El Paso Field Office
El Paso Processing Center

About Us

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

Who Are We?

Detention and Removal Operations
Field Office Director:  Robert E. Jolicoeur
Assistant Field Office Director:  Alfredo Campos
(915) 225-0885
(915) 225-1901

The El Paso Processing Center (EPC) is the holding and processing facility for approximately 800 detainees while they undergo administrative proceeding regarding their right to remain in the United States. The EPC supports the work of Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso and Marfa Border Patrol Sectors, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts in El Paso and surrounding areas in Texas and parts of New Mexico.

The EPC provides resources and manpower to establish the international highway for removal of aliens that are apprehended in the interior United States. It not only transports aliens from remote areas but also removes or detains apprehended aliens from state or federal facilities.

Administrative Support consists of personnel tasked with providing recreation activities, food service, supply, budget, procurement, maintenance and computer support for the EPC.  The EPC was originally built in 1967.  Additional construction was completed from 1996-1997.  The latest construction added Executive Office for Immigration Review courtrooms and offices.  Added buildings for detainee services include a processing building, a dining hall and food service facilities, a medical services building, and laundry facilities.

Where Are We?

Street Address:
El Paso Processing Center
8915 Montana Avenue
El Paso, Texas 79925
(915) 225-1941

Parking: Parking is available directly in front of the EOIR building. Visitors must have a valid driver license to enter the premises.

Accessibility for Individuals with Special Needs: There are parking areas, entrances, and other necessary accommodations for any individuals with special needs.

Vehicle Entrance: A security officer controls all vehicular traffic entering and leaving the facility. All visitors are required to present driver’s license regardless of purpose (visit, delivery, etc.) and proof of insurance may be required. While the driver is within the facility’s secure perimeter, the officer will hold the driver’s license.

Hours and Visitations

Public Visiting Hours:

Administration visitor hours are from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Detainee 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.

Visiting hours are scheduled according to the detainee’s first initial of their last name. The hours are as follows:

Monday through Friday (non-Federal Holidays) 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Federal Holidays 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Monday           A-C
Tuesday           D-H
Wednesday      I-M
Thursday          N-R
Friday              S-Z
Saturday          A-F (12 p.m. - 3 p.m.)
                       G-L (7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.)
Sunday            M-R (12 p.m. - 3 p.m.)
                       S-Z (7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.)

Attorney Visitation Hours:

Attorneys have access to their clients from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 7 days a week for scheduled appointments.  In case of emergencies or other reasons, attorneys may have access to detainees 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, once the attorney has coordinated access with the Supervisory Immigration Enforcement Agent on duty.  Paralegal representatives will be allowed access from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday thru Friday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekends and holidays.  Accredited Representatives will be allowed access only from the hours of 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 7 days a week.

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 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 (915) 225-1903.

Clergy Visits:

Clergy may visit detainees at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the office of the Assistant Field Office Director.  The El Paso Processing Center Facility offers various religious services. Feel free to contact the Chaplain’s Office for a complete list. The Religious Services staff of the El Paso Processing Center provide to the extent possible for the religious observances of all detainees irrespective of their faith or beliefs.

Visiting Restrictions:

1. All family / social visits are non-contact unless approved by the AFOD or designee.
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 four (4) visitors at a time.
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)
• 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:

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

Emergency Contact at the Center:

In case of family or other emergencies involving a detainee, the following number can be called: (915) 225-1901.

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 (915) 225-0700, 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.

If you need to get in touch with a detainee you must call (915) 225-0700 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.

Feedback:

We strive to provide quality service to people in our custody, their loved ones and friends, and to their official representatives. If 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 the Assistant Field Office Director Detention Management, El Paso Processing Center, and ATTN: Service Feedback at 8915 Montana Ave., El Paso, TX 79925.

If you feel you were mistreated by an immigration employee, or wish to make a complaint of misconduct by an immigration or contract facility employee:

• Call the toll-free Joint Intake Center Hotline at 1-877-2INTAKE.
• FAX the JIC at 202-344-3390.
• Write to the JIC at P.O. Box 14475, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
  Washington, D.C. 20044
• Send an e-mail message to the JIC at Joint.Intake@dhs.gov or;
• Contact the DHS/OIG by calling 1-800-323-8603, write to the
  Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C. 20528
  Attn: Office of Inspector General, Hotline; or
  send an email to DHSoighotline@dhs.gov.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):

All FOIA/PA requests (for detainees to obtain certain information in their immigration file) 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 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 request to:

FOIA
Office of Investigations
425 "I" Street NW, room 4038
Washington, DC 20536

Public Affairs Office:

For press inquiries, please contact the Public Affairs Office of the El Paso Field Office at (915) 231-3489

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 (915) 225-0707 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 is not available at this facility.

Mail:

The quantity of correspondence a detainee may receive or send at his/her own expense will not be limited. For reasons of safety, security, and orderly operation of the EPC, non-correspondence mail (such as packages and publications) will be subject to certain restrictions. 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.

Indigent detainees will be permitted to mail a reasonable amount of mail each week, including at least five (5) pieces of special correspondence and three pieces of general correspondence.

Receiving Mail:

Staff will open and inspect incoming general correspondence and other mail (including packages and publications) in the presence of the detainee.  Incoming general correspondence may be read to the extent necessary to maintain security, as authorized by the AFOD.
                                              
Inspection is generally for the purpose of detecting contraband.  The reading of mail may be conducted at random; this requires approval of the AFOD.  Mail may also be read when a specific security concern arises with respect to an individual detainee, to reveal such information as escape plots, plans to commit illegal acts, plans to violate institution rules, etc.

“Special correspondence” is the term for detainees’ written communication to or from private attorneys and other legal representatives, government attorneys, judges, courts, embassies and consulates; the President and Vice-President of the United States, members of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security (including ICE and the Office of the Inspector General), the U.S. Public Health Service, administrators of grievance systems, and representatives of the news media.  Correspondence will only be treated as special correspondence if the title and office of the sender are clearly identified on the envelope, indicating that the correspondence is special. All inspection of special correspondence will be opened in the presence of the detainee.

Staff will neither read nor copy special correspondence.  The inspection will be limited to the purpose of detecting physical contraband and confirming that any enclosures qualify as special correspondence.

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 El Paso Processing Center 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 are cautioned not to send cash through the mail.  To send money, the detainee should contact the Supervisory Immigration Enforcement Agent and he/she will make arrangements to purchase a money order that can be mailed.

Receiving Money:

An ICE Agent will issue a receipt to a detainee who receives cash, money order or check over the allowed amount of $100.00.  This will be in accordance with the “Funds and Personal Property Standard.”

Sending Packages:

Detainees at the EPC will not be allowed to receive or send packages without advance arrangements approved by the AFOD or designee. The detainee will pay postage for packages and oversized or overweight mail.  In some cases, the agency may pay for an indigent detainee to send packages within the United States.

Receiving Packages:

Detainees at the EPC will not be allowed to receive or send packages without advance arrangements approved by the AFOD or designee. 

Religious Services and Observances:

It is the policy of the EPC to provide detainees of all faith groups with reasonable and equitable opportunities to participate in the practices of their faith, limited only by the constraints of safety, security, the orderly operation of the facility and budgetary limitations.  These opportunities will exist for all detainees equally, regardless of the number of practitioners of a given religion.

Smoking:

This is a non-smoking facility. No cigarettes, tobacco, or smoking paraphernalia is allowed.

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