Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

This is a situation that requires real caution, and getting the right information before taking any action is essential. TDCJ requires visitors to go through an application and approval process that includes identity verification. A foreign passport is a legitimate form of identification and is generally accepted for visitor applications at Texas facilities. On that level, having a passport from your home country rather than a US ID is not automatically disqualifying. The concern in your specific situation is what happens during...

The likelihood of deportation rather than a standard release into the community is high, and preparing for that reality now is important. When an undocumented person is booked into a Texas jail or state facility, ICE typically places a detainer on them during or shortly after the booking process. That detainer is a formal request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement asking the facility to notify ICE before releasing the individual and to hold them briefly so ICE can take custody. If...

The timing and factors involved in the removal process depend on personal choices Whether he has been ordered removed before.  ICE/immigration authorities can simply act on that previous order of removal and send him back to their country of origin immediately. How long have they been in the United States.  If they recently came to the U.S., they might be subject to “expedited removal,” meaning that they can be deported very quickly without a hearing before an immigration judge. If, on the other hand,...

When someone is either caught in the U.S. with no documents, or is alleged to have violated the terms of a visa or green card, the U.S. government will ordinarily initiate deportation (removal) proceedings. These may lead to the person being cleared of the charges (maybe even gaining an immigration benefit), agreeing to leave voluntarily, or receiving an order of removal. The deportation process officially begins when you receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) from immigration authorities. This may be preceded by a...

At USP Big Sandy, which is a high-security federal penitentiary in Kentucky, segregation is called the SHU, the Special Housing Unit. It is solitary confinement, and inmates end up there for one of two broad reasons: disciplinary or administrative. The disciplinary side covers a wide range of infractions. Fighting is the most common reason at a high-security facility like Big Sandy, but the list also includes possession of contraband such as a cellphone, drugs, or tobacco, failing a drug or alcohol...

Visitation at Rio Grande Detention Center follows the standard process for GEO-operated immigration detention facilities. Visitors need to be on the inmate's approved visitor list, bring valid government-issued photo identification to the visit, and comply with the facility's dress code and conduct policies. The inmate is responsible for initiating the approval process by submitting visitor information through their case manager or counselor. On the felony conviction question: prior felonies do not automatically disqualify someone from visiting, but they do require warden-level...

The assumption that admitting to undocumented status automatically means a simple deportation process is understandable but not always accurate. For many people it does work that way. For others, additional factors complicate the picture considerably. The critical question is what prompted the stop in the first place. Immigration enforcement stops that originate purely from a document check or border encounter, with no other underlying reason for the contact, typically move toward removal proceedings rather than criminal prosecution. In that scenario, the...

Admitting undocumented status to law enforcement starts a process, but the full outcome depends on what the original reason for the contact with police was. If he was picked up specifically because of immigration status, that is handled through the civil immigration system rather than the criminal courts. In that case, he would be held in immigration detention while his case is reviewed by an immigration judge, and that detention can go on indefinitely while proceedings work through the system....

It depends on the charges and how immigration gets involved, but here is how it usually plays out. If your boyfriend has no legal status, there are typically two separate systems involved: The criminal court (for the arrest) Immigration authorities (for his status) What happens first: He will go through the normal criminal process: See a judge Be informed of the charges Possibly be given bail or held depending on the case If the charge is minor and this is truly his first arrest, he may: Get released quickly Or resolve the case with little or no...

The outcome depends almost entirely on what the warrant was for and what his current immigration status is. Two years of compliant reporting is a positive factor, but it does not override an active warrant or an immigration detainer if one has been lodged against him. If ICE has placed an immigration detainer on him, the likelihood of release back into the community in the United States is low. Detainers are typically used when immigration authorities intend to pursue removal proceedings,...

If you have criminal charges on your record, reapplying for your green card could put your status at risk. Depending on his exact circumstances, he mighty be placed in deportation proceedings once he is released. It does not matter if his card is expired or not, a person who is a legal permanent resident retains that status until it is taken away. Any crime that gets you years in prison would likely be grounds to place someone in deportation proceedings....

ICE has adopted common sense policies that ensure our immigration laws are enforced in a way that best enhances public safety, border security and the integrity of the immigration system. As part of this approach, ICE has set clear priorities that call for the agency's enforcement resources to be focused on the identification and removal of those individuals who have: Broken criminal laws, Recently crossed our border, Repeatedly violated immigration law or Are fugitives from immigration court. The setting of these priorities ensures that resources are...