobacco, or smoking paraphernalia is allowed.

Making Telephone Calls:

Telephones are available in the housing area, recreation and other areas within the confines of the facility for detainees to use. Telephone calls are debit or collect calls, and made at the expense of the detainee or the person called.

All detainee calls are suspended at count time, in the event of an emergency and/or when the staff determines it is necessary to ensure the safety of officers and detainees at the facility.

Pre-paid phone cards may be purchased by the detainee upon admittance to the facility – thereafter, purchased Monday through Friday for use with the phones located in the dormitories. These cards may be used for all calls, local, national and international long distance calls. The cost of the card will be deducted from the detainee personal account. Only facility purchased cards may be used in facility phones – detainees cannot use personal phone cards. International, national and local collect calls may be made on these phones as well.

Consular and Attorney Phone Calls:

Detainees can call their consulates or embassies free of charge, as well as several pro bono (free) legal organizations. Those numbers are updated as necessary.

Calling a Detainee:

Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. If you need to get in touch with a detainee to leave an urgent message, you must call (281) 449-1481 and leave the detainee’s full name, alien registration number and your name and telephone number where you can be reached. The detainee will be given your message and advised to return your call as soon as possible.

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