A relative held by ICE needs money in a facility account to buy commissary items and phone time. There is no single national deposit method. ICE’s detention standards require each facility to have written procedures for incoming money, and each facility page on ice.gov lists its own channels. This page explains the national rule and shows two facility pages as examples. Sources were checked on October 21, 2026. It covers money only; for phone calls, messages and visits see how to call or visit an ICE detainee.
Quick summary: First find the facility (ICE’s Online Detainee Locator; how to use it is on our consular assistance page). Then open that facility’s page on ice.gov and read Sending Items to Detainees: that is where the deposit methods are. Under ICE’s standard 5.7 (PBNDS 2011), a facility may let a visitor leave cash or a money order with designated staff, and staff must give a receipt. Visitors may not hand anything directly to a detainee. Never mail cash. Keep every receipt.
What the national standard requires
ICE’s 2011 Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS 2011, revised December 2016) apply to ICE processing centers, contract facilities, and state or local facilities that hold ICE detainees for more than 72 hours under an agreement with ICE. The standard says non-dedicated local facilities must follow its procedures or adopt alternatives that meet or exceed their intent.
| Topic | What the standard says | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Written procedures | In line with standard 2.5, “each facility shall have written procedures” for incoming property and money for detainees | 5.7, V.E |
| Leaving money at the facility | The facility administrator may permit a visitor to “leave cash or a money order with a designated staff” member for deposit in the detainee’s account | 5.7, V.E |
| Receipt | Staff must give the visitor a receipt for all money or property left at the facility | 5.7, V.E |
| Handing items over | Visitors may not give anything directly to a detainee; funds and items may be left with staff at the facility administrator’s discretion, with an itemized receipt | 5.7, V.A |
| Where the money goes | In many facilities, detainee funds are deposited in the commissary or canteen account | 2.5, V.A |
| Cash kept by the detainee | The facility administrator decides whether a detainee may keep cash and how much | 2.5, V.E |
| Release or transfer | Facilities must have written procedures to return funds, valuables and property to detainees being transferred or released | 2.5, V.A |
| Paying for a lawyer | The detainee handbook must explain access to the detainee’s personal funds to pay for legal services | 2.5, V.C |
Sources: PBNDS 2011, standard 2.5 Funds and Personal Property and standard 5.7 Visitation, ice.gov, checked October 21, 2026.
The standard does not name a vendor, an app or a fee. Those come from each facility.
Two facility pages, two different setups
These are examples, not national rules. The facility holding your relative may work differently.
| Campbell County Detention Center (Newport, Kentucky; Chicago Field Office) | Stewart Detention Center (Lumpkin, Georgia; Atlanta Field Office) | |
|---|---|---|
| Methods listed on its ice.gov page | “There are three ways to place money on a detainee account”: a lobby kiosk (cash or credit card), a phone line, or a website | Funds received in the mail are taken to processing and placed in the account |
| Card fee | An additional fee is included in credit card transactions | Not stated on the page |
| Money order by mail | Made out to the Campbell County Detention Center; the page says it is added to the account the day it is received | Funds in the mail are placed in the account; the processing officer gives a receipt |
| Cash in the mail | Cash, checks and money orders are on the prohibited list for ordinary mail | Detainees are cautioned not to have cash sent to them in the mail |
| Separate phone money | Phone-minute money goes on through a phone line or a website | Not stated on the page |
| Before money is usable | Booking fees and charges for destroyed jail property must be paid off before money is available for commissary | Not stated on the page |
Sources: ice.gov facility pages for Campbell County Detention Center and Stewart Detention Center, checked October 21, 2026.
Both pages carried this banner when checked: “Due to the lapse in federal funding, this website will not be actively managed”. If a method on the page does not work, call the facility number on that same page before sending money another way.
Step by step
- Find the facility. Use ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System. Our consular assistance page explains what the locator asks for: full name, A-number or date of birth, and country of birth (Guatemala).
- Open the facility’s page. ICE’s detention facilities list can be searched by name, state or field office. On the facility’s page, read Sending Items to Detainees and Contacting a Detainee.
- Have the details ready. The Campbell County page asks for the name and date of birth, Social Security or jacket number on the money order’s memo line. The Stewart page asks for the last four digits of the A-number on letters. Copy the exact format the page asks for.
- Use only a channel listed on that page. The Campbell County page says incorrectly filled money orders are returned to sender, and that ordinary mail that does not meet its guidelines is destroyed.
- Keep proof. Standard 5.7 requires a receipt for money left in person. The Campbell County page recommends keeping a copy of the money order with your receipts.
Why the balance matters for phone calls
Standard 5.6 (telephone access) says a detainee is ordinarily considered indigent if he or she has less than $15.00 in the account for ten days. Calls to the free legal service list and to consulates must be possible at no charge for every detainee. What families pay for is ordinary calling, and the facility sets how. Calls and visits are covered on how to call or visit an ICE detainee.
Money order, bond, or consulate: three different things
- Account money buys commissary items and phone time inside the facility. That is this page.
- A delivery bond gets a person released while the case continues. It is paid to ICE through its own system: see how to pay an ICE immigration bond.
- The Guatemalan consulate is a separate channel: both facility pages say consular officials may meet with their detained nationals at any time. What it can and cannot do is on our consular assistance page.
Related pages
- How to call or visit an ICE detainee: phone rules, urgent messages and visiting hours.
- Guatemalan detained or hospitalized in the USA: the detainee locator and what the consulate does.
- How to pay an ICE immigration bond.
- If a parent is detained by ICE: a family plan.
- Find accredited immigration help and avoid notario fraud.
Sources
- ICE, PBNDS 2011 (revised December 2016), standard 2.5 Funds and Personal Property: https://www.ice.gov/doclib/detention-standards/2011/2-5.pdf
- 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, 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
- ICE, Detention Facilities list: https://www.ice.gov/detention-facilities
All checked October 21, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I put money on the account of someone detained by ICE?
Each facility sets its own methods. ICE’s detention standard 5.7 (PBNDS 2011) says each facility shall have written procedures for incoming property and money, and that the facility administrator may let a visitor leave cash or a money order with a designated staff member for deposit in the detainee’s account, with a receipt. The methods themselves are on the facility’s own page on ice.gov, under Sending Items to Detainees. For example, the Campbell County Detention Center page (Kentucky) lists a lobby kiosk, a phone or online account, and a mailed money order.
Can I send cash in a letter to an ICE detainee?
Do not. The Campbell County Detention Center page lists cash, checks and money orders among the items prohibited in ordinary mail (money orders go to a separate address for funds). The Stewart Detention Center page (Georgia) says funds received in the mail are placed in the account with a receipt, but it also cautions detainees not to have cash sent to them in the mail.
Can I hand money to my relative during a visit?
No. Standard 5.7 says visitors may not give anything directly to a detainee. Where the facility allows it, money is left with a staff member, who must give the visitor a receipt.
What information do I need to make a deposit?
It depends on the facility. The Campbell County page asks for the inmate’s name and date of birth, Social Security or jacket number on the money order’s memo line. To find the facility and the person, ICE’s Online Detainee Locator uses the full name, A-number or date of birth, and country of birth (Guatemala).
Is depositing money the same as paying an immigration bond?
No. Account money is for commissary items and phone time inside the facility. A delivery bond is a separate ICE process with its own system; see our page on paying an ICE immigration bond.
What happens to the money if my relative is transferred or released?
Standard 2.5 requires every facility to have written procedures to return funds, valuables and personal property to detainees being transferred or released.
