Tacoma Office
Tacoma 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. The facility is operated under contract with The GEO Group Inc. (GEO). ICE works together with GEO to administer the operations of this facility.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director: A. Neil Clark
Assistant Field Office Director: David Jennings
(253) 779-6080

The Geo Group, Inc.
Warden: George Wigen

 

Where Are We?

Detention and Removal Operations

1623 East J Street
Suite 2
Tacoma, Washington 98421-1615
(253) 779-6000

Parking: Parking is available in the parking lot to the left of the facility as you enter the property.

By Bus: If you travel by bus: The NWDC is located approximately 1.2 miles from the Tacoma Dome Bus Station located on 610 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma, Washington.

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

 

Hours and Visitations

Administration:
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Walk-ins: To speak with a Deportation Officer, go to the main entrance and you will be directed to the appropriate location.

Detainee Visitation:

Thursday - Monday Including Holidays, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

No Detainee Visitation on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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 a.m. to 11 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 (253) 779-6080.

Clergy Visits:

The Tacoma Detention Facility has the following religious services / programs available to detainees: Religious services are offered four times per week in three languages (English, Spanish and Chinese). It is ICE policy to promote the highest possible level of religious freedom within the requirements of facility safety and security. Requests for religious visits other than those regularly offered are assessed by the Supervisor of Volunteer Services on a case by case basis. Members of the appropriate religious communities are consulted in assessing any such requests.

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 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, seaports / land ports or by other ICE or DHS Components. Some detainees have been transferred in from other states. Detainees are held in the Tacoma Detention Facility, FDC and various jails throughout the Seattle Field Office. You may visit these facilities during their normal visiting hours. If you need information about a detainee you may call (253) 779-6000 and follow the instructions. (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 (253) 396-1611 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 Seattle 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 Seattle, Washington at (206) 553-0353.

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, Northwest Detention Center - 1623 East J Street, Suite 2 - Tacoma, WA 98421.

If you feel that an ICE employee or a facility 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
Detention and Removal Operations
4th Floor
12500 Tukwila International Boulevard
Seattle, Washington 98168

(206) 835-0650

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, call either (253) 779-6000 or (206) 835-0650, and follow the instructions. You must have the last name of the detainee and alien registration number before calling.

All bonds can be posted from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at either of the following locations:

Detention and Removal Operations
Northwest Detention Center
1623 East J Street, Suite 2
Tacoma, Washington 98421
(253) 779-6000
(253) 779-6096 Fax

or

Detention and Removal Operations
4th Floor
12500 Tukwila International Boulevard
Seattle, Washington 98168
(206) 835-0650
(206) 835-0088 Fax

Please note that our offices do not accept cash. Only certified checks or money orders made payable to the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Commissary: With the exception of purchasing shoes (which can be done at the facility lobby front desk), commissary is an internal function completed by detainees. However, you may place money in a detainee account for commissary by calling 1-888-888-8413, by accessing the Internet at www.icsdeposits.com, or by accessing the kiosk located in the facility lobby using cash, credit or debit cards. Both the website and phone number explain in detail the procedure to leave money for detainees.

Copies:

Detainees can make copies in the detention facility. The facility will ensure that detainees can obtain photocopies of legal material, when such copies are reasonable and necessary for a legal proceeding involving the detainee.

Mail:

Detainees may receive send mail to and receive mail from anyone they know personally.  The letter/mail must have the detainee’s immigration number (File Number), facility 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.

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.

Sending Mail:

Outgoing mail is delivered to the Post Office at least once daily, excluding weekends and holidays. Postage is available from the facility commissary. Detainees who cannot afford to purchase postage may send up to three pieces of regulation-size mail per week at facility expense. Indigent detainees may always send legal documents, relevant to their current immigration case, at facility expense.

Receiving Mail:

Detainee Mailing Address:

Northwest Detention Center

Detainee Detention Number
1623 East J Street, Suite 5
Tacoma, Washington 98421

Incoming mail is delivered to detainees at least once daily, excluding weekends and holidays. Mail must be sent to the above address. Mail addressed to the building physical address will be returned to sender. Packages are not accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with facility personnel. All incoming mail is opened and inspected in the presence of the detainee.

Medical Care:

The Tacoma 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. DIHS has designated other healthcare facilities (i.e., Hospitals, labs, clinics) to utilize for outside referrals.

Money:

Detainee Sending Money Out: Detainees may release funds to persons of their choice, outside of the facility. Release of funds to another person within the facility is generally prohibited, unless special circumstances exist (i.e. exchange between spouses or other family members). Detainees must complete a release of funds form with instructions as to whether the funds should be converted to a money order and mailed, released as cash to a visitor, etc. All expenses associated with the conversion or mailing of funds will be the responsibility of the detainee making the request.

Receiving Money: Detainees who arrive at the facility with cash, a check from another correctional facility or a U.S. Postal money order will have those funds placed on their account, for their use at the facility, the following business morning. Visitors may drop off cash or U.S. Postal money orders for detainees to the reception officer between 7:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PST. U.S. Postal money orders sent via mail will be credited to the detainees account the following business morning. CSC is not responsible for cash that becomes lost in the mail, you should not send cash through the mail. Money orders other than U.S. Postal money orders and checks other than those from other correctional facilities will be placed in the detainees valuables but WILL NOT BE CASHED for use at the facility or upon release/removal. Foreign exchange is available upon request, at current exchange rates.

Sending Packages:

The facility does not provide package-shipping services or accept incoming packages, unless prior arrangements have been made with the facility Business Manager.

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 facility Business Manager. 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:

Detainees have access to telephones in all housing units during waking hours (6:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. PST). Calls from these phones may be placed collect or using debit cards purchased from the facility.

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. Requests for access to administrative telephones are processed within eight hours, facility activities permitting.

Calling a Detainee:

Detainee telephones are not programmed to accept incoming calls. Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. Persons needing to contact a detainee may leave a message by calling (253) 396-1611. Messages are delivered no less than three times daily. Emergency messages will be delivered immediately. Detention facility personnel are prohibited from providing any detainee information over the telephone. Persons wishing to inquire about a particular detainee must call (253) 779-6000.

 

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