Otay Mesa ICE is for US Immigration & Customs Enforcement-ICE offenders have not been sentenced yet and are detained here until their case is heard.
All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for Medium facility.
The phone carrier is GettingOut.com, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.
If you are seeking to send your inmate money for commissary, one recommended for this facility is Western Union. There is a fee for sending money, see their rates and limitations.
If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders
Otay Mesa ICE is an immigration detention facility in San Diego, CA. Detainees are held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while their immigration cases are processed, including hearings, deportation proceedings, or asylum claims. To locate a detainee, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov with the detainee's A-Number or full name and country of birth.
To find an ICE inmate, please use the Detainee Locator System with the A-Number search being the most efficient method. The A-number must be exactly nine digits; if shorter, zeros should be added at the beginning. When searching by name, the first and last names must be entered as an exact match, and the detainee's correct country of birth must be selected. Please note that records of individuals under 18 cannot be searched.
Detainees at this facility are assigned to housing based on their custody level, determined by various factors including sentence length and criminal history. The detention center provides a wide range of educational and vocational training programs. Additionally, the facility is equipped to meet most detainee needs, including dietary, health, fitness, education, religious practices, and entertainment. As a privately operated facility, it undergoes frequent inspections to ensure it remains in top condition, maintaining a clean record to secure ongoing government contracts.
The Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, California, is a privately operated federal detention facility that houses ICE detainees under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. The facility is managed by CoreCivic, not by a county sheriff, so there is no elected sheriff directly heading the center. Day-to-day operations are handled by the facility warden and CoreCivic staff under federal oversight, with Warden Christopher LaRose identified in recent reporting connected to the facility’s operations. Located in the Otay Mesa area near the U.S.-Mexico border, the detention center sits within one of the busiest immigration enforcement regions in the country.
The facility has a contractual ICE detention capacity of 1,358 detainees, although recent population counts have pushed beyond that number during periods of increased federal immigration enforcement. It also has a broader detention footprint historically associated with federal detainee housing, including ICE and U.S. Marshals Service populations. ICE detainees held at Otay Mesa are generally awaiting immigration court proceedings, asylum determinations, bond hearings, deportation actions, or transfer to other detention centers. Its location near the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa border crossings gives it major operational importance for detainees processed through Southern California.
ICE Detainee Information
This facility holds immigration detainees under an active contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in addition to its regular population. ICE detainees are civil immigration detainees, not criminal defendants, and are held while their immigration cases are processed. The rules, rights, and services that apply to ICE detainees differ from those that apply to the general jail population.
To locate an ICE detainee at this facility, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov. You will need the detainee's A-Number, a nine-digit Alien Registration Number that appears on any immigration document they have received. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, add zeros at the beginning. If you do not have the A-Number, you can search using the detainee's full legal name, country of birth, and date of birth. Names must be an exact match; try variations if the first search returns no results.
Immigration bond works differently from criminal bail. Not all detainees are eligible for bond; those with certain criminal convictions or prior deportation orders may be subject to mandatory detention. For those who are eligible, bond is set by an immigration judge and typically ranges from $1,500 to over $10,000. Bond must be paid in full before release. An immigration attorney can request a bond hearing and argue for a lower amount based on the detainee's circumstances.
Unlike criminal defendants, ICE detainees do not have the right to a government-appointed attorney. They must hire a private immigration attorney or find free legal help through a nonprofit organization. RAICES provides legal services and bond assistance at raicestexas.org. The National Immigrant Justice Center offers free legal representation at immigrantjustice.org. Many immigration courts also maintain a list of free and low-cost legal service providers available to detainees upon request.
ICE transfers detainees between facilities frequently and with little advance notice, sometimes to locations far from family and legal counsel. If you cannot locate your family member through this page, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator again at locator.ice.gov with their A-Number. If they have an attorney, notify the attorney immediately as transfers affect court appearances and case timelines.
One of the most distinguishing features of the Otay Mesa Detention Center is its border-adjacent location within a larger correctional and law enforcement cluster in southeastern San Diego County. The surrounding area includes other detention and correctional facilities, including state and county institutions, making Otay Mesa one of California’s most concentrated detention corridors. The facility’s proximity to the border, federal courts, immigration attorneys, airports, and interstate routes allows ICE to move detainees quickly between enforcement operations, court proceedings, and long-term detention placements.
Operationally, the center functions as a secure civil immigration detention facility, not a traditional county jail. Staff coordinate detainee intake, housing classification, medical screening, transportation, attorney visitation, commissary access, immigration paperwork, and federal compliance requirements. The facility has also drawn sustained public scrutiny over detention conditions, medical care, overcrowding, and allegations involving detainee treatment. San Diego County officials, federal lawmakers, attorneys, and advocacy organizations have repeatedly focused attention on Otay Mesa because of its size, private management structure, and role in the national ICE detention system.
Today, the Otay Mesa Detention Center remains one of the most important ICE detention facilities on the West Coast. Its combination of large bed capacity, CoreCivic management, border-region location, and direct connection to DHS immigration enforcement makes it a central holding and processing site for detainees moving through Southern California. While federal officials continue relying on the facility for immigration detention capacity, Otay Mesa remains heavily watched by local officials, civil rights advocates, and immigration attorneys concerned about conditions inside privately operated detention centers.
The jail offers a phone program for outbound calls only; inmates cannot receive incoming calls. Accepting collect calls can be expensive, sometimes exceeding $10 per call. Alternatively, setting up an account with a third-party phone company may incur high per-minute usage fees. Click here for discounts on inmate calls, especially if the communication with your inmate is frequent. It's important to remember that all phone calls are recorded, and discussing sensitive legal matters over these lines is discouraged.
Books and magazines ordered for inmates must come directly from the publisher. This policy ensures that the items are new, untampered, and comply with the facility's regulations. The Jail enforces this rule to prevent the introduction of contraband or prohibited materials. By restricting orders to publishers, the facility can better maintain security and control over the content entering the institution. Any books or magazines not received directly from the publisher will be rejected and not delivered to the inmate. You may, however, send letters and selfies to inmates with this easy-to-use app, packages starting at only $8.00.
Inmate workers are chosen based on conduct and cooperation with staff. Participation in the community service program can sometimes reduce sentences. Commissary is available weekly, with orders submitted via kiosk two days in advance. On holidays, there may be increased spending limits. Upon receiving commissary items, inmates must present their ID, check their order, and sign for it in the presence of the commissary employee. Indigent inmates are provided with all essential basic hygiene items including USPS stamps and writing materials.
