Florence Service Processing Center

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

Who Are We?

The Florence Detention Center is a 422-bed ICE-owned detention facility. The Florence Detention Center provides secure detention of adult detainees who are in administrative removal proceedings, or are awaiting removal from the United States.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director: Katrina S. Kane
Assistant Field Office Director: David Kollus
(520) 868-5862

 

Where Are We?

Street Address:
Florence Service Processing Center
3250 N. Pinal Parkway
Florence, Arizona 85232
(520) 868-5862

Parking: Parking is available but limited. Please park in non-designated parking. Vehicles parked in a designated parking or in unauthorized areas will be towed at owner’s expense.

Accessibility for individuals with Special Needs: Handicapped parking is available, but limited. Special needs individuals may report to main entrance of the facility, which is manned 24 hours by officers.

 

Hours and Visitations

Public Visiting Hours:
Administration visitor hours are from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Detainee Visitation:
General visitation will be conducted in accordance with the following schedule:

1. Visitation is conducted on weekends and holidays.
2. Hours of visitation are 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
3. Special visits during other days/hours may be scheduled by appointment. The Assistant Field Office Director, Assistant Officer in Charge, and Detention supervisors normally approve this. The person may call the facility at (520) 868-5862 and request to be transferred to one of the three listed above.
4. Visitation Policy: The facility will accommodate visitation between visitors and detainees. Any disruptive conduct by either party will result in the termination of the visit and may have an adverse affect on future visits. Visitors must be in appropriate and socially accepted attire. If your visitor(s) bring children (17 years of age and younger), they are expected to remain under the direct supervision of the adult visitor(s) so they will not disturb others. Visitor(s) are permitted a 30 minute visit per detainee per visitation block. If the visiting room becomes overcrowded, visiting time will be shortened. Family units may be given additional time if circumstances allow. Persons on active probation, parole or other forms of conditional release must obtain permission prior to visitation. The permission must be from the individual agency supervising such conditional release, and from the Assistant Field Office Director of this facility. It is requested that visitors not bring hand carried parcels, packages, or other items, unless prior written approval from the Assistant Field Office Director or his/her designee has been given. The visitor(s) may be required to leave such items in a locker or their vehicle. All hand held items will be searched.

Attorney Visitation Hours:
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily

Legal representatives (attorneys and paralegals) may visit detainees between the above hours, seven (7) days a week, to include meal hours, if necessary. Additional hours may be scheduled upon written request.

Walk-ins:

To speak with a staff member, go directly to the Main Building and make inquiry of the assigned officer.

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 (520) 868-5862.

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 Florence SPC has the following religious services / programs available to detainees: Catholic Services, Protestant Bible Study, Koran Study, Seventh Day Adventist Services, Latter Day Saint Services, Jumah Services, and Church of the First Born (Russian Services),. Any other denominations wishing to hold services should contact the Assistant Field Office Director 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:

Visitor Searches – Visitors and their property shall be subject to search before entering the visitation area.

1. All visitors shall be required to clear a metal detector and/or a pat search by a staff member of the same gender.
2. No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted.
3. Visitors refusing to be searched shall be denied entrance. This denial shall extend to the visitor and all who accompany them.
4. No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) are permitted in the secure areas of this facility.
5. When a reasonable suspicion exists that a visitor possesses illegal contraband, and upon appropriate authorization, the visitor’s vehicle (If located on Government owned/leased property) may be searched. A local law enforcement agency will conduct the search; the owner/user shall be present during the search. (If a visitor is found to be in possession of illegal contraband, the vehicle shall be searched)
6. When a visitor is found to possess contraband, the visit may be denied or terminated by the Supervisory Immigration Enforcement Agent or shift commander.
7. When a visitor is found to possess illegal contraband, the visit shall be denied or terminated and the Detention Operations Supervisor or shift commander shall notify the Assistant Field Office Director/Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer and local law enforcement agencies.
8. 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.
9. 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 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 (520) 868-5862 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 (520) 868-5862 follow the instructions for leaving a detainee message 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 Phoenix 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 Phoenix, Arizona at (602) 514-7321.

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, 3250 N. Pinal Parkway, Florence, AZ 85232.

If you feel that an ICE employee or a Contract 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
Service Processing Center Florence
3250 N. Pinal Parkway
Florence, Arizona 85232
(520) 868-5862

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 (520) 868-5862 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 not available to detainees at this facility. There are vending machines located in the housing units. Phone cards are also sold via a vending machine located on the Recreation Yard.

Mail:

Sending Mail:

The facility permits all detainees to mail the following at government expense: (1) all special correspondence; and (2) a reasonable amount of general correspondence (no more than five items per week). 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. Free postage is generally limited to letters weighing one ounce or less, with exceptions allowed for special correspondence. In compelling circumstances, the facility may grant exceptions for general correspondence and other mail.

Receiving Mail:

Detainees can receive mail from anyone they know personally. The letter/mail must have the detainee’s immigration number (File Number), barracks and bunk number, plus the sender’s name and address (required). All incoming social and legal mail will be opened and inspected in the presence of the detainee for contraband. The mail is not read, only inspected by the delivering officer. If the mail is not accepted or inspection permitted, it will be returned to sender in the presence of the detainee.

Detainee mailing address:

Detainee Name
"A" Number or Register Number
Building #, and Pod #
Florence Service Processing Center
3250 N. Pinal Parkway
Florence, Arizona 85232

When a detainee departs the facility, the mail is sent to the forwarding address. If non-available, 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:
Detainees may release funds outside the facility in the form of a U.S. Postal money order to their spouse and other family members based on a case-by-case basis. This is done through the Detention Supervisor who can make arrangements to purchase money orders. The exchange of money between a detainee and officer is accomplished through an agency receipt form and the purchase of the Money Order. All expenses associated with the conversion and mailing of the funds will be the responsibility of the detainee making the request.

Receiving Money:
It is permissible for a detainee to receive money orders and checks via the mail system. It is not advisable that cash be sent via the postal service. A private entity provides limited check cashing services at the facility for a fee. Money orders can be exchanged for cash on a case-by-case basis. Personal checks are not cashed, but will be placed in the detainee’s property with a receipt signed by the detainee and immigration officer. A receipt is provided to the detainee and will be released to them when they are released or removed from the facility. The agency staff is not responsible for cash lost in the mail system. During visiting hours, visitors can deposit cash in the detainee’s account.

Sending Packages:

A detainee may send out packages at his 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 written approval of an Immigration Detention Supervisor. No items should be sent to a detainee without the supervisor’s approval. Also, hygiene items are not permitted from outside sources. They are issued 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. 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 for use with the phones located in the dormitories. These cards may be used for all calls, local, national and international long distance calls. 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:

The facility provides a “Detainee Message Center” which allows outside callers to leave urgent messages for detainees. To leave a message the caller must call (520) 868-5862, ext. 8388 and wait for instructions to leave a message. Messages may be left in English or Spanish.

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