MDC Brooklyn

MDC Brooklyn is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Brooklyn, New York. It falls under the New York City 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, call the number ICE publishes for detainee information: (718) 840-4200. Have the detainee’s full name, alien registration number (A-number), date of birth and country of birth ready. ICE’s page for this facility lists no urgent-message line — ask this number how to get a message to the person. 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). Contact and visitation hours vary by facility — confirm current hours by calling (718) 840-4200 or checking the official ICE page linked above.

Visiting in person

What ICE’s page for MDC Brooklyn says (checked October 16, 2026):

• Friends and family: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, based on the detainee’s housing unit. ICE says the most up-to-date visiting protocol and visiting hours are on the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility webpage.
• Who can visit: only a person the detainee has placed on their visitor list and who has been cleared by BOP. BOP has its own rules on who can visit, the dress code, the duration of visits, general behavior and physical contact.
• Non-contact: all family or other social visits are non-contact.
• Search and banned items: everyone requesting admittance to the facility or the visitation area is subject to a pat-down search, an inspection of belongings and a metal scan search. Anyone who refuses a reasonable search is not admitted. Firearms and weapons of any kind are not permitted, and electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) are not permitted in the secure areas. Visitors may not carry any items into the visitation area or pass items to detainees. A visitor who is or appears to be intoxicated is not allowed to visit.
• Clergy may visit but must make prior arrangements with the Chaplain.
• Consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time. ICE asks that they make prior arrangements with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer to the extent possible and bring appropriate credentials. ICE gives that officer’s number as (718) 840-4200.
• Parking is available at the facility.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Letters and packages sent to a detainee must show the detainee’s full name and A-number, along with the sender’s name and return address — and each facility publishes its own exact format. 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 2019 national standard allows more than that. Under ICE’s National Detention Standards, Revised 2019, §5.1(E) — cited here for comparison only, because we have not confirmed which detention standard governs this facility — incoming general mail is opened and inspected for contraband, and outgoing general mail may be inspected and read if it is addressed to another detainee or staff have reason to believe it threatens the facility’s security or order, endangers someone, or could facilitate criminal activity. Only special correspondence — mail to or from attorneys and other legal representatives, courts and judges, government attorneys, embassies and consulates, the President and Vice President of the United States, members of Congress, the Department of Justice (including the immigration courts), DHS (including ICE/ERO, IHSC, CRCL and the DHS Inspector General), grievance administrators, and the news media — may not be read or copied by staff. Incoming special correspondence is inspected for contraband in the detainee’s presence; outgoing special correspondence is not opened, inspected or read, and if a need exists, any inspection takes place in the detainee’s presence. The standard limits any inspection to detecting physical contraband and confirming that enclosures qualify as special correspondence. Mail counts as special correspondence only if the envelope unambiguously identifies the title and office of the sender (incoming mail) or of the addressee (outgoing 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

Per ICE’s page for MDC Brooklyn (checked October 16, 2026):

• 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. 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.
• Mailing address, as ICE publishes it:

ICE Detainee Name & Register Number
MDC Brooklyn
Metropolitan Detention Center
P.O. Box 329002
Brooklyn, NY 11232

• Money: money is not to be given directly to the detainee. ICE says money can be sent by following the BOP’s Sending Money instructions. If funds arrive in the mail, they are placed into the detainee’s account and the processing officer gives a receipt. ICE cautions detainees not to have cash sent to them in the mail.
• Packages: a detainee may receive only items determined to be necessary for the sole purpose of travel or release from custody, with the approval of the ICE Deportation Officer. ICE says to visit the MDC Brooklyn website before sending a package.
• Stamps: detainees may buy them. 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) get a postage allowance at government expense.
• 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.

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.

Booking legal visits, video calls, and legal calls

Per ICE’s page for MDC Brooklyn (checked October 16, 2026):

• In-person attorney visits: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (count time 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.); Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (count time 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.). Attorneys who arrive within an hour before the start of a count (for example, after 3 p.m. or 9 a.m.) cannot visit their client until after the count clears. ICE refers attorneys to the Attorney Guide to MDC Brooklyn for policies on legal visiting, attorney-client communication and release of information.
• G-28s can be submitted through ERO eFile. Facility staff do not have access to it. ICE says legal representatives should download copies of their submitted G-28 for any in-person or remote legal visit.
• Confidential legal phone calls and video teleconferencing must be requested through ERO eFile, which sends the confirmation. Slots are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, subject to availability. They can be booked up to 2 weeks in advance but no later than 24 hours before, first come first served. Appointments are scheduled in 30-minute intervals, and two 30-minute appointments may be booked back-to-back for 60 minutes. ICE says legal representatives are not limited in the number of appointments they can request, but no representative is permitted more than one 60-minute appointment with a detainee in a single day. ICE says scheduling and rules are subject to change pending demand and availability. The facility may cancel or reschedule for a safety or security risk, or to ensure equal access for other representatives and detainees.
• What the request must include: the representative’s full name and contact information (phone and email), and the detainee’s name and A-number (otherwise a search may be done by name, date of birth and country of birth). In some situations the representative may also have to confirm the facility location. The representative’s phone number goes in the Virtual Meeting Information section, which is required before selecting a time. Required uploads (otherwise the appointment may be cancelled): a scan of the representative’s government-issued ID; proof of active legal-representative status, such as a state bar card, attorney license or paralegal license; and the ERO eFiled G-28, unless the visit is pre-representational. A legal assistant joining alone also attaches a letter of authorization on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s ID. Failing to follow the guidelines may lead to immediate cancellation or termination of an appointment and/or suspension of future requests.
• Who may attend: only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters; no family or friends. Outside interpretation services may be contacted during the session. Sessions are confidential. A visitation officer stays outside the room, out of earshot but within eyeshot, and knocks 5 minutes before the cut-off time.
• No slot available, or an exigent circumstance: call (212) 863-3401 or email NYCDetaineeInquiry@ice.dhs.gov to arrange a legal call.
• Electronic legal documents: ICE says BOP has specific procedures for when a person in custody may receive electronic legal materials from an attorney (BOP’s Access to Electronic Discovery Materials).
• BOP rules for defense counsel calls (checked October 17, 2026): the BOP’s Attorney Guide to MDC Brooklyn (dated November 2025) says urgent legal call requests must be emailed to the legal department at BRO-LegalVisit-S@bop.gov, that this system is only for defense counsel who have an urgent matter that must be discussed with their client and cannot visit, and that urgent requests are granted based on that day’s call schedule and staff levels. The guide says an attorney may not call an inmate; attorneys who do not expect the client to call must visit in person, write, or schedule a call through the EDNY Federal Defenders Office booking system (mdcattorneycalls.skedda.com/booking). For ICE detainees, ICE’s page (checked October 16, 2026) says confidential legal calls must be requested through ERO eFile (above).
• Law library access for legal discovery: the BOP attorney guide (November 2025) states there are two legal libraries at MDC Brooklyn (one in the West building and one in the East building) with computers for viewing discovery materials; inmates may sign up for law library access between 7:45 a.m. through 10:40 a.m. and from 12:30 p.m. through 3:30 p.m., with each floor allowed access one day per week.

BOP clothing and attorney entry rules

The BOP’s Attorney Guide to MDC Brooklyn (November 2025; checked October 17, 2026) states:

• Visitor clothing: the guide prohibits clothing that impedes identification (such as hoods), conceals contraband (such as coats), or resembles inmate clothing in color (such as khaki/tan pants).
• Attorney entry verification: the guide lists a New York State Unified Courts System Registration Card or an official Federal Defender attorney card as identification for New York attorneys. If an attorney has neither card or is licensed in a state other than New York, the guide requires contact with the legal department at least one business day in advance so that the attorney’s good standing can be verified.

Case information and the Deportation Officer

• Case information: requests can be sent to NYCEROAttorneyInquiries@ice.dhs.gov. ICE says this mailbox does not accept applications for Stay of Removal or Case Appeals.
• Identifying a client’s Deportation Officer: email NYCDetaineeInquiry@ice.dhs.gov or call (212) 863-3401. A G-28 must be on file for any information to be disclosed.
• Pro bono list: posted in all detainee housing units and other appropriate areas, and updated quarterly. Contacting a provider for an appointment is the detainee’s responsibility.

The BOP’s Attorney Guide to MDC Brooklyn (November 2025) also states:

• The BOP guide requires inmates seeking a Health Services evaluation to submit a sick-call request through TRULINCS.
• The BOP guide says inmates in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) who cannot use electronic sick-call sign-up can submit a written evaluation request or ask verbally during the clinician’s daily rounds.
• The BOP guide says MDC Brooklyn’s Psychology Services Department provides on-site mental health care and access to counseling and mental health programs.

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 New York City 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, Attention: Detained Custody Management Unit- OCJ, 201 Varick Street, Rm. 1219, New York, NY 10014.
• 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.
• DHS OIG in writing, as listed on ICE’s page: DHS Office of Inspector General, Attn: Office of Investigations - Hotline, 245 Murray Drive, Building 410 Stop: 2600, Washington, DC 20528; fax (202) 245-5217; DHSOIGHOTLINE@DHS.GOV.

Press: a news media representative who wants to interview a detainee must apply in writing to the New York Field Office, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, indicating familiarity with and agreement to comply with the facility rules and regulations provided by staff. ICE says a detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded, and the media representative must first obtain the detainee’s written permission. ICE also says “Ordinarily, live television or radio interviews will not be permitted in the facility.” Media inquiries about ICE go to ICEMedia@ice.dhs.gov.

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 York
• Other ICE detention facilities in New York
• All facilities under the New York City Field Office