Immigration Detention Center Houston Texas

Immigration

Houston is home to four immigration detention center houston tx with a total capacity of 4,114 beds. The majority of immigrants detained in these facilities are not able to afford legal representation.

During the most recent 12 month period for which comprehensive data are available, Houston Contract Detention Facility was ranked in the top 2 percent nationwide for the number of individuals leaving ICE detention. Almost all (82 percent) of those who left the facility were deported or voluntarily departed.

The South Texas Detention Complex

The South Texas Detention Complex is a privately operated facility managed by GEO Group for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It was first opened in 2005 and has room enough for a maximum of 1904 detainees.

The center has three levels of security. Each level has a number of pods that hold a maximum of eight people each. There is a library, medical services and a commissary.

For a person to be released from the South Texas Detention Complex, they must be granted a “delivery bond,” which is a bond posted by someone who is deemed to be responsible for ensuring that the alien shows up in front of an officer or representative when ICE asks them to. The person posting the bond must provide a government-issued ID that is proof of identity and lawful immigration status.

According to ICE data, for a large proportion of the detainees at the South Texas Contract Detention Facility, it was the first ICE detention facility they were held in. But for another 27 percent of the detainees, it was a transfer from other ICE facilities. You can Visit our immigration center in Dallas, TX.

The Board of Immigration Appeals

The Board of Immigration Appeals is the administrative body responsible for reviewing appeals from immigration court decisions. BIA decisions are binding on all immigration judges and DHS officers until overruled or modified by a federal court.

When you file a BIA appeal, you will need to submit a legal brief describing the arguments that support your appeal. If you fail to submit this brief on time, your case will be dismissed and you will lose your appeal.

After the BIA sends you a briefing schedule, you will have thirty days to submit your legal brief and supporting documents. You may also wish to speak with a pro bono lawyer.

The Board of Immigration Appeals is a 15-person tribunal that is administered by the Department of Justice (under the Executive Office for Immigration Review). It has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals from decisions of immigration judges and the decisions of DHS officers in cases involving deportation, removal, asylum, withholding of removal, and rescission.

Legal Representation

Legal representation is important because many immigrants appear before immigration courts without legal representation. Studies have shown that having a legal representation dramatically increases the chances of someone avoiding deportation and getting the legal status they need in the United States.

Attorneys specialize in different areas of law. They may have a special expertise in contracts, patents, family matters, taxes, or personal injury.

Houston-based attorneys are available to speak with you about your situation and assist you in obtaining the best legal outcome for your case. They can help you to file for a bond hearing or appeal your case.

The Deportation Defense Houston project, a collaborative effort between BakerRipley, YMCA International Services and Justice for All Immigrants, provides free immigration legal representation to immigrants in immigration detention centers in the greater Houston area. This project recognizes the large harm deportation causes our community and values collective resistance – from education to advocacy to legal representation – to minimize the separation of families and deportation of valued community members.

Visitation

ICE detainees in Houston can have up to 1 hour non-contact visits with family and friends every week. However, this visitation program is a bit limited due to space constraints and the need for detainees to have privacy while visiting.

In addition, all visitors are subject to pat-down searches, metal scans, and inspections of their belongings before being allowed in the facility or visitation area. They must not come intoxicated or with weapons of any kind, including firearms, because they may be denied entry and removed from the premises.

One of the most concerning aspects of these visits is that a number of detainees have reported they have been denied access to health care. This has resulted in an outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19 among immigrants in Texas.

A number of medical experts have criticized the practice of denying medical care to people in detention facilities, saying it is a violation of basic human rights. In a letter to ICE, physicians from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and Doctors for Camp Closure wrote that ICE should release all detainees in custody while their cases proceed so that they can receive necessary treatment.