South Texas ICE Processing Center

South Texas ICE Processing Center is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Pearsall, Texas. It falls under the San Antonio 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.

ICE publishes two different numbers for this facility. To ask whether someone is held here, call (210) 231-4505. To leave an urgent message for a detainee, call (830) 334-2939 and leave 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 lists the detainee-information line (210) 231-4505 as answered between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. This facility also has tablets; ICE points to www.gettingout.com for instructions on sending a non-confidential message.

Visiting in person

ICE publishes this friends-and-family schedule for this facility, 7 days per week (its facility page was last updated 08/06/2026). Each time block is reserved for one detainee classification. ICE uses the labels below without defining them on the page, so ask the facility at (210) 231-4505 which block applies to the person you plan to visit.

ICE marks the beginning and ending times as subject to change depending on the safe and orderly operation of the facility. It also says that, consistent with ICE’s Pandemic Response Requirements, the facility holds social visits only when it is in green status; the status can be given over the phone, and a flyer posted outside the facility at all times shows the weekly status.

The family-visit rules ICE publishes for this facility:

• One hour per visit. The Facility Administrator may authorize more time for family members traveling significant distances, depending on the number of visitors and staff availability; the detainee makes that request on forms kept inside the dorms.
• At most two adults and two children at one time — ICE says this is interpreted flexibly and subject to exceptions.
• Arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled visit time to get through security.
• Adults need a valid, verifiable government-issued ID. 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.
• All family and social visits are non-contact. Visitors who are or appear to be intoxicated will not be allowed to visit.

Other visit types:

Everyone entering the facility or the visitation area is subject to a pat-down search, an inspection of belongings and a metal-scan search, and anyone who refuses a reasonable search is not admitted. No firearms or weapons of any kind; no electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios) in the secure areas; visitors may not carry items into the visitation area or pass anything to a detainee. ICE lists free public parking at the facility, with designated visitor parking marked.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

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 February 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 (File Number), plus the sender’s name and address. Incoming mail is screened for contraband; outgoing mail is routed to the post office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff, and a mail pickup-and-delivery schedule is posted in every housing unit.
• Stamps: detainees may buy them, and ICE says there is generally no limit on how much correspondence they may send at their own expense. Indigent detainees — no means of financial support and no funds in their facility account — are given a postage allowance at government expense.
• Money by mail: funds received in the mail are taken to the processing area and placed into the detainee’s account, and the processing officer gives a receipt for all funds received. ICE cautions detainees not to have cash sent to them in the mail.
• Transfers and departures: only legal mail is forwarded; general correspondence is endorsed “Return to Sender” and returned to the post office.
• Items for travel or release: a detainee may receive items needed solely for travel or release from custody, with approval of the ICE Deportation Officer.
• Packages: before sending one, ICE asks you to contact the facility administrator at this address:

GEO – South Texas Detention Complex Facility Administrator
A#: ____
Detainee Name: ____
P.O. Box 1248
Pearsall, TX 78061

• Luggage for removal: ICE says a person being removed from the United States is allowed one small piece of luggage; if they have none, luggage can be sent or delivered after approval from the Supervisory Deportation Officer. For security reasons no electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios) will be 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.

Case information, the deportation officer, and G-28s

ICE publishes these channels for legal representatives with clients held here:

• Case-information requests go to SanAntonio.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov. ICE notes that this mailbox does not accept applications for a stay of removal or case appeals.
• To learn who the client’s Deportation Officer is, call the facility at (210) 231-4505; a G-28 must be on file before that information is disclosed.
• G-28s for people detained here can be submitted through ICE’s online platform ERO eFile. ICE says facility staff do not have access to ERO eFile, so representatives should download a copy of the submitted G-28 and bring it to any in-person or remote legal visit.

Booking legal visits, video calls, and legal calls

In-person legal visits can be scheduled in advance through ERO eFile on a first-come basis, in 30-minute increments; back-to-back appointments are allowed but may not exceed 60 minutes. Walk-in legal visits are still permitted, but scheduled visits are prioritized.

Video teleconference (VTC) meetings and confidential legal phone calls must be requested through ERO eFile, which sends the confirmation. ICE’s published requirements:

• Appointments are available 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday, subject to availability. There is no cap on how many a representative may request, but no representative may have more than 2 hours in a single day; scheduling more may lead the facility to cancel.
• The request must include the representative’s full name and contact details (phone and email), the detainee’s name and A-number (or name, date of birth and country of birth for a search), and the Zoom meeting ID and passcode in the Virtual Meeting Information section — ICE says that is required before an appointment time can be selected.
• Uploads required (or 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 eFiled G-28, unless the visit is pre-representational. If a legal assistant is the only representative joining, add a letter of authorization on the firm’s or organization’s letterhead and a scan of the assistant’s ID.
• Only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters may attend — no family or friends. Outside interpretation services may be called in during the session. A visitation officer stands outside the room, out of earshot but within eyeshot, and knocks 5 minutes before the cut-off time.
• The facility reserves the right to cancel or reschedule for safety or security reasons, or to keep legal access equal for other representatives and detainees.

If no slot is available, or in an exigent circumstance, ICE gives STIPCVAV@GEOGroup.com, and representatives may call (830) 334-2939 to reach the court room officer responsible for scheduling.

Sending legal documents to a detained client by email

When timely communication through the mail is not possible, the facility administrator may, at their discretion, allow a reasonable amount of electronic written communication between the detainee and their designated legal representative. ICE says legal representatives can send legal correspondence to 213LOP@geogroup.com. The subject line should make clear it is legal correspondence, the documents go as attachments, and a cover sheet should list the detainee’s full name, A-number, the sender’s return fax number, the total number of pages, and the notation “Legal Mail.” The documents are inspected for contraband but not read, then delivered to the detainee. ICE says these requests are processed during normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.

Free legal providers on EOIR’s list for Pearsall

ICE says a list of pro bono (free) legal organizations, updated quarterly, is posted in every detainee housing unit, and that it is the detainee’s own responsibility to contact a provider for an appointment. EOIR publishes that List of Pro Bono Legal Service Providers by immigration court location. ICE’s facility page does not name the immigration court that hears cases of people held here — confirm it from the A-number through the EOIR hotline at 1-800-898-7180. On the October 2026 edition, the providers EOIR lists under Pearsall Immigration Court (Pearsall, Texas) are:

EOIR says it does not endorse the providers on its list. A listing is not a guarantee of representation.

Posting a bond

ICE’s facility page says delivery bonds are posted when a person has been taken into ICE custody and placed into removal proceedings while in the United States, and it routes bond posting to ICE’s separate Post a Bond page rather than to the facility. Applications for relief from removal, and other applications the immigration judge requests, are filed directly with the immigration court.

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 Antonio 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, 1777 NE Loop 410, Suite 1500, San Antonio, TX 78217.
• 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/MAIL STOP 0305, Attn: Office of Investigations - Hotline, 245 Murray Lane SW, Washington, DC 20528-0305 (the address on the OIG’s own hotline page as of September 24, 2026; the older Murray Drive address, fax and email shown on the ICE page are not listed there).

ICE also says a detainee has the right not to be interviewed, photographed or recorded by the media, and that a reporter must obtain the person’s written permission first.

ICE inspection record

ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), part of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, inspected this facility on February 10–12, 2026 (ODO report, Inspection 2026-001-045). It was the most recent report for this facility on ICE’s ODO facility inspections page when we checked on October 15, 2026. What the report says:

• Who runs it: the facility opened in 2005 and is owned and operated by The GEO Group, Inc. ERO began housing detainees there in 2005 under ERO San Antonio. It is a dedicated ICE detention facility operating under the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (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 has deportation officers assigned full time, on site Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. GEO provides food services, the ICE Health Service Corps provides medical care, and Keefe Supply Company provides commissary. The facility was accredited by the American Correctional Association in August 2023 and by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in June 2024, and was audited and certified under the DHS Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards in February 2024.
• Findings: compliant with 26 of 29 standards reviewed; 4 deficiencies in 3 standards, 2 of them priority component deficiencies and 3 of them repeat deficiencies. In 3 of 25 medical files, the comprehensive health assessment was completed between 17 and 52 days after arrival (the standard requires 14 days), and in 3 of 25 files the initial dental screening was likewise done between 17 and 52 days after arrival; in 2 of 10 suicide watch logs, staff documented checks at 26 and 34 minutes instead of every 15 minutes or more often; and one of 25 detention files showed a reclassification assessment at 180 days instead of the 90- to 120-day interval.
• Detainee interviews: ODO interviewed 35 detainees; none alleged discrimination, mistreatment or abuse. Two said they found worms in the beans; ODO inspected the food service area and the cooked beans, observed a casing or sprout detached from the beans that created the appearance of a worm, and saw no worms on the serving line.
• Rating: Acceptable/Adequate, down from Good in fiscal year 2025, when ODO found 5 deficiencies in 3 standards.

Earlier, the DHS Office of Inspector General made an unannounced remote inspection of the facility and reported on April 22, 2022 (OIG-22-40) that it did not meet standards for grievances, segregation, COVID-19 response or communications with detainees, while complying with standards for legal services, the voluntary work program and detainee classification. ICE concurred with all five of the OIG’s recommendations.

ODO redacts bed-capacity and population counts in the published report; for population, see the ICE statistics box above.

Earlier inspection — August 20-22, 2024. The ODO report records:

• The facility did not hold the driver’s license or identification of every person entering its secure perimeter.
• Of 25 detainee requests reviewed, 2 were submitted to ERO San Antonio on August 14, 2024, but were not answered until 4 business days later, on August 20, 2024.
• In four out of four detention files reviewed for detainees on hunger strikes during the review period, ODO found no documentation of when the hunger strikes ended.

Earlier inspection — March 1-5, 2021. The ODO compliance inspection report records:

• ODO found compliance with 16 of 21 PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016) standards and seven deficiencies in the remaining five standards.
• ODO found that the detainee request logbook omitted detainee nationality and the name of the staff member logging the request.
• ODO found that ERO San Antonio had not provided the facility with current pro bono legal service information.

287(g) agreements in Frio County

This facility is in Frio 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 4 agreements with agencies in that county:

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.

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 Texas
• Other ICE detention facilities in Texas
• All facilities under the San Antonio Field Office