Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility

Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Elizabeth, New Jersey. It falls under the Newark Field Office ERO field office area of responsibility.

Facility quick reference

How to locate or contact a detainee

To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov. You will need the person’s A-number (Alien Registration Number) and country of birth, or their full name, country of birth, and date of birth.

To ask whether someone is held here, and to leave an urgent message for a detainee, ICE publishes one number: (908) 282-5700. Give the detainee’s full name, alien registration number (A-number), and your name and a phone number where you can be reached; the facility passes the message on. The general facility line (908) 352-3776 is for other questions. Detainees cannot receive incoming calls — they place outgoing calls themselves. Have the person’s biographical information ready when you call (full legal name and any aliases, date of birth, and country of birth). ICE says the (908) 282-5700 line takes calls about detainees housed here between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. (checked October 16, 2026). This facility’s visiting schedule is below.

CoreCivic’s Elizabeth information document, published January 2025 and subject to change without notice, says emergency notifications may be made to the Shift Supervisor 24 hours a day.

Visiting in person

ICE’s page for this facility lists this family and friends schedule, “Effective Monday October 19, 2026” (checked October 16, 2026):

• Type of visit: ICE says “All family or other social visits are Non-contact.”
• ID:
  • All visitors must sign in and produce appropriate identification before the visit.
  • Adult visitors must present a valid, verifiable government-issued identification card to enter.
• Minors: they must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 years or older). They must not be left unaccompanied in the waiting room, the visiting room or any other area.
• Coats and hats: they are not permitted in the contact visitation area; space is provided for them.
• Search:
  • Everyone requesting admittance to the facility or the visitation area is subject to a pat-down, an inspection of belongings and a metal scan.
  • Anyone refusing to cooperate with a reasonable search is not admitted.
  • All visitors are subject to search while in the facility.
• Not allowed:
  • Firearms or weapons of any kind.
  • Electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) in the secure areas.
  • Passing or trying to pass items to detainees, or carrying any items into the visitation area.
  • Visitors who are or appear to be intoxicated are not allowed to visit.
• Parking: free public parking is available in the lot across the street, marked by “CCA Visitor Parking” signs.
• Consular visits:
  • Consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time.
  • ICE requests that, to the extent possible, they make prior arrangements with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer, reachable at (908) 282-5700.
  • Consular officials should bring appropriate credentials.
• Clergy visits: clergy may visit at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the Chaplain’s Office.

CoreCivic deposit and clothing rules (checked October 17, 2026)

CoreCivic’s Elizabeth visitation sheet states:

• For bank-lockbox deposits, CoreCivic requires a money order or cashier check made payable to the inmate/resident.
• CoreCivic lists 1-800-634-3422 for Western Union phone quick collect.
• CoreCivic prohibits sheer or extremely tight clothing and tops exposing shoulders or midriffs.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Each facility publishes its own address format for letters and packages sent to a detainee (for this facility, see the list below). ICE lists each facility’s format on that facility’s page at ice.gov. This facility’s own ICE page says incoming mail “is not read upon opening, only inspected by the delivering officer” and that detainees may seal their own outgoing letters. ICE’s detention standards allow more than that. ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight inspected this facility in April 2026 under the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) 2011 (Revised 2016) (inspection report). Under that standard’s mail section, 5.1, staff open and inspect incoming general correspondence for contraband in the detainee’s presence unless the facility administrator authorizes otherwise, and it “may be read to the extent necessary to maintain security, as authorized by the facility administrator” — reading, with the administrator’s approval, may be done at random. Outgoing general mail may be inspected or read if it is addressed to another detainee or there is evidence it might threaten the facility’s secure or orderly operation, endanger the recipient or the public, or facilitate criminal activity. Only special correspondence or legal mail — mail to or from attorneys and other legal representatives, government attorneys, judges and courts, embassies and consulates, the President and Vice President, members of Congress, the Justice Department and DHS (including ICE, ERO, ICE Health Services Corps, CRCL and the DHS Inspector General), outside health care professionals, grievance administrators and the news media — may not be read: the envelope must be labeled “special correspondence” or “legal mail” and identify the sender’s or addressee’s title and office. Staff may neither read nor copy it; any inspection takes place in the detainee’s presence and is limited to detecting physical contraband and confirming that enclosures qualify as special correspondence or legal mail. Rules for commissary (account) deposits and permitted personal items vary by facility, and so does the number that handles them — ICE names a separate facility mail clerk on some facility pages. This facility’s deposit route, accepted form of payment and contacts are in the Sending Items to Detainees section of its own ICE page (linked above).

What ICE publishes for this facility’s mail, money, and packages

All points below are from ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026).

• Letters:
  • Letters must include the last four digits of the detainee’s A-number (File Number), plus the sender’s name and address.
  • All incoming mail is subject to screening for contraband.
  • Detainees may seal their outgoing letters. Outgoing mail is routed to the post office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff.
  • A mail pick-up and delivery schedule is posted in all housing units.
• Stamps:
  • Detainees may buy stamps. ICE says “Generally, there is no limit to the amount of correspondence detainees may send at their own expense.”
  • Indigent detainees (no means of financial support and no funds in their facility account) receive a postage allowance at government expense.
• Money:
  • Funds a detainee receives in the mail are taken to the processing area and placed into the detainee’s account. The processing officer gives a receipt.
  • ICE says “Detainees are cautioned not to have cash sent to them in the mail.”
  • The page describes no other deposit route.
• Packages:
  • Before sending one, contact the facility Mail Officer at (908) 659-3104, 625 Evans Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201.
  • ICE says a detainee may receive items determined to be necessary for the sole purpose of travel or release from agency custody, with the approval of the ICE Deportation Officer.
• Transfers and departures: only legal mail is forwarded. General correspondence is endorsed “Return to Sender” and returned to the post office.
• Luggage for removal:
  • One small piece is allowed.
  • If the person has none, luggage can be sent or delivered after approval from the Supervisory Deportation Officer.
  • No electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.) are accepted.
• Tablet messages: the facility has tablets. Information on sending a non-confidential message is linked from ICE’s facility page; the service is provided by Talton Communication Inc.

Legal access, attorneys, and immigration court information

Detainees have the right to speak with an attorney, and attorney–client visits and calls are confidential. For information about a case before the immigration court (EOIR), EOIR’s automated line 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free, 24 hours a day, English and Spanish) gives the next hearing date and case status; callers enter the 9 digits of the A-number, without the letter A (EOIR, checked October 24, 2026). For a matter before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), the main line of EOIR (the Justice Department agency the BIA belongs to) is (703) 305-0289. Applications for relief from removal must be filed directly with the immigration court handling the case. If you cannot afford an attorney, the immigration court can provide a list of pro bono legal service providers — see the related resources below.

Case information and the Deportation Officer

All points below are from ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026).

• Case information:
  • Requests for case information about people detained here go to Newark.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov.
  • This mailbox does not accept applications for Stay of Removal or Case Appeals.
• Deportation Officer: to identify a client’s Deportation Officer, contact the Newark Field Office at (973) 645-3666. A G-28 must be on file for any information to be disclosed.
• G-28s:
  • G-28s can be submitted through ERO eFile.
  • Facility staff do not have access to it, so legal representatives should download copies of their submitted G-28 for any in-person or remote legal visit.
• Pro bono list:
  • A list of pro bono (free) legal organizations is posted in all detainee housing units and other appropriate areas, and updated quarterly.
  • Contacting an organization for an appointment is the detainee’s responsibility.

Booking legal visits, video calls, and legal calls

• In-person legal visits:
  • Hours: 7 days a week, 6 a.m. – 9 p.m., including holidays.
  • Visits must be scheduled in advance through ERO eFile on a first come first serve basis, in 60-minute increments.
  • Back-to-back appointments are permitted, but the entire visit may not exceed 2 hours; longer visits are subject to cancellation.
• Virtual attorney visits (VAV) and legal calls:
  • Since August 3, 2026, they must be scheduled through ERO eFile, which sends the confirmation.
  • Slots run in 60-minute increments, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekends and holidays.
  • Appointments can be booked up to 2 weeks in advance but no later than 24 hours before.
  • Legal representatives are limited to 2 hours of appointments in a single day. More may be canceled by the facility.
• What the request must include:
  • In some situations, a legal representative may also be required to confirm the detention facility location of the detainee.
  • The representative’s full name, phone number(s) and email address.
  • The detainee’s name and A-number (otherwise a search may be done by name, date of birth and country of birth).
  • For video appointments, the Zoom, Teams or Webex meeting ID and passcode in the Virtual Meeting Information section. For phone appointments, the representative’s phone number.
• Required uploads (otherwise appointments may be subject to cancellation):
  • A scan of the representative’s government-issued ID.
  • Documentation of active legal-representative status (such as a state bar card, attorney license or paralegal license).
  • The ERO eFile G-28, unless the visit is pre-representational.
  • A legal assistant joining alone also needs a letter of authorization on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s ID.
  • Requests under PBNDS 2011 Section 5.7 (V.N.1) and Section 4.3 (V.FF): the written request goes in the Attorney Authorization Letter field, and the professional licensure/CV in the Medical/Mental Health Evaluators field.
• Cancellations:
  • Failure to follow the VAV guidelines may result in cancellation or termination of a session and/or suspension of future requests.
  • The facility reserves the right to cancel or reschedule appointments in the event of a safety/security risk and to ensure equal access for other legal representatives and detainees.
  • ICE says scheduling and rules are subject to change pending demand and availability.
• Who may attend and confidentiality:
  • Only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters may attend; family or friends are not permitted.
  • A visitation officer stays outside the confidential room, out of earshot but within eyeshot, and knocks 5 minutes before the cut-off time.
• No slot available, or an exigent circumstance: email Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com or call (908) 352-3776 ext. 63101.

Sending legal documents to a detained client

Legal representatives can send legal correspondence by email to Elizabethvirtualattorneyvisitation@corecivic.com or by fax to (908) 659-3120.

• The subject line must make clear that it is legal correspondence/mail.
• The documents to deliver are sent as an attachment.
• A cover sheet must give:
  • the detainee’s full name;
  • the A-number;
  • the sender’s return fax number (if applicable);
  • the total number of pages;
  • the notation “Legal Mail.”

The documents are inspected for contraband but not read, then delivered. Requests are processed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays (checked October 16, 2026). ICE says the facility administrator must allow a reasonable amount of electronic exchange of legal documents. Mail may be preferred when the request is not time sensitive and the volume would be overly burdensome to exchange electronically.

Feedback, complaints, and oversight

To report a concern about conditions at this facility or the conduct of an ICE or contract employee, contact the ERO Newark Field Office that oversees this facility, or file a complaint with the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL). On its own Make a Civil Rights Complaint page DHS publishes one channel — the online portal at engage.dhs.gov/crcl-complaint; CBP additionally publishes, for the same office, the e-mail address CRCL@dhs.gov, fax (202) 401-4708, and the postal address DHS/CRCL, Compliance Branch, 2707 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Mail Stop #0190, Washington, DC 20528-0190. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) hotline is 1-800-323-8603.

This facility’s own ICE page adds these channels (checked October 16, 2026):

• Comments on service, or a misconduct complaint to the field office: Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 970 Broad Street, 11th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102. Phone: (973) 645-3666.
• ICE Office of Professional Responsibility (by mail): Director, Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th Street, SW, Suite 1049, Mailstop 5099, Washington, DC 20536-5005.
• ICE OPR Integrity Coordination Center: 1-833-4ICE-OPR (423677) or ICEOPRIntake@ice.dhs.gov.
• DHS OIG in writing (as listed on ICE’s page):
  • Address: DHS Office of Inspector General, Attn: Office of Investigations - Hotline, 245 Murray Drive, Building 410 Stop: 2600, Washington, DC 20528.
  • Fax: (202) 245-5217.
  • Email: DHSOIGHOTLINE@DHS.GOV.

News media:

• A news media representative who wants to interview a detainee must apply in writing to the Newark Field Office, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations.
• The application must indicate familiarity with, and agreement to comply with, the facility’s rules.
• A detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded. The media representative must first obtain the detainee’s written permission.
• ICE says “Ordinarily, live television or radio interviews will not be permitted in the facility.”
• Media inquiries about ICE go to ICEMedia@ice.dhs.gov.

ICE inspection record

ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), part of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, inspected this facility on April 28–30, 2026 (ODO report).

• Inspection number: 2026-001-015.
• Standard: the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) 2011 (Revised 2016).

Per ICE’s April 2026 inspection:

• Report sections with findings: the report’s table of contents lists inspection findings under Security and under Administration and Management:
  • Facility Security and Control;
  • Funds and Personal Property;
  • Searches of Detainees;
  • Use of Force and Restraints;
  • Detention Files.
• Searches of Detainees:
  • ODO cited deficiencies because Form G-1025 (Record of Search) or an equivalent did not document three things: the conclusion supporting reasonable suspicion, the specific and articulable facts with reasonable inferences, and the results of other, less intrusive search methods.
  • The standard ODO quotes requires that documentation whenever a strip search is conducted, except under a facility’s post contact visitation procedure.
• Use of Force and Restraints (immediate incidents):
  • ODO reviewed recordings and after-action reports for 8 immediate use-of-force incidents.
  • In 1 of 8, on January 27, 2025, IHSC staff did not determine the need for continuing care, did not examine or immediately treat injuries, and did not document the medical services provided or the diagnosed injuries.
• Use of Force and Restraints (calculated incidents):
  • In 1 of 2 calculated use-of-force incidents (March 30, 2026), IHSC medical staff did not take close-up photographs of the detainee’s body during the medical exam for the presence or absence of injuries.
  • ODO observed no action by IHSC staff to approach or speak to the detainee.

Earlier inspections

• November 28–30, 2023 — ODO’s compliance inspection reported compliance with 25 of 29 standards under PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016), with seven deficiencies in the remaining four standards.
• November 1–3, 2022 — ODO’s compliance inspection reported compliance with 23 of 25 standards under PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016), with two deficiencies in the remaining two standards.
• May 17–19, 2022 — ODO’s follow-up inspection found inaccurate needle and syringe counts in its review of the perpetual inventory of controlled substances, syringes, and needles.

ICE’s ODO inspection list also lists these earlier inspections:

• Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, Elizabeth, NJ - May 7-9, 2019.
• Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, Elizabeth, NJ - Jul. 13-16, 2020.
• Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, Elizabeth, NJ - Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2020.

287(g) agreements: ICE's 287(g) participating-agencies workbook, dated October 9, 2026, lists no agency in New Jersey. (source: ICE · what 287(g) is)

Related procedural resources

• Know Your Rights — what to do if ICE detains you
• EOIR immigration court schedules and procedures
• BIA-recognized legal-aid organizations in New Jersey
• Other ICE detention facilities in New Jersey
• All facilities under the Newark Field Office