New Orleans Field Office
LaSalle 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. ICE Detention & Removal Operations (DRO) has an Inter-governmental Services Agreement (IGSA) with LaSalle Parish, LA. ICE works together with The GEO Group to administer the operations of this facility.

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director: George H. (Trey) Lund III
Assistant Field Office Director: Charles W. Jean
(504) 599-7800

The GEO Group, Inc.
Warden: David Doughty
Facility Main Phone Line: (318) 992-7800
General Corporate Phone Line: 1-866-301-4436

Where Are We?

Street Address:
LaSalle Detention Facility
830 Pinehill Road
Jena, Louisiana 71342

Parking:
Parking is available in front of the facility

Accessibility for Individuals with Special Needs:
Handicapped parking is available

 

Hours and Visitations

Monday through Friday from: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday / Holidays: 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

General Visitation:

Facility visiting hours will be posted in the living units. Currently the hours of visitation are 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitation hours on holidays are from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Request for special visits must be cleared by the Warden.

Every effort will be made to allow detainees to receive visitors. Visitation sessions will normally be a minimum of 30 minutes dependant upon the number of visitors and staff availability. More time may be authorized by the Duty Warden for family members traveling significant distances. A maximum of two adults and two children may visit at any one time. This regulation will be interpreted flexibly and subject to exceptions.

Any disruptive behavior by either party will result in the termination of the visit and may cause future visits to be denied. Visitor(s) who bring children (17 years of age or younger) are expected to maintain direct supervision of those children and prevent disruption to other visitors. Visitors must be in appropriate and socially accepted attire. A dress code for visitors is posted at the visiting area. Visitors are not permitted to carry personal items into the visiting area. Lockers are provided to secure these items.

The reception officer will accept U.S. currency and money orders to be placed in your detainee account. Personal or payroll checks will not be accepted. Both you and your visitor will receive a receipt for any funds accepted.

Dress Codes for Visitors
The facility maintains a dress code for visitors. The dress code shall be posted and freely available to the public. The minimum dress code follows:

Female Visitors Age 12 and Older

• Shorts shall cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy, including the buttocks and crotch area, both when standing and sitting. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh comply. Short-shorts, jogging shorts, cut-offs, and other obviously inappropriate short garments are prohibited.
• Skirts and dresses shall extend to mid-thigh, seated.
• Slits in skirts and dresses shall rise no higher than mid-thigh, seated.
• Sheer (see-through) clothing is prohibited.
• The top of clothing shall be no lower than the underarm in the front and back. Bare midriffs and strapless tops, tube tops, and swimsuits are prohibited.
• Shoes shall be worn at all times.
• Gang "colors" and other gang displays are prohibited.

Male Visitors Age 12 and Older

• Shorts shall cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy, including the buttocks and crotch area, both when standing and sitting. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh comply. Short-shorts, jogging shorts, cut-offs, and other obviously inappropriate short garments are prohibited.
• Shirts shall be worn at all times. Muscle shirts, bare midriff shirts and sleeveless shirts are prohibited.
• Shoes shall be worn at all times
• Gang "colors" and other gang displays are prohibited.

Attorney Visitation Hours

Attorneys, legal representatives, or paralegals may visit detainees seven (7) days a week from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. - including holidays. Attorneys, legal representatives, or paralegals may visit detainees as described above. In order to determine whether an attorney/client relationship has been established, return visits by an attorney for the purpose of legal consultation will require the filing of a G-28 with Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Detention and Removal Operations.

Consular Visits:

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. Consular visits may take place during normal attorney visiting hours or with special permission from the Warden. Consular visits with individual detainees are private.

Clergy Visits:

Members of clergy who present proper identification will be admitted to visitation upon request.

Visiting Restrictions:

• All family / social visits are non-contact.
• No firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted in the facility.
• If visitors are or appear to be under the influence of alcohol or any drug, visitation will not be allowed.
• Each detainee is permitted to have a maximum of two (2) visitors at a time. Visits will be limited to duration of 1 hour.
• All visitors are subject to search.
• Visitors are not allowed to pass or attempt to pass any items to detainees.
• Children must be under control at all times.
• Please dress appropriately. See Dress Code for visitors
• Visitors are not allowed to chew gum in the facility.
• Visitors are not allowed to carry any items into the visitation area.
• If contraband such as drugs, alcohol, or weapons are found on any person, that person may be subject to prosecution.

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 by other ICE or DHS Components. Some detainees have been transferred in from other states.

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:
Via: U.S. Postal Service or any overnight delivery, e.g. 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:

A list of free legal service providers is posted at each housing unit, and is updated quarterly. 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 New Orleans Detention and Removals Office, 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 New Orleans, Louisiana at (540) 310-8887.

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, P.O. Box PENDING/TBA, Trout, LA 71371.

If you feel that an ICE employee or an IGSA/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
1250 Poydras St – Suite #325
New Orleans, LA 70113
(504) 599-7800

or

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:

This facility does not accept bonds at this time. Bonds are accepted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at most Detention and Removal Operations’ offices. The closest office presently equipped to accept bonds is located at:

1010 E. Whatley Rd
Oakdale, LA 71463
Phone: (318) 335-0713

Commissary:

This facility provides a commissary service that allows detainees to purchase food items, hygiene products, telephone cards, postage, and writing supplies to supplement what is issued to them. A commissary order form can be obtained from a housing unit officer at any time. Completed order forms for Commissary must be turned in to the appropriate box in their housing unit. Order forms will be picked up between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. Orders will be processed and delivered after 12 p.m.

Mail:

Detainees may send or receive mail to or from anyone they personally know. Stamps or pre-stamped envelopes are available for purchase through the Commissary. Incoming legal mail will be opened in your presence and inspected for contraband. Outgoing mail that is believed to contain contraband it will be opened and inspected in the detainee’s presence. If a detainee does not accept the mail or permit it to be inspected, it will be returned to the sender. Mail will not be read; it will only be examined for contraband.

Indigent detainees: Detainees who have an account balance of $10.00 or less and have not exceeded this amount for the previous 14 days may send up to three personal letters per week, weighing no more than one ounce each. Indigent detainees can send no-cost legal mail without limitation.

When a detainee departs the facility, incoming mail will be sent to the forwarding address. If a forwarding address was not provided, mail will be endorsed, "No Forwarding Address, Return to Sender." All such mail will be returned to the Post Office.

Receiving Mail:

Detainees must use the following address to receive mail at this facility:
Detainee’s Full Name
"A" Number
P.O. Box 560
Trout, LA 71371

Medical Care:

This facility provides a fully staffed medical clinic operated by the US Division of Immigration Health Services (DIHS) to address your detainee care needs. Detainees must fill out a Request for Medical Care form in order to access facility medical staff for treatment of routine conditions/ailments. Sick call is conducted daily beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Money:

Detainee Sending Money Out:
Detainees must make a request to the Warden to receive authorization to send out money. The request must include the name and address of who the detainee is sending money. Once approved, the business office is notified, a check is drawn from the detainee’s account and the business office will mail out the check.

Receiving Money:
Detainees may receive cash, checks, money orders, and other negotiable instruments. Funds received through the mail must be in the form of a money order or cashiers check made payable to the detainee. Cash and personal checks are not accepted and will be returned to sender. The detainee’s name and A-Number must be written on the envelope and money order. See Visitation for procedures for a detainee to receive money in person at the facility.

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.

Sending and Receiving Packages:
Detainees will not be allowed to send or receive packages without advance arrangements, approved by the facility administrators. Detainees will pay the postage for sending packages or for oversized or overweight mail. The contents of any outgoing or incoming packages will be inspected.

Examples of unacceptable items include, but are not limited to the following:

• Blank greeting cards
• Letterhead stationary
• Address labels
• Uninspectable picture frames
• Cash money
• Membership cards
• Homemade cards sent by individuals
• Computer discs
• I.D. Cards
• Return address labels
• Plastic cards
• Video cassette tapes
• Postcards
• Birth certificates
• Stamps and stamped envelopes, including collector’s stamps
• Audio cassette tapes
• Stationary and writing materials sent by individuals
• Pornographic materials of any sort, including magazines
• Musical greeting cards
• Art supplies
• Inflammatory letters
• Polaroid pictures

Examples of acceptable items include but are not limited to the following:

• Letters
• Pictures
• Paperback Bibles and written religious materials sent directly from the publisher
• Legal papers
• Magazines – sent directly from publisher, excluding pornographic
• Newspapers sent by the publisher

Religious Services and Observances:

All detainees shall have access to religious resources, services, instruction and counseling on a voluntary basis. Detainees shall be afforded the greatest freedom and opportunity to pursue legitimate religious beliefs or practices within the constraints of safety and security requirements. Services are provided by the Chaplain at least once per week. Schedules for religious services are posted at each housing unit. If you require religious services or privileges not provided, you must complete a detainee request form. Designated staff will consult with appropriate members of the religious community in assessing your request.

Smoking:

Smoking and all tobacco products are strictly prohibited in all areas of this facility.

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 made with a calling card or a collect call, 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.

Making Telephone Calls:

Telephones are turned on at 6 a.m. and will remain on until lights out (10:30 p.m.). All telephone calls will be collect to the party receiving the call, unless detainees purchase a calling card from the Commissary. Telephones are subject to being monitored. When telephone demand is high, detainees are expected to limit calls to 10 minutes in length to allow others the opportunity to place calls. If detainees are unable to place calls from the telephone in their housing unit or need to place an emergency call (such as an illness or death in the family) they may complete a Detainee Request Form addressed to the Chaplain to access an office telephone. All calls to consular officials or pro-bono legal services are provided at no cost to detainees.

Staff will take telephone messages from outside callers and deliver them to the housing units at least three (3) times a day. Messages regarding an emergency will be delivered as soon as possible. Facility Phone Number is 318-992-7800.

There is at least one Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) for detainees with hearing and/or speech disabilities, and for detainees wishing to communicate with parties that have such disabilities. Access to TDD equipment requires the detainee to submit a request to the Shift Supervisor.

Telephones are made available as necessary with adjustable volume for detainees with hearing impairments.

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 (318) 992-7800 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, usually on the same day, and the detainee will be advised to return your call as soon as possible.

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