New Jersey Office
Elizabeth 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 waiting for their immigration status to be determined or who are awaiting repatriation. Corrections Corporation of America administers the operations of this facility.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director: S. Weber
Assistant Field Office Director: F. Madera
(973) 622-7157

Corrections Corporation of America
Warden: C. Collins

Assistant Warden: T. Dickerson
(908) 352-3776

Where Are We?

Street Address:

Elizabeth Detention Facility
625 Evans Street
Elizabeth, New Jersey 07201
(908) 352-3776

Parking: Free parking is available in the parking lot across the street from the facility.  “CCA Visitor Parking.”

Accessibility for Individuals with Special Needs:  Handicapped parking is available in the front of the facility.  Facility is wheelchair accessible.

 

Hours and Visitations

Visiting Hours

Monday through Friday (non-Federal Holidays) 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

General Visitation:

Visitors must have a valid verifiable photo identification card.
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. Any disruptive conduct on either party will result in the termination of the visit.

Attorney Visitation Hours:

Attorneys are authorized to visit their clients every day from 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.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 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. The Assistant Field Office Director can be reached at (973) 622-7157.

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 Elizabeth Detention Facility has the following religious services / programs available to detainees: Catholic Services, ECCC Episcopal, Rutgers CCC Chinese Religious Services, Buddhist Religious Services, ECCC Bible Study, Islamic Services, Chinese Protestant Services, Catholic Service (Lumen Die), and Sri-Lankan Services (Church on Wheels). Any other denominations wishing to hold services should contact the CCA Warden in writing at the above address.

Visiting Restrictions:

1. All family / social visits are non-contact.
2. No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted in the facility.
3. If visitors are or appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any drug, visitation will not be allowed.
4. Each detainee is permitted to have a maximum of two (2) visitors at a time. Visits will be limited to a duration of 1 hour.
5. All visitors are subject to search.
6. Visitors are not allowed to pass or attempt to pass any items to detainees.
7. Children must be under control at all times.
8. Please dress appropriately. The following is a list of unacceptable attire (but is not limited to this list): mini skirts, short shorts, bare feet, tank tops, tube tops, sexually explicit attire, transparent or translucent material (see through clothes) or, anything deemed to be inappropriate attire by the ICE officer on duty.
9. Visitors are not allowed to chew gum in the facility.
10. Visitors are not allowed to carry any items into the visitation area.
11. If contraband such as drugs, alcohol, or weapons are found on any person, that person may be subject to prosecution.

Search Procedures:

Search Procedures (prior or during family or attorney visitations):
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 and seaports / 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 (973) 622-7157 during normal business hours. (Please do not call until the detainee has been in our custody for at least 24 hours.) When you do 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.

The only information you will receive is the detainee’s alien registration number. If you need to get in touch with a detainee you must call (973) 622-7866 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 Newark 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 Newark, New Jersey at (973) 645-3666 Ext 3292.

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, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07201.

If you feel that an ICE employee or a CCA Employee mistreated you and you 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
Peter W. Rodino Jr. Federal Building
970 Broad Street, Room 904
Newark, New Jersey 07102
973) 645-3666

or

Director, Office of Professional Responsibility
425 “I” Street, NW
Room 3260
Washington, DC 20229
(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 (973) 622-7157 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.

Commissary:

Commissary services are available to detainees at this facility. Orders are accepted on Thursdays, and to the extent possible, delivered on Fridays. Phone cards are also sold Monday through Friday at approximately 2:00 p.m.

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), CCA ID number, 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 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 Elizabeth Detention 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: Detainees may release funds outside the facility in the form of certified check to their spouse or family members by using a property release form provide by the CCA Business Manager at the request of the detainee. All expenses associated with the mailing of the funds will be the responsibility of the detainee making the request.

Receiving Money: It is permissible for the detainee to receive certified checks or money orders via the mail. The check must be made out to the detainee and annotation of the detainee’s Alien number in the memorandum section of the check is suggested. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Funds are deposited into an account for the detainee’s use. A receipt is provided to the detainee and any remaining funds will be released to the detainee upon release or removal from the facility. Individuals can bring certified checks or money orders for detainees at the facility every day between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. The certified check or money order will then be deposited into a facility account on the next business day for the use of the beneficiary.

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 or release from agency custody with approval of the CCA Chief of Security. No items should be sent to a detainee without the supervisor’s approval. Also, hygiene items are not permitted from outside sources. These are issued or purchased by the detainee at the facility. Do not send magazines and photographs depicting nudity or sexually explicit 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. Magazines can only be purchased from a publishing company, and mailed directly to the detainee at the facility. If a detainee was arrested without any property and will be removed from the United States, you may drop off one bag of luggage for him or her, weighing no more than 40 pounds. A detainee arrested at an airport or seaport who already has baggage in excess of 40 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's 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 (973) 622-7866, 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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