San Diego Office
El Centro Detention Facility

About Us

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

Who Are We?

The El Centro Service Processing Center (SPC) is located in the Imperial Valley, approximately 125 miles east of San Diego, California. This is a temporary detention center for adult males who are awaiting a decision on their immigration case or who are awaiting repatriation.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director:
Robin F. Baker

Assistant Field Office Director:
Robert G. Rillamas

(760) 336-4600

Contract Security:
AKAL Security INC.

Project Manager:
Diana Shubert

Captain:
Joseph Lacuesta

(760) 336-4656

Where Are We?

Street Address:
El Centro Service Processing Center
1115 North Imperial Avenue
El Centro, California 92243
(760) 336-4600

By car:

From the North: From I-10 in Indio, California (East or West), take Highway 86S, which is also known as Imperial Avenue to El Centro, CA, and make a left turn at the Border Patrol Station.

From the South: From Calexico, California (Mexico Border), take Highway 111 North to I-8 West, exit on Imperial Avenue and continue for approximately 2 miles, and after passing the railroad crossing and one traffic light, make a right turn into the Processing Center.

From the East: From Yuma, Arizona, take I-8 West and exit on Imperial Avenue and continue for approximately 2 miles, and after passing the railroad crossing and one traffic light, make a right turn into the Processing Center.

From the West: From San Diego, California, take I-8 East and exit on Imperial Avenue for approximately 2 miles, and after passing the railroad crossing and one traffic light, make a right turn at the Border Patrol Station.

By Bus/Air: From the bus/airport terminal, a taxi can provide transportation to the facility at your own expense.

Parking: Parking is available but limited in the Border Patrol and agency parking lot. 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, in front of the facility. Special needs customers may enter through the main entrance of the building, which is manned 24-hours a day.

Hours and Visitations

Visiting Hours:

Monday through Friday: 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Weekends & Holidays: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 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 by either party will result in the termination of the visit.

Special visits outside of routine visitation days and/or hours may be scheduled by appointment. Supervisory Immigration Enforcement Agents (SIEAs) and the AFOD normally approve this. To schedule a visit, contact the facility at (760) 336-4600 and request to be transferred to one of the SIEAs.

This facility does not require approved visitor lists from ICE detainees. Visitors must be in appropriate and socially accepted attire. It is requested for visitors not to bring large quantities of hand carried parcels or other items, to include packages. The visitor(s) may be required to leave such items in a locker or their vehicle. All hand held items must be searched.

Attorney Visitation Hours:

Legal visitation is permitted seven days a week, including holidays. Visiting hours for attorneys are unrestricted. They may visit with their client on any day at any time, as long as it does not interfere with the security or normal operations of the facility. Detainees are required to notify staff when a legal visit outside of normal business hours is expected. 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 AFOD to the extent possible, and that consular officials bring appropriate credentials when they come to the facility. The AFOD can be reached at (760) 336-4603.

Clergy Visits:

Clergy may visit detainees at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the office of the AFOD.

Detainees in the facility have access to religious resources, services, instructions, and counseling on a voluntary basis. Detainees are extended the greatest amount of freedom and opportunity for pursuing any legitimate religious belief practice within the constraints of security and safety considerations.

Visiting Guidelines

• All visitors are subject to a personal search. This may include a pat-down search as well as a visual inspection of purses, briefcases, packages, and other containers.
• No one refusing to be searched shall be permitted to visit.
• This facility will accommodate only non-contact visitation between visitors and detainees.
• Any disruptive conduct by either party will result in the termination of the visit, and may have an adverse effect on future visits.
• No adult visitor shall be admitted without positive identification, such as a driver’s license or other photo identification.
• Persons under the age of 18 will not be admitted unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• If you bring children 17 years of age or under, they are expected to remain under the direct supervision of an adult visitor so they will not disturb others.
• If there are more visitors than can be accommodated in the visiting room, it may be necessary to limit visits to lesser periods of time.
• Due to present space and staff limitations, visitors will be restricted to 30-minute visits per detainee per visitation block.
• Family units may be given additional time if circumstances allow.
• If there is a significant quantity of visitors, the time limits may be reduced to allow all concerned an opportunity to visit.
• The number of visitors who may visit a detainee may be limited to prevent overcrowding in the visiting areas.
• 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 (AFOD) of this facility.
• Persons with criminal records shall not be automatically excluded from visiting, to include former detainees. The nature and extent of an individual’s criminal record, plus his/her history of recent criminal activity shall be weighed against the benefits of visitation. This will be a determining factor in whether or not visitation is allowed.
• Persons shown by substantial evidence to be of harmful effect to the detainee, or to constitute a threat to facility security, shall be excluded.
• The AFOD may temporarily restrict visiting when necessary to ensure the security and good order of the facility.

Search Procedures:

Visitor Identification and Search:

Staff shall verify each visitor's identity before admitting him/her to the facility. No adult visitor shall be admitted without positive identification, such as a driver's license or other photo identification.

Visitors of detainees are not allowed to bring handbags, purses, briefcases, etc. beyond the foyer when attending court proceedings. The only items that are allowed to enter beyond the foyer are legal documents, and only after they have been thoroughly inspected and found to be free of contraband. Documents are not to be read, only inspected for security concerns. Courtroom visitors are also prohibited from bringing tobacco items, lighters, matches, or any consumable product (food, beverage, gum, etc.) into the courtroom.

Front desk officers will recommend to courtroom visitors that they secure any unauthorized carrying devices inside their personally owned vehicles. If the visitor in question traveled by public transportation, they will be afforded the opportunity to place their carrying devices in a provided locker, when availability permits.

When a visitor elects to utilize a provided locker, the Front Desk Officer will advise the visitor that this facility is not responsible for any lost or stolen items. A sign will be placed at the entrance of this facility informing the public of this policy regarding lost or stolen property.

Failure to comply with this directive may constitute denial of access to the facility.

Staff shall escort visitors to the visiting room only after completing identification and inspection as provided in the facility's written procedures. All visitors are subject to a personal search. This may include a pat-down search as well as a visual inspection of purses, briefcases, packages, and other containers. No one refusing to be searched shall be permitted to visit. The AFOD shall prevent or terminate any visit appearing to pose a threat to facility security.

The inspecting officer may ask the visitor to open a container for visual inspection of its contents. If warranted, the officer may ask the visitor to remove the contents and place them on a table. The officer shall not place his/her hands inside the container.

Contacting Us

Detention:

The majority of detained individuals housed at this facility have been released from federal or state penal institutions. Some detainees have been transferred in from other states. Detainees are held in the facility and various jails throughout the area. If you need information about a detainee you may call (760) 353-2170 and press the extension number for the deportation officer corresponding to the last name of the detainee. (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. You may also visit the facility at 1115 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro, CA 92243.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):

All Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act requests (for detainees to obtain certain information in their immigration files) must be submitted on either Form G-639 (Freedom of Information / Privacy Act Request) or in letter format, and contain the original notarized signature of the subject in question. Please complete the Form G-639 thoroughly. If you are 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 (US 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 San Diego 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 San Diego, CA at (619) 557-6484.

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, 1115 North Imperial Avenue, El Centro, CA, 92243.

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:

Field Office Director, Detention and Removal Operations
800 Front Street, Suite 2232
San Diego, CA 92101

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 (760) 336-4600 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. Phone cards are available every day.

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 (at least 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 may receive mail from anyone they know personally. The letter/mail must have the detainee’s immigration number (file number), barracks and bunk number; and the senders name and address (required). All incoming social and legal mail will be opened and inspected in the presence of the detainee for contraband. If the mail is not accepted or inspection not permitted, it will be returned to sender in the presence of the detainee. Mail is not read, only inspected by the delivering officer. When a detainee departs the facility, the mail is sent to the forwarding address. If a forwarding address is not available, the mail is endorsed as "No Forwarding Address, Return to Sender," 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 US Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS). They are responsible for the medical services provided at the facility. If a medical emergency arises that DIHS 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 correspondence officer 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 checking 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 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 from the AFOD. No items should be sent to a detainee without the AFOD’s approval. 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 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.

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. There after, they can be purchased on any day in the recreation building and in processing for use with phones located in the dormitories. These cards may be used for 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 consulate or embassy 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 the “Detainee Message Center” (760) 336-4641 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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