Families of a person held by ICE ask the same two questions: can I call, and can I visit? ICE’s detention standards set minimum rules, and each facility publishes its own way of applying them on ice.gov. This page lays out the national rule and then two facility pages as examples. Your relative’s facility may work differently: always read its own page. Sources were checked on October 21, 2026. It covers calls, messages and visits only; for putting money on an account see how to send money to an ICE detainee.
Quick summary: On the facility pages checked, detainees cannot receive incoming calls: you leave an urgent message with the facility (have the full name and A-number ready), and the detainee calls out. Under ICE’s standard 5.6, calls to consulates and free legal services cost nothing to the detainee. Under standard 5.7, facilities must offer weekend and holiday visiting, visits of at least one hour under normal conditions, and require government-issued photo ID for adults. Hours, video-only rules and fees are set by each facility. First find the facility with ICE’s locator (see our consular assistance page).
Phone calls: what the national standard requires
Standard 5.6 Telephone Access of ICE’s 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS 2011, revised December 2016):
| Topic | What standard 5.6 says |
|---|---|
| Free calls | Detainees shall be able to make free calls to ICE’s list of free legal service providers (to obtain initial legal representation), to consular officials, to the DHS Office of Inspector General and to the ICE Joint Intake Center |
| Who must be reachable | According to the standard, even where service is generally limited to collect calls, detainees must be able to make direct or free calls to immigration court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, other courts, consular officials, DHS OIG and legal representatives, and to immediate family or others in personal or family emergencies or with a compelling need (to be interpreted liberally) |
| How fast | According to the standard, access shall be granted within 24 hours of the request, and ordinarily within eight facility-established waking hours |
| Indigent detainees | According to the standard, a detainee is ordinarily considered indigent with less than $15.00 in the account for ten days; an indigent detainee may request a call to immediate family in personal or family emergencies or on an as-needed basis |
| Incoming calls | The facility shall take and deliver telephone messages to detainees as promptly as possible |
| Emergency calls | When staff receive an emergency call for a detainee, the caller’s name and number shall be given promptly to the detainee, who may return the call promptly at his or her own cost; the facility shall enable indigent detainees to make a free return emergency call |
Source: PBNDS 2011, standard 5.6, ice.gov, checked October 21, 2026.
So the realistic way to talk to a relative is that they call you, through the facility’s paid phone system, or you leave an emergency message. Money for phone time goes on the detainee’s account: see how to send money to an ICE detainee.
Visits: what the national standard requires
Standard 5.7 Visitation applies to ICE processing centers, contract facilities, and state or local facilities holding ICE detainees for more than 72 hours.
| Topic | What standard 5.7 says |
|---|---|
| Days | Visits shall be permitted during set hours on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; weekday and evening hours to the extent practicable |
| Length | Written rules shall set time limits of no less than one hour, under normal conditions |
| ID | No adult visitor may be admitted without government-issued photo identification; all visitors are subject to identification and search |
| Checks | The facility administrator may set a procedure for random criminal background and warrant checks |
| Who may visit | Besides close family, others may include grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, non-relatives and friends |
| Children | Facilities should have provisions for contact or non-contact visits with minor children; where there is none, ICE shall arrange a visit by children within the first 30 days on request |
| Items | Visitors may not give anything directly to a detainee |
| Dress code | If a facility has one, it must be made available to the public, for example on the facility’s website |
Source: PBNDS 2011, standard 5.7, ice.gov, checked October 21, 2026.
ICE’s detention facilities list carries this notice: “Visitors are recommended to contact the facility to confirm visitation hours and current restrictions (if any) in advance of their visit.” For children’s visits when a parent is detained, see also our family plan page, which covers ICE’s Detained Parents Directive.
Two facility pages, two different setups
These are examples, not national rules.
| Campbell County Detention Center (Newport, Kentucky) | Stewart Detention Center (Lumpkin, Georgia) | |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming calls | Detainees cannot receive incoming calls | Detainees cannot receive incoming calls |
| Urgent message | Call the facility and speak with the shift supervisor; the message is passed on if deemed urgent | Call the facility and leave the details; the page says the detainee will be given your message |
| Details needed | Detainee’s full name and alien registration number, your name and phone number | Detainee’s full name and alien registration number, your name and phone number |
| Messaging | Calls, messaging and video visits through a vendor named on the page | Tablets; the page links information on sending a non-confidential message |
| Family visit format | Video only: on-site monitors or over the internet, after registering an account | In person, non-contact |
| Hours | On-site monitors: Monday-Thursday 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Internet visits: seven days a week, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., 12:30 p.m.-5 p.m., 6:20 p.m.-10 p.m. | Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no visitors processed after 2:30 p.m.); Friday-Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (none after 6:30 p.m.); federal holidays included |
| Frequency and length | Every visitor must be scheduled on the visit | One visit per week, up to one hour |
| Cost | Internet visits: $6.00 for 15 minutes, $10.00 for 25 minutes, charged to the visitor | Not stated on the page |
| ID and age | At least 18 with valid photo ID; under 18 accompanied by an adult | Adults: valid, verifiable government-issued ID; minors with an adult guardian (18 or older) |
| What to bring | No items into the visitation area | Picture ID only; leave purses, cell phones, money and wallets in the vehicle |
Sources: ice.gov pages for Campbell County Detention Center and Stewart Detention Center, checked October 21, 2026. Both pages carried this banner: “Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed”. Call to confirm the day before, unless the facility page says staff will not give visit information by phone (the Campbell County page says jail staff will not provide visitation information over the phone; visits there are set up through an account registered online or at the lobby kiosk).
Step by step
- Find the facility with ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System. What it asks for (full name, A-number or date of birth, country of birth Guatemala) is on our consular assistance page.
- Open the facility’s page from ICE’s detention facilities list and read Contacting a Detainee and Hours of Visitation.
- For an urgent message, call the number on that page with the detainee’s full name and A-number, plus your name and a number where you can be reached.
- For a visit, check whether the facility needs an account or an appointment, its ID rules, and what you may carry. Call to confirm the day before, unless the facility page says staff will not give visit information by phone (the Campbell County page says jail staff will not provide visitation information over the phone; visits there are set up through an account registered online or at the lobby kiosk).
- For the consulate, both facility pages say consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time. Our consular assistance page explains how to ask the Guatemalan consulate to be notified.
- For a lawyer, legal visits follow separate rules: the Stewart page schedules legal visits and video calls through ICE’s ERO eFile system, and the Campbell County page lets legal representatives visit 24 hours a day. To choose a representative, see how to find accredited immigration help.
Related pages
- How to send money to an ICE detainee: account deposits, receipts and what not to mail.
- Guatemalan detained or hospitalized in the USA: the detainee locator and what the consulate does.
- If ICE stops you: what the regulations say.
- How to pay an ICE immigration bond.
- If a parent is detained by ICE: a family plan.
Sources
- ICE, PBNDS 2011 (revised December 2016), standard 5.6 Telephone Access: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention-standards/2011/5-6.pdf
- ICE, PBNDS 2011 (revised December 2016), standard 5.7 Visitation: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention-standards/2011/5-7.pdf
- ICE, Detention Facilities list and visitation notice: https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities
- ICE, Campbell County Detention Center facility page: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/campbell-county-detention-center
- ICE, Stewart Detention Center facility page: https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-facilities/stewart-detention-center
All checked October 21, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I call my relative in ICE detention?
On the two facility pages checked, no: both say detainees cannot receive incoming calls. The detainee calls out. ICE’s standard 5.6 says the facility shall take and deliver telephone messages to detainees as promptly as possible, and both facility pages give a number to call to leave an urgent message, with the detainee’s full name and A-number and your own name and phone number.
Do ICE detainees get a free phone call?
Standard 5.6 (PBNDS 2011) says detainees shall be able to make free calls to ICE’s list of free legal service providers, to consular officials, to the DHS Office of Inspector General and to the ICE Joint Intake Center. Standard 5.6 adds that indigent detainees who are representing themselves (pro se) shall be permitted free calls on an as-needed basis to family or others assisting with their immigration case, and that an indigent detainee may request a call to immediate family in personal or family emergencies or on an as-needed basis.
Can I visit someone detained by ICE?
Yes, under the facility’s rules. Standard 5.7 says visits shall be permitted during set hours on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, that time limits may not be less than one hour under normal conditions, and that no adult visitor may be admitted without government-issued photo identification. Each facility sets its own schedule; ICE recommends contacting the facility to confirm hours and restrictions before going.
Are ICE visits in person or by video?
It depends on the facility. The Campbell County Detention Center page (Kentucky) offers family visits only by video, on-site or over the internet, and charges the visitor for internet visits. The Stewart Detention Center page (Georgia) lists in-person visiting hours; both pages say all family visits are non-contact.
Can the Guatemalan consulate visit a detainee?
Both facility pages say consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time, with prior arrangements requested where possible. Standard 5.6 also lists consular officials among the calls a detainee must be able to make for free.
Who besides parents and spouses can visit?
Standard 5.7 says visitors may include grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, non-relatives and friends. Facility rules on age, ID and scheduling still apply.
