This guide is for people detained by ICE in Massachusetts and for their families. Massachusetts has one active long-term ICE detention facility: Plymouth County Correctional Facility (PCCF) in Plymouth, with 526 beds under a contract running through 2029. As of fiscal year 2025, an average of 449 beds were occupied daily, with 87.3% of detainees classified by ICE as having 'no ICE threat level' - no criminal convictions. The Burlington ICE Field Office at 1000 District Avenue in Burlington serves as the intake and processing node: people arrested across Massachusetts are brought here first, before being transferred to Plymouth or put directly on ICE deportation flights from Hanscom Field in Bedford. The Burlington facility has been described by congressional visitors, attorneys, and WBUR reporters as having 'abysmal' conditions - one toilet per holding room shared by dozens of detainees, inadequate food, and sleeping on the floor. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark was denied entry in February 2026. The PAIR Project and Prisoners' Legal Services are the primary legal organizations serving Massachusetts ICE detainees. BIJAN (Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network) supports bond and visitation. Massachusetts falls under the ICE Boston Field Office, headquartered at 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA. Last verified: June 2026.
Step 1: Find Your Family Member - Right Now
ICE Online Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov
You need: the person's full legal name, date of birth, and country of birth - OR their A-Number (Alien Registration Number). The locator may not update for 24-48 hours after an arrest. If nothing appears, call Plymouth County directly and contact the PAIR Project.
ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024 (toll-free)
EOIR Immigration Court Case Status: 1-800-898-7180
ICE Boston Field Office / ERO Burlington: (781) 359-7660 | Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov
Plymouth County Correctional Facility detainee inquiries: (508) 830-6200 (24 hours)
Burlington ICE Field Office (intake/processing): 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803 | (781) 359-7500
PAIR Project hotline: Call from detention using the facility phone system - instructions below. For families on the outside: pairproject.org.
If a family member has been arrested but you cannot find them: They may be at the Burlington ICE field office awaiting processing and transfer. Call (781) 359-7500 immediately and contact the PAIR Project. Transfers from Burlington to Plymouth - or directly to deportation flights from Hanscom Field - can happen quickly.
Step 2: Where ICE Detainees Are Held in Massachusetts
Burlington ICE Field Office - Intake and Processing Hub
1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803
Phone: (781) 359-7500 | (781) 359-7660
ICE case information: Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov
The Burlington ICE ERO Field Office is a 42,000-square-foot office building that serves as the primary intake and processing node for ICE arrests across Massachusetts. People arrested by ICE anywhere in the state are brought here first for booking, paperwork, and initial hold before being transferred to Plymouth County Correctional Facility or placed directly on deportation flights from Hanscom Field in Bedford. ICE spokesperson James Covington confirmed this pipeline: 'Flying aliens out of Hanscom allows ICE to move detainees quickly from the intake center at Burlington to a detention center once they have been processed.'
The Burlington facility has holding rooms with documented conditions concerns. Congressional members, attorneys, and WBUR News have reported: one toilet per holding room shared among dozens of detainees; sleeping mats absent for months (Rep. Moulton documented their absence in December 2025, months after first reporting in June 2025); small portions of food ('small cup of oatmeal' for breakfast, 'couple spoonfuls of pasta' for lunch); denial of adequate medical care. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark was denied entry to the facility in February 2026. Rep. Ayanna Pressley conducted an oversight visit on March 12, 2026.
Burlington is a short-term processing facility - not a detention center with family visiting, phone access, or mail infrastructure. If a family member is at Burlington, contact the PAIR Project and a lawyer immediately. Transfer to Plymouth or deportation flights can happen at any time.
Plymouth County Correctional Facility - Primary Long-Term Detention
26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone (24 hours): (508) 830-6200
Urgent messages: (508) 830-6200 - ask for the shift supervisor; leave detainee's full name, A-Number, your name and callback number
ICE supervisory deportation officer: (781) 359-7500
ICE case information: Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov
ICE ERO complaints address: 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803
Plymouth County Correctional Facility is the only active long-term ICE detention facility in Massachusetts. It is located in the town of Plymouth - approximately 40 miles southeast of Boston - 2.4 miles from Plymouth Rock, the historic landing site of the Mayflower. Sheriff Joseph McDonald has maintained the ICE contract since the 1980s; the most recent contract was signed in September 2024 and runs through 2029. ICE rents 526 beds.
As of fiscal year 2025, the average daily population of ICE detainees was 449. WBUR and TRAC data show that 87.3% (approximately 391 of those 449 people daily) are classified by ICE as having 'no ICE threat level' - no criminal convictions. Just 8% were classified at ICE's highest threat level. PCCF holds men only for ICE purposes; women detainees from the region are typically transferred to facilities in Connecticut or Rhode Island.
PCCF receives detainees from across the New England region, not just Massachusetts - people arrested in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island are often held here. Multiple articles in this series reference Plymouth County as a transfer destination.
Visiting: All social visits are non-contact. Visitors must present valid government-issued photo ID. No firearms, weapons, or items may be passed to detainees. Intoxicated visitors will not be admitted. All visitors are subject to search. Contact the facility at (508) 830-6200 for current visiting hours and scheduling requirements.
Phone: Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. For urgent messages: call (508) 830-6200 and speak with the shift supervisor. To call the PAIR Project directly from detention, see Step 3.
Mail: Include the last four digits of the detainee's A-Number plus sender's name and address. Mail: [Detainee Full Name, last 4 of A-Number], Plymouth County Correctional Facility, 26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360. Mail is subject to inspection but not read. Outgoing mail is forwarded to the appropriate postal office within 24 hours.
PCCF has been the site of a significant 2020 incident in which sheriff's deputies used force against detainees during a protest of COVID-19 conditions, resulting in a lawsuit. Prisoners' Legal Services tracks conditions at the facility and accepts condition complaints from detainees.
Step 3: Get Legal Help
PAIR Project - Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project (In-Facility)
pairproject.org | Boston
The PAIR Project is the primary in-facility legal resource for ICE detainees at Plymouth County and Bristol County. PAIR conducts monthly Know Your Rights presentations at Plymouth County Correctional Facility and Bristol County Jail. To call the PAIR Project directly from detention at Plymouth County: use the facility phone system, enter your PIN/ID number, then enter your A-Number (9 digits - add a '0' before the first number if it has 8 digits). Contact officers for assistance if the connection doesn't work.
PAIR provides KYR presentations, brief legal consultations, and referrals to pro bono representation.
Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts (PLS)
plsma.org | (617) 482-2773 | Boston (updated address: contact for current floor)
PLS runs the Immigrant Detention Conditions Project in partnership with the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI). PLS focuses on conditions-of-confinement advocacy for Massachusetts ICE detainees - discrimination, solitary confinement, language access, medical and mental health care, food and sanitation, and access to legal materials. PLS is the only organization in Massachusetts focused specifically on detention conditions advocacy. File conditions complaints with PLS.
Central West Justice Center (CWJC) - formerly Community Legal Aid
centralwestjustice.org - Provides free immigration legal representation for humanitarian relief including asylum, VAWA, SIJS, and other non-detention immigration cases in central and western Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA)
miracoalition.org | Boston - Statewide advocacy coalition providing Know Your Rights materials, policy advocacy, and community resources for immigrants in Massachusetts. Contact for referrals to legal services.
BIJAN - Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network
beyondbondboston.org - BIJAN provides immigration bond support for people detained at Plymouth County and other New England facilities, including those transferred to Massachusetts from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island. They also provide community accompaniment and visitation support.
Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project and National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
immigrantjustice.org - NIJC provides national legal services and referrals for detained immigrants across the country, including at Plymouth County.
Suffolk University Law School Immigration Clinic
Suffolk University Law School in Boston has an immigration clinic that has engaged with Plymouth County conditions and detention issues.
EOIR Pro Bono List
Plymouth County Correctional Facility is required to post a pro bono legal service list in all housing units. Ask your family member to request the list immediately and use the facility phone to contact providers.
Immigration Advocates Network
immigrationadvocates.org - National searchable directory; search by Massachusetts.
Step 4: Bond - How to Get Someone Released
Bond allows a detained person to be released from ICE custody while their immigration case continues in immigration court. The Chelmsford Immigration Court (established 2024) handles Massachusetts cases, including bond hearings for Plymouth County detainees. Not everyone is eligible - mandatory detention applies in some cases.
WBUR analysis found that 85% of Plymouth County detainees are classified as 'no ICE threat level' - yet many are still denied bond or set at amounts they cannot pay. Immigration attorney Kerry Doyle described detention being used 'as a lever to try to get people to essentially sign themselves out of the country' through Voluntary Departure. Having an attorney at the bond hearing is critical.
Bond posting for Massachusetts detainees
Bond for Massachusetts ICE detainees is posted at the ICE ERO Burlington Field Office:
ICE ERO Burlington: 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803 | (781) 359-7500
Bond posting hours: Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) 9 AM-3 PM
Payment: Money order, cashier's check, or certified check payable to 'Department of Homeland Security.' For bonds over $10,000, a single cashier's check or certified check is required. Bring the detainee's full name, A-Number, and bond order.
A licensed immigration bond agent can post bond electronically for a fee, avoiding travel to Burlington.
Bond and Financial Support
BIJAN - Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network
beyondbondboston.org - Provides immigration bond support and community accompaniment for New England ICE detainees.
National Immigrant Bond Fund
immigrantbondfund.org - National fund; requires family contribution.
Step 5: Communication at Plymouth County
Plymouth County Correctional Facility is approximately 40 miles from Boston. For families outside New England traveling to visit, plan for the distance and parking on-site at the jail.
Visiting
All social visits are non-contact. Contact (508) 830-6200 for current visiting hours, scheduling, and registration requirements. Present valid government-issued photo ID. No items may be brought into the visitation area or passed to detainees. Visitors are subject to search. Intoxicated visitors will not be admitted. Clergy may visit at any time with prior arrangements through the Chaplain's Office.
Phone
Detainees cannot receive incoming calls. To leave an urgent message: call (508) 830-6200, ask for the shift supervisor, and leave the detainee's full name, A-Number, your name, and callback number. The detainee will receive the message.
For detainees calling out: use the facility phone system with a prepaid account. Contact the facility for current phone provider and rates.
[Detainee Full Name, last 4 digits of A-Number, sender's name and address], Plymouth County Correctional Facility, 26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Mail is inspected for contraband but not read. Outgoing mail is processed within 24 hours.
Step 6: Massachusetts Context and Your Rights
The Burlington-Plymouth-Hanscom pipeline:
ICE's enforcement pipeline in Massachusetts works like this: arrest anywhere in the state -> processing at Burlington ICE field office -> transfer to Plymouth County for detention, or -> direct deportation flight from Hanscom Field in Bedford. The Burlington facility's documented conditions are the immediate concern for families. Plymouth County is the longer-term concern. Families can call Plymouth at (508) 830-6200 (24 hours) to check if someone has arrived there.
87% no criminal record - and still detained:
Federal data analyzed by WBUR shows 87.3% of Plymouth County ICE detainees have no criminal convictions. Immigration attorney Kerry Doyle described the situation as: 'By nature, with these numbers, you're going after everybody: the neighbor, the grandmother, your kids' daycare provider.' This context is important for families to understand - a lack of criminal history does not protect someone from detention or deportation proceedings.
Do not sign Voluntary Departure without an attorney:
WBUR and immigration attorneys have documented that ICE uses detention as 'a lever to try to get people to essentially sign themselves out of the country' through Voluntary Departure. Detainees are told to sign at Burlington and Plymouth. Signing Voluntary Departure waives important legal rights. Say: 'I will not sign anything without speaking with a lawyer first.'
Key rights every detainee has:
The right to speak with an attorney. Plymouth County must post a pro bono list; Burlington has been documented denying attorney access - report this immediately.
The right to a bond hearing before an immigration judge (unless subject to mandatory detention).
The right to be free from physical, sexual, and verbal abuse.
The right to adequate food and sanitary conditions - the Burlington conditions have been documented to violate this.
The right to access medical care.
The right to communicate with your home country's consulate (free calls required).
To report conditions or file a complaint:
Prisoners' Legal Services: plsma.org | (617) 482-2773
PAIR Project: pairproject.org
DHS Inspector General: oig.dhs.gov | 1-800-323-8603
ICE ERO Burlington complaints: 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803
Quick Reference - Massachusetts ICE Detainee Resources
Find a detainee:
ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov
ICE Detention Reporting Line: 1-888-351-4024
EOIR Case Status: 1-800-898-7180
ICE Boston Field Office / ERO: Boston.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov | (781) 359-7660
Plymouth County (24 hrs): (508) 830-6200
Burlington ICE: (781) 359-7500
Long-term detention facility:
Plymouth County Correctional Facility: 26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth - (508) 830-6200
Intake/processing facility:
Burlington ICE Field Office: 1000 District Avenue, Burlington - (781) 359-7500
(No family communication; transfer to Plymouth or Hanscom flights can happen any time)
Legal help:
PAIR Project: pairproject.org (in-facility KYR and referrals)
Prisoners' Legal Services: plsma.org | (617) 482-2773 (conditions advocacy)
MIRA Coalition: miracoalition.org (referrals)
Bond support:
BIJAN: beyondbondboston.org
Post bond:
ICE ERO Burlington: 1000 District Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803 | (781) 359-7500 - Mon-Fri 9 AM-3 PM
Plymouth County mail:
[Name, last 4 of A-Number], Plymouth County Correctional Facility, 26 Long Pond Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
Sources and verification: The Scope Boston, 'ICE Beds by Threat Level FY2025,' November 2025 (PCCF only remaining Massachusetts facility; most recent contract September 2024 through 2029; 526 beds; 449 average daily FY2025; 87.3% no ICE threat level 58 of 449 with any threat classification 12.9%; Sheriff Joseph McDonald since 2005 Republican two in MA; contract since early 1980s; 287g agreement requested January 2017 declined; Bristol County terminated 2021 after mistreatment concerns); WBUR, 'The Vast Majority of Men in ICE Custody in Mass. Are Classified as No Threat,' July 30, 2025 (85% no ICE threat Plymouth; TRAC WBUR analysis; Attorney Kerry Doyle quote on everybody grandmother daycare; 526 beds 414 average daily FY2025; 8% Level 1 highest threat; Prisoners Legal Services Leah Hastings quote on infrastructure across administrations; former ICE agent Caron quote on dishwashers and landscapers); Detention Pipeline project, 'Burlington ICE Field Office,' (42,000 sqft office building; Katherine Clark denied entry February 2026; Rep. Pressley March 12 2026 oversight visit; Senator Markey December 2025 witnessed conditions; Rep. Moulton December 2025 sleeping mats still absent; June 2025 initial lawyer reports; 1000 District Ave Burlington; Congressional oversight toolkit; demonstrations since January 2025; pipeline: ICE arrests -> Burlington processing -> Plymouth or Hanscom flights; ICE spokesperson Covington quote on Hanscom; one toilet per holding room dozens detainees; small cup oatmeal couple spoonfuls pasta); Brooks Law Firm guide (primaryly Plymouth County; bristol shifted; 526 beds through 2029; transfers frequent; (508) 830-6200; first 72 hours crucial; voluntary departure rights waiver; 85% no criminal record detention as lever voluntary departure Suffolk University Professor Ragini Shah quote); Prisoners' Legal Services (plsma.org; Immigrant Detention Conditions Project with MLRI; only group focused conditions Massachusetts ICE detention; conditions issues discrimination solitary confinement language access medical mental health food sanitation legal materials; PLS new address February 1 2026 same building different floor; (617) 482-2773); PAIR Project / PLS page (pairproject.org; KYR presentations Plymouth Bristol Franklin County monthly; call from detention PIN then A-number 9 digits add 0 if 8 digits; Central West Justice Center wholly owned subsidiary Community Legal Aid humanitarian relief); ICE Plymouth County page (ice.gov; 26 Long Pond Road Plymouth MA 02360; (508) 830-6200 24 hours; (781) 359-7500 supervisory deportation officer; social visits non-contact; urgent message shift supervisor; letters last 4 A-number plus sender name address; mail inspected 24-hour outgoing; ICE ERO complaints 1000 District Avenue Burlington MA 01803; no items passed to detainees intoxicated visitors refused search); BIJAN (beyondbondboston.org; bond support ME NH VT RI MA; Plymouth County visitation and accompaniment). Volatile items: Verify Burlington ICE field office current conditions (WBUR 'abysmal' December 2025; Pressley March 2026 oversight; verify whether court orders or policy changes have improved; conditions were still documented as poor through March 2026); verify Plymouth County current visiting hours and schedule (contact (508) 830-6200 before visiting; hours subject to change); verify PAIR Project current hotline procedures from detention (PIN then A-number method documented; verify still current at pairproject.org); verify Chelmsford Immigration Court current status (opened 2024; some judges reportedly fired by Trump administration; verify operational status of the court); verify current phone service provider at Plymouth County (for prepaid account setup). Last verified: June 2026.