Prairieland Detention Facility is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Alvarado, Texas. It falls under the Dallas Field Office ERO field office area of responsibility.
Facility quick reference
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Facility name | Prairieland Detention Facility |
| Street address | 1209 Sunflower Lane |
| City, State, ZIP | Alvarado, TX 76009 |
| Detainee information line | (817) 409-3995 |
| Facility main phone | (817) 409-3995 |
| ERO field office main phone | (972) 367-2200 |
| ERO field office | Dallas Field Office |
| ICE detainee locator | locator.ice.gov |
| Official ICE page | ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/prairieland-detention-facility |
| Last verified | 2026-10-10 |
ADP = average daily population; ALOS = average length of stay, both FY2026 averages (not a same-day count). Source: ICE Detention Management, FY2026 (released 2026-07-20).
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: (817) 409-3995, which ICE’s page says can be called 24 hours a day (checked October 10, 2026). Give the detainee’s full name and alien registration number (A-number), plus your own name and a 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 says the facility has ICE tablets, and that information on sending a detainee a non-confidential message is in the GettingOut help center (gettingout.com).
Visiting in person
ICE’s page for this facility (last updated 08/06/2026, checked October 10, 2026) says friends-and-family visits must be scheduled in advance by email to Pdcvisitation@lasallecorrections.com. ICE’s page also says “All family or other social visits are contact.” Each classification group has its own days, and every visiting day has the same two blocks:
| Detainees (as ICE prints the group) | Day(s) | Visiting times |
|---|---|---|
| Low / Medium Low | Monday and Wednesday | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
| High / Medium High | Tuesday and Thursday | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
| Female Low / Medium Low | Friday | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
| Female High / Medium High | Saturday | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
| Special Visits | Sunday | 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
ICE’s page does not explain what qualifies as a “Special Visit”; ask when you email to schedule.
Rules for visitors (as ICE lists them): adult visitors must present a valid, verifiable government-issued identification card; minors must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 or older) and may not be left alone in the waiting room, visiting room or any other area. No firearms or weapons of any kind; no electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios) in the secure areas; everyone entering is subject to a pat-down, a search of belongings and a metal scan, and anyone who refuses a reasonable search is not admitted. Visitors who are or appear intoxicated are turned away, nothing may be passed to a detainee, and no items may be carried into the visiting area. ICE lists free public parking at the facility, with designated visitor parking marked.
| Visit type | What ICE publishes for this facility |
|---|---|
| Attorney or legal representative | In person, no appointment needed, first come first served: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; weekends and holidays 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ICE notes that the unit count starts at 3 p.m., has no set end time, and recommends arriving before 2:45 p.m. |
| Consular officials | Any time. ICE asks that arrangements be made in advance, to the extent possible, with the ICE Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer, and that officials bring appropriate credentials |
| Clergy | Any time, by prior arrangement with the Chaplain’s Office |
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 standard for this facility allows more than that. ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight inspected this facility in December 2025 under the National Detention Standards (NDS) 2025 (inspection report). Under NDS 2025, standard 5.1 (Correspondence and Other Mail), checked October 10, 2026, every facility must inspect all incoming general correspondence and other mail (including packages and publications) for contraband, and outgoing general correspondence “may be inspected and/or read” if it is addressed to another detainee or there is reason to believe it might threaten the facility’s secure or orderly operation, endanger the recipient or the public, or facilitate criminal activity. The standard’s no-reading protection covers only special correspondence — written communications to or from private attorneys and other legal representatives, government attorneys, judges, courts, embassies and consulates, the President and Vice President, members of Congress, the Justice Department (including the immigration courts), DHS (including ICE/ERO, IHSC, CRCL and the DHS Inspector General), grievance-system administrators and the news media. Mail counts as special only if the sender’s title and office (incoming) or the addressee’s (outgoing) are unambiguously identified on the envelope; incoming special correspondence is inspected for contraband in the detainee’s presence, and staff may neither read nor copy it. The same standard says that, barring extraordinary circumstances, incoming mail is distributed within 24 hours of receipt and outgoing mail goes to the postal service no later than the day after staff receive it (excluding weekends and holidays). 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
As of October 10, 2026, ICE’s page for this facility says:
- Letters must include the last four digits of the detainee’s A-number, plus the sender’s name and address. Outgoing mail is routed to the post office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff, and a mail pick-up and delivery schedule is posted in all housing units.
- Money: the page we read on October 10, 2026 does not name a deposit service or a mailing address for money. It says only that funds detainees receive in the mail are taken to the processing area to be placed on their account, with a receipt from the processing officer, and that detainees are cautioned not to have cash sent to them in the mail. Ask the facility at (817) 409-3995 before sending money.
- Packages: limited to items needed solely for travel or release from custody, with the ICE Deportation Officer’s approval. Before sending one, ICE says to contact the ICE Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer at the facility: (817) 409-3995, Prairieland Detention Center, 1209 Sunflower Lane, Alvarado, TX 76009.
- Luggage for removal: one small piece is allowed; if the person has none, one 40 lb bag can be sent or delivered after approval from a Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer. No electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptops, radios) are accepted.
- Stamps: detainees may buy them; indigent detainees (no means of 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 returned to sender.
For how deposit routes differ from facility to facility, see how to send money to someone in ICE detention.
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.
Legal visits, video calls and legal documents
ICE’s page for this facility publishes these channels for legal representatives (checked October 10, 2026):
- Case information and the Deportation Officer: requests for case information about people detained here, and requests to learn who a client’s Deportation Officer is, go to Dallas.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov; a G-28 must be on file before any information is disclosed.
- G-28s can be submitted through ICE’s online platform ERO eFile. Facility staff do not have access to ERO eFile, so representatives should bring a downloaded copy of the submitted G-28 to any in-person or remote legal visit.
- Video visits and legal calls are requested through ERO eFile. Appointments are available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., in 60-minute intervals; they can be booked up to two weeks ahead and no later than 24 hours before, and no representative may have more than one 60-minute appointment with a detainee in a single day unless the facility approves it. The upload must include the representative’s government ID, proof of active legal-representative status (such as a bar card) and the ERO eFiled G-28 (unless the visit is pre-representational); if a legal assistant is the only legal representative joining the call, ICE says a letter of authorization on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s identification should also be attached, and appointments without the required attachments may be subject to cancellation. Representatives put their meeting ID and passcode, or the phone number for a call-only appointment, in the Virtual Meeting Information section. If a scheduled appointment is no longer required, cancel or reschedule it in advance. Only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters may take part. If no slot is available or there is an exigent circumstance, ICE lists pdcprograms@lasallecorrections.com or the facility line, (817) 409-3995.
- Legal documents: ICE lists this channel under Electronic Exchange of Legal Documentation, which says that when timely communication through the mail is not possible, the facility administrator “may, in his discretion, allow for a reasonable amount of electronic written communication” between the detainee and the designated legal representative. Subject to that, representatives can email legal correspondence to Pdcprograms@lasallecorrections.com, marking it as legal correspondence in the subject line and attaching a cover sheet with the detainee’s full name and A-number; the representative’s full name, contact information and credentials; a G-28 (unless already on file at the facility); a return fax number if applicable; the total number of pages; and the notation “Legal Mail”. ICE says the documents are inspected for contraband but not read, and are processed Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.
ICE’s page for this facility, as we read it on October 10, 2026, does not link a virtual-attorney-visitation flyer.
Immigration court and free legal providers (Houston – Greenspoint Park)
ICE says a list of pro bono (free) legal organizations, updated quarterly, is posted in the housing units, and that it is the detainee’s own responsibility to contact a provider for an appointment. ICE’s facility page does not name the immigration court that hears the cases of people held here. EOIR’s Immigration Court List – Administrative Control (updated October 1, 2026) lists “Prairieland Detention Center” and “Prairieland Detention Facility – Detained CFR” in the row for Houston – Greenspoint Park; EOIR says the courts on that list “may have jurisdiction” over charging documents for people held at the facilities listed. EOIR’s Houston-Greenspoint Park Immigration Court page gives the address 16800 Greenspoint Park Drive, 2nd Floor, Houston, TX 77060, public hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and window-filing hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday except federal holidays, free public parking, and the general-inquiry email Houston.Greenspoint.Park.Immigration.Court@usdoj.gov. The court that actually hears a given case may still be a different one; confirm it from the A-number through EOIR’s hotline at 1-800-898-7180.
The October 2026 edition of EOIR’s List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers has no heading that names the Greenspoint Park court; its Texas headings include “Houston Immigration Courts” and “Dallas Immigration Court”. Because EOIR does not say which of those headings covers this court, we do not reproduce either list here; check the EOIR list directly, and ask the hotline which court has the case.
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 Dallas 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 (checked October 10, 2026) adds these channels:
- Comments on the service provided: Assistant Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Prairieland Detention Center, 1209 Sunflower Lane, Alvarado, TX 76009, (817) 409-3995.
- Misconduct complaint to the field office: Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 8101 North Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, TX 75247, (972) 367-2200.
- 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: 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.
A news reporter who wants to interview someone held here must apply in writing to the Dallas Field Office, Enforcement and Removal Operations. 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 this facility on December 16–18, 2025 (ODO report, Inspection 2026-001-008). What the report says:
- Who runs it: the facility opened in 2017; it is owned by the City of Alvarado and operated by LaSalle Corrections. ERO began housing detainees there in 2017, under ERO Dallas. It is a dedicated ICE detention facility operating under the National Detention Standards (NDS) 2025; ODO notes that the facility’s contractually required standards changed from PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016) to NDS 2025 after its previous inspection. 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 Dallas has an assistant field office director, supervisory detention and deportation officers, and detention officers assigned to the facility; deportation officers are on site Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. LaSalle Corrections provides food services, Excel X-Ray provides medical care, and Correct Commissary provides commissary. ODO says the facility does not hold any accreditations from outside entities; it was DHS PREA certified after a November 2023 audit.
- Findings: compliant with all 30 NDS 2025 standards reviewed; no deficiencies.
- Detainee interviews: ODO interviewed 38 detainees (one more declined); none alleged discrimination, mistreatment or abuse, and all 38 reported satisfaction with facility services.
- Rating: Superior.
- Previous inspection: at the fiscal year 2025 inspection, which ICE’s inspection index dates December 17–19, 2024 (report), ODO reviewed 28 standards and found 24 deficiencies in 7 standards — Contraband (1), Funds and Personal Property (2), Key and Lock Control (1), Sexual Abuse and Assault Prevention and Intervention (1), Tool Control (14), Use of Force and Restraints (2) and Visitation (3) — and rated the facility Acceptable/Adequate. The December 2025 report says ODO did not receive a completed uniform corrective action plan from the facility for that inspection.
ODO redacts bed-capacity and population counts in the published report; for population, see the ICE statistics box above. ICE lists every posted report on its ODO facility inspections page.
Earlier inspections
February 2019 food-service findings: the contractor inspection letter records chicken patties on February 13, 2019 at 105° F and hot dogs on February 14, 2019 at 110° F in insulated trays delivered to female housing. The letter says the food was not maintained at the appropriate temperature.
February 11-13, 2020: the contractor inspection form recommends a rating of “Meets Standards”.
August 24-27, 2020: ODO conducted a compliance inspection.
June 26-28, 2018 — compliance inspection: ODO reviewed 17 standards under PBNDS 2011, found compliance with 7, and identified 22 deficiencies in the remaining 10 standards. ODO report.
June 7-10, 2021 — follow-up compliance inspection: ODO reviewed 13 standards under PBNDS 2011 (2013 Errata), found compliance with 9, and identified 11 deficiencies in the remaining 4 standards. ODO report.
In its amended report dated February 15, 2022, for the December 14-16, 2021 inspection, ODO removed a Funds and Personal Property deficiency because the cited practice complied with the standard and updated the associated tables. ODO report.
287(g) agreements in Johnson County
This facility is in Johnson County, Texas (per the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder for the address ICE publishes). ICE's 287(g) participating-agencies workbook, dated October 9, 2026, records 1 agreement with agencies in that county:
| Agency | Model | Signed |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson County District Attorney's Office | Task Force Model (TFM) | 2026-03-08 |
Source: ICE, 287(g) program (participating-agencies workbook). A 287(g) agreement is between ICE and the law-enforcement agency; on its own it says nothing about this facility. What each model means · all agreements by state.