Imperial Regional Detention Facility

Imperial Regional Detention Facility is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Calexico, California. It falls under the San Diego 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: (760) 618-7200. Give the detainee’s full name, alien registration number (A-number), and your name and phone number where you can be reached; the facility passes the message on. 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 lists the detainee-information line as answered between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. ICE also says this facility has tablets; information on sending a non-confidential message is at gettingout.com, the vendor site ICE names.

Visiting in person

ICE’s page for this facility (last updated 08/12/2026, checked October 15, 2026) runs family visits every day, rotating blocks by sex and custody classification (“Men L” = men at low/medium-low; “Men H” = men at high/medium-high; “Women L” = women at low/medium-low):

SMU = special management unit. ICE says the schedule may change without notice and that it is the detainee’s responsibility to tell family and friends of any change.

• Length: one hour under normal conditions; depending on volume, visits may be reduced to 30 minutes. Special consideration is given on request to family circumstances and people who travel long distances.
• Arrive 45 minutes before the scheduled visit time. All family and other social visits are non-contact.
• ID: no adult is admitted without a valid government-issued photo ID. At the shift supervisor’s discretion, a minor without ID may be admitted if the accompanying adult vouches for the minor’s identity.
• Everyone is subject to a personal search, which may include a metal detector or pat-down and a visual inspection of purses, briefcases, packages and other containers. ICE lists free public parking, with designated visitor parking marked.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Letters and packages sent to a detainee must identify the detainee and show the sender’s name and return address (this facility’s own format is below) — and each facility publishes its own exact format: some also require a housing-unit number, and facilities run by the federal Bureau of Prisons use the BOP register number instead. 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

• Letters must include the last four digits of the detainee’s A-number, plus the sender’s name and address.
• Money: as of October 15, 2026, ICE’s page for this facility names no deposit vendor, phone line or mailing format; it says only that funds received in the mail are placed into the detainee’s account with a receipt, and it cautions against mailing cash. Ask the facility at (760) 618-7200 how deposits are accepted.
• Packages: before sending one, contact the Imperial Regional Detention Facility Warden, 1572 Gateway Road, Calexico, CA 92231. Only items needed solely for travel or release from custody are allowed, with the ICE Deportation Officer’s approval.
• Luggage for removal: one small piece; if the person has none, luggage can be sent after approval from the Supervisory Deportation Officer.
• Stamps: detainees may buy them; indigent detainees get a postage allowance at government expense. On a transfer or departure only legal mail is forwarded.

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, the deportation officer, and G-28s

• Case-information requests go to SanDiego.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov. ICE notes that this mailbox does not accept applications for a stay of removal or case appeals.
• Finding a client’s Deportation Officer: ICE directs representatives to the San Diego Field Office’s Calexico Sub Office at Deportations.ECC@ice.dhs.gov, or to the Deportation Docket Officer at (760) 768-6300. A G-28 must be on file before any information is disclosed.

Booking legal visits, video calls, and legal calls

• In-person legal visits for appointments beginning April 6, 2026 should be scheduled in advance through ERO eFile, in 30-minute increments on a first-come basis; back-to-back appointments may not exceed 60 minutes without facility pre-approval. Walk-ins are still permitted, but scheduled visits are prioritized.
• Virtual legal visits and legal calls are also requested through ERO eFile and run on the Socrates platform (no Teams, Webex or Zoom), Monday through Friday 6 a.m. – 2 p.m. and weekends and holidays 6 a.m. – 10 a.m., in 30-minute increments, bookable up to 2 weeks ahead and no later than 24 hours before. Representatives may book two consecutive appointments for 60 minutes, but no representative may have more than one 60-minute appointment with a detainee in a day unless extended time is requested and approved by the facility. Scheduling and applicable rules are subject to change with demand and availability. ICE notes that some legal-visit spaces accommodate only phone or only video, depending on the detainee’s classification and sex. Upload a scan of government-issued ID, proof of active legal-representative status and the attorney’s ERO eFiled G-28 (unless the visit is pre-representational); otherwise the appointment may be cancelled. If a legal assistant joins alone, the assistant should also attach an authorization letter on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s ID.
• The facility uses Socrates 360 for virtual legal visits and the electronic exchange (and signing) of legal documents.
• No slot available, or an emergency: IRDF.VV@mtctrains.com. ICE’s scheduling guide adds the facility phone (760) 618-7200, ext. 111 for an appointment needed within 24 hours or for approval of more than one appointment with the same detainee in a day.

ICE’s March 2026 Quick Reference Guide for Legal Representatives: Imperial Regional Detention Facility explains the eFile booking options for this facility:

• Who can book: only licensed U.S. attorneys and EOIR-accredited representatives may register for ERO eFile accounts; law graduates, law students and legal assistants get access when a supervising representative sponsors them. The guide warns that using eFile’s scheduling tool for anything other than legal visitation can lead to account suspension.
• In-person space types: a private room (some contact, some no-contact, also usable for phone visits), an open table in the visitation room (contact), or an in-person no-contact space with a window and privacy panels; ICE says every no-contact space still allows legal documents to be exchanged.
• Extended time: an extended in-person appointment can include several detainees at an open table, up to a number the facility sets; if the facility does not approve it within 24 hours of the request, it is cancelled automatically.
• Remote spaces: a private room for in-person visits or legal phone calls, a video-only Virtual Attorney Visitation booth, or a booth that allows phone or video through Socrates.
• Technical problems: EROeFile.HelpDesk@ice.dhs.gov.

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 San Diego 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:

• Comments on service, or a misconduct complaint to the field office: Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 880 Front Street, Suite 2232, San Diego, CA 92101.
• 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 or ICEOPRIntake@ice.dhs.gov.

A news reporter who wants to interview someone held here must apply in writing to the San Diego Field Office. ICE says a detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded, and the reporter must first obtain the detainee’s written permission.

ICE inspection record

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

• Who runs it: the facility opened in 2014, is owned by Imperial Valley Gateway Center, LLC and is operated by Management and Training Corporation (MTC). ICE began housing detainees there in 2014 under ERO San Diego. It is a contract detention facility operating under PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016), and it holds male and female detainees of low, medium-low, medium-high and high security classification for periods longer than 72 hours.
• Staffing and services: ERO deportation officers are assigned full time, on site Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. MTC provides food service and medical care, and Keefe Commissary Network provides commissary. The facility was accredited by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in February 2023 and the American Correctional Association in January 2025, and was DHS PREA certified after an October 2023 audit.
• Findings: compliant with all 30 standards reviewed; no deficiencies.
• Detainee interviews: ODO interviewed 40 detainees; none alleged discrimination, mistreatment or abuse. One said food portions were too small; ODO observed two meals, found the servings nutritionally sufficient and dietitian-approved, and the detainee declined the grievance and high-calorie-diet options staff offered.
• Rating: Superior, the same as at the January 2025 inspection, when ODO cited 2 deficiencies: Key and Lock Control (1) and Use of Force and Restraints (1).

Earlier inspection

• July 23-25, 2024 — unannounced follow-up compliance inspection: ODO reviewed 17 standards under PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016), found compliance with 16, and identified two deficiencies in the remaining one standard. ODO report.
• During the July 23-25, 2024 inspection, ODO found that staff and detainees had not completed an itemized inventory of detainee baggage and personal property, separate from funds and valuables, during admissions processing. ODO report.
• At the July 23-25, 2024 inspection, both completed quarterly inventories of baggage and other non-valuable property reviewed by ODO lacked the time of the audit. ODO report.

Older ODO reports record these inspections:

• ODO’s report records a follow-up compliance inspection on August 16-18, 2022 at Imperial Regional Detention Facility.
• ODO’s report records a compliance inspection on February 14-18, 2022 at Imperial Regional Detention Facility.
• ODO’s report records a follow-up compliance inspection on August 9-12, 2021 at Imperial Regional Detention Facility.
• ODO’s report records a compliance inspection on February 1-4, 2021 at Imperial Regional Detention Facility.

287(g) agreements: ICE's 287(g) participating-agencies workbook, dated October 9, 2026, lists no agency in California. (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 California
• Other ICE detention facilities in California
• All facilities under the San Diego Field Office