Torrance County Detention Facility

Torrance County Detention Facility is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facility located in Estancia, New Mexico. It falls under the El Paso 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 (505) 452-4821. To leave an urgent message for a detainee, call (505) 384-2711 and 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. 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’s page says the detainee-information line (505) 452-4821 takes calls between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. (checked October 16, 2026). Visiting hours are listed under Visiting in person below.

Sending mail, commissary funds, and personal items

Each facility publishes its own address format for letters and packages. For this facility, ICE’s page says letters must include the last four digits of the detainee’s A-number (File Number), plus the sender’s name and address (checked October 16, 2026). Formats differ elsewhere. 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 October 2024 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. 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. 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

ICE’s page for this facility (updated 08/06/2026; checked October 16, 2026) says:

• 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.
  • 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 get a postage allowance at government expense. ICE defines them as detainees with no means of financial support and no funds in their facility account.
• Money by mail:
  • 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 for all funds received.
  • ICE says “Detainees are cautioned not to have cash sent to them in the mail.”
  • As of October 16, 2026, ICE’s page lists no other deposit method for this facility.
• Packages:
  • Only items determined to be necessary solely for travel or release from custody are allowed, with the ICE Deportation Officer’s approval.
  • Before sending a package, contact the Torrance County Detention Center Warden. Mail address: P.O Box 837, Estancia, NM 87016. Facility address: 209 County Road A049. ICE lists no phone number for the warden.
• 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 of luggage 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.

Visiting in person

Per ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026):

• Friends and family visits:
  • Visits are on Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., subject to availability of the Visitation Room and the facility’s security requirements.
  • Detainees are allotted one hour. The Assistant Warden may authorize more time for family members traveling significant distances, depending on the number of visitors and staff availability.
  • A maximum of four visitors may visit at one time.
• Contact or non-contact: the page says both.
  • Above the schedule it says “Visitation for all ICE leve detainees are contact visits.”
  • Under Visiting Restrictions it says “All family or other social visits are Non-contact.”
  • The facility main phone is (505) 384-2711.
• Arrival and ID:
  • All visitors must arrive 45 minutes before the scheduled visit time.
  • Adult visitors must present a valid, verifiable government-issued identification card.
  • Minors must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 or older). They must not be left unaccompanied in the waiting room, visiting room or any other area.
• Search:
  • Everyone entering the facility or the visitation area is subject to a pat-down, an inspection of belongings and a metal scan.
  • Anyone refusing a reasonable search is not admitted.
• Restrictions:
  • No firearms or weapons of any kind.
  • No visit is allowed if a visitor is or appears to be intoxicated.
  • Visitors may not pass or try to pass items to detainees, and may not carry items into the visitation area.
  • No electronic devices (cell phones, pagers, radios, etc.) are allowed in secure areas.
• Parking: free public parking is available at the facility. Visitor parking is marked.
• Consular officials:
  • Consular officials may meet their detained nationals at any time.
  • ICE requests that prior arrangements be made with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer “to the extent possible”, and that consular officials bring appropriate credentials.
  • The Supervisory Deportation Officer can be reached at (505) 452-4808.
• Clergy: clergy may visit at any time, but must make prior arrangements with the Chaplain’s Office.

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 this facility (checked October 16, 2026):

• In-person attorney visits:
  • Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. ICE adds “Advance scheduling available 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.”
  • Bringing laptops, or any electronic media for the detainee, needs ICE’s prior approval for each visit.
  • No cell phones are permitted.
• G-28s:
  • G-28s can be submitted through ERO eFile.
  • Facility staff do not have access to ERO eFile. Legal representatives should bring a downloaded copy of the submitted G-28 to any in-person or remote legal visit.
• Video teleconference (VTC) meetings and confidential legal phone calls:
  • These must be requested through ERO eFile for all appointments starting November 1, 2025. Confirmations arrive through ERO eFile.
  • Appointments must be made at least 48 hours before the appointment, and may be made up to 2 weeks in advance.
  • Appointments are on a first-come basis. Appointments no longer needed should be cancelled or rescheduled in advance.
  • Slots run 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
  • The page gives two slot lengths. One paragraph says “60-minute increments.” Another says appointments are scheduled in 30-minute intervals, and two 30-minute appointments may be booked back-to-back to make 60 minutes.
  • ICE says legal representatives are not limited in the number of appointments they can request.
  • No representative may have more than one 60-minute appointment with a detainee per day. The exception is an extended-time (2-hour) appointment that the representative requested and the facility approved.
• What the request must include:
  • The representative’s full name and contact details (phone and email).
  • The detainee’s name and A-number. Without the A-number, a search can be done by name, date of birth and country of birth.
  • In some situations, confirmation of the detainee’s detention facility.
  • The remote meeting details: a Zoom or Google Meet link with the meeting ID and password, or the phone number the facility will call. This must be provided before a visit can be scheduled.
• Uploads: without these, an appointment may be subject to cancellation.
  • A scan of the representative’s valid government-issued ID.
  • Documentation of active legal-representative status, such as a state bar card, attorney license or paralegal license.
  • 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.
  • Requests under PBNDS 2011 Section 5.7 (V.N.1) and Section 4.3 (V.FF) go in two fields. The written request goes in the Attorney Authorization Letter field. The Professional Licensure/Curriculum Vitae goes in the Medical/Mental Health Evaluators field.
• Rules during sessions:
  • Only legal representatives, legal assistants and interpreters may attend; no family or friends. Outside interpretation services may be contacted during the session.
  • A visitation officer stands outside the confidential room, out of earshot but within eyeshot. The officer knocks 5 minutes before the cut-off time.
  • Representatives and their staff may not video or audio record any visit or call. A violation may result in suspension or permanent revocation of VAV user privileges.
  • The facility reserves the right to cancel or reschedule appointments in the event of a safety/security risk, and to ensure equal access to legal visitation by other representatives and detainees.
  • ICE says “Scheduling and applicable rules are subject to change pending demand and availability.”
• Questions: call (505) 384-2711 ext. 21956 or 21968.

Sending legal documents to a detained client

ICE says legal representatives can email legal correspondence to torrancelegalvisit@corecivic.com.

• The subject line must make clear that it is legal correspondence/mail.
• The documents to be delivered go as an attachment.
• ICE recommends including the following in the email body and on the attachment cover sheet:
  • the detainee’s full name
  • the A-number
  • the sender’s return fax number
  • 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.

Separately, when timely communication by mail is not possible, the facility administrator may, at his discretion, allow a reasonable amount of electronic written communication between the detainee and the designated legal representative.

Case information and the Deportation Officer

Per ICE’s page for this facility (checked October 16, 2026):

• Case-information requests:
  • Requests about a person detained here go to ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov.
  • The mailbox does not accept applications for stay of removal or case appeals.
• Reaching the Deportation Officer:
  • ICE says local attorneys know the Deportation Officers’ contact information.
  • Someone from outside the local area can email ElPaso.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov. The message is forwarded to the Albuquerque office and assigned to the Deportation Officer.
  • A G-28 must be on file for any information to be disclosed.
• Non-confidential messages:
  • The facility has “ICE Talton Tablets”.
  • Instructions for sending a non-confidential message are on the GettingOut help page linked from ICE’s facility page.
• Pro bono list:
  • A list of pro bono legal organizations is posted in all detainee housing units and is updated quarterly.
  • Contacting a listed organization for an appointment is the detainee’s responsibility.

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 El Paso 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:
  • Write to: Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 11541 Montana Avenue, Suite E, El Paso, TX 79936.
  • For misconduct complaints, ICE also lists (915) 856-2317.
• 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 El Paso 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 by the media. The reporter must first obtain the detainee’s written permission.

ICE inspection record

• February 27–29, 2024 unannounced follow-up inspection: the ODO report assessed 17 PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016) standards, found compliance with 9, and found 13 deficiencies in the remaining 8. ODO inspected 5 designated eyewash stations and found that 1 in the maintenance department lacked hands-free, 15-minute continuous flushing; one out of two safety-department chemical storage cages had no eyewash station. ODO also recorded that staff posted updated pro bono legal-services lists before the inspection ended.

ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight (ODO), within ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, conducted compliance inspection 2025-001-009 of this facility on October 22–24, 2024 (ODO report). Per ICE’s October 2024 inspection report:

• Field office: ERO El Paso Field Office.
• Standard: the findings are organized by the Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) 2011 (Revised 2016).
• Standards in the findings section: the report’s Compliance Inspection Findings section covers these standards:
  • Environmental Health and Safety
  • Custody Classification System
  • Key and Lock Control
  • Special Management Units
  • Grievance System

Earlier inspections

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

• Torrance County Detention Facility, Estancia, NM - Jul. 27-30, 2020.
• Torrance County Detention Facility, Estancia, NM - Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2020.
• Torrance County Detention Facility, Estancia, NM - May 3-7, 2021 (follow-up inspection).
• May 3-5, 2022 (ODO unannounced compliance inspection report): ODO found medical staff credential files lacking licenses, certifications or primary source verification (for example, three registered nurses without CPR certification, and two psychologists and the chief dentist with no licenses nor primary source verification). ODO says the health services administrator obtained all required credentials during the inspection week and placed them in each of nine credential files; ODO reviewed the documentation.
• October 17-19, 2023 (ODO compliance inspection report, amended December 27, 2023): ODO found that all 12 housing units lacked posted procedures at each monitored telephone for unmonitored calls to a court or legal representative or to obtain legal representation. ODO also found no posted telephone access hours in all 12 housing units.

The ODO compliance inspection report for July 27-30, 2020 states that the facility complied with 15 of 18 standards reviewed under PBNDS 2011 (Revised 2016), with 6 deficiencies in the remaining three standards. These are historical inspection findings.

287(g) agreements in Torrance County

This facility is in Torrance County, New Mexico (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:

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 New Mexico
• Other ICE detention facilities in New Mexico
• All facilities under the El Paso Field Office