Otay Mesa Detention Center

The Otay Mesa Detention Center is an ICE detention center that is located in San Diego, California. This private facility houses detainees who are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It is managed by CoreCivic.

For information about an ICE detainee housed at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, call (619) 671-8700 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. You must have the detainee's information ready when you call, including their full name (first, last, and hyphenated), any known aliases, their date of birth, and their country of birth.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at Otay Mesa Detention Center are as follows:

Video Visitation: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm, daily
Contact Visitation:9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Saturday/Sundays/Holidays

General Rules

To ensure adequate time to process visitors through security for video visitation, all visitors must arrive 30 minutes prior to the scheduled visit time. Video visits may last a maximum of one hour.

For contact visits, visitors will need to schedule an appointment 10 days prior by sending an email to [email protected]. Contact Visits will be a minimum of 60 minutes, and a maximum of four people are allowed. For information on specific Contact Visitation hours contact (619) 671-8724

All adult visitors must have a valid, verifiable government-issued photo ID to enter the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Minors who are visiting must be accompanied by an adult guardian (18 years or older).

You are allowed to bring the following items into the visiting room: Vehicle keys, currency $20 or less, baby items ( one bottle, formula, two diapers, and wipes).

Visitors are not allowed to give any items to detainees. You will be subject to a pat-down search of your person, an inspection of your belongings, and a metal scan search. If you refuse to cooperate with a reasonable search, you will not be allowed into the visiting room. 

The following items are prohibited: Cell phone, electronics, lighters, tobacco products, weapons or explosives. Allowable items must be in a clear bag for search purposes. 

Dress Code

All Visitors are prohibited from wearing all blue, orange, red, and khaki clothing to any visitation room. 

FEMALE VISITORS AGE 12 and OLDER:

• Shorts must cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy, including the buttocks and crotch area, both when standing and sitting. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh are acceptable. 
• Short-shorts, jogging shorts, cut-offs, and other obviously inappropriate short garments are prohibited. 
• Skirts and dresses must extend to mid-thigh, seated. 
• Slits in shirts and dresses must rise no higher than mid-high, seated. 
• Sheer (see-through) clothing is prohibited. 
• The top of clothing must be no longer than the underarm in the front and back. Bare midriffs and strapless tops, tube tops, and swimsuits are prohibited. 
• Shoes must be worn at all times. 
• Gang “colors” and other gang displays are prohibited.

MALE VISITORS AGE 12 and OLDER:

• Shorts shall cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy, including the buttocks and crotch area, both when standing and sitting. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh are acceptable. 
• Short-shorts, jogging shorts, cut-offs, and other obviously inappropriate short garments are prohibited.
• Shirts must be worn at all times. 
• Muscle shirts, bare midriff shirts, and sleeveless shirts are prohibited. 
• Shoes must be worn at all times.
• Gang “colors” and other gang displays are prohibited.

Attorney Visits
Attorneys and paralegals may visit detainees seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m., including holidays.

Consular Visits
Consular officials are allowed to meet with their detained nationals at any time. When possible, arrangements should be made with the ICE Supervisory Deportation Officer in advance by calling (619) 661-3824. All consular officials should bring appropriate credentials. 

Clergy Visits
Clergy are allowed to visit detainees housed at Otay Mesa Detention Center at any time. Arrangements must be made in advance with the chaplain.

When sending a detainee mail through the US Postal Service, you must include the last four digits of their Alien number, plus your name and address. The staff at Otay Mesa Detention Center does not read incoming detainee mail, but they do screen it for contraband. 

Sending Packages

Detainees at Otay Mesa Detention Center are not allowed to receive care packages. However, a detainee may receive items that are considered necessary for travel or release from agency custody with the approval of the ICE Deportation Officer. 

Before sending packages to detainees, contact the Facility Warden at facility at:

CCA – Otay Mesa Detention Facility
P.O. Box 438150
San Diego, CA 92143

Detainees who are being removed from the United States are allowed one small piece of luggage. This can be sent after receiving approval from the Supervisory Deportation Officer. For security reasons, no electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.) are accepted.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call a detainee directly at Otay Mesa Detention Center. However, if you need to leave an urgent message, you can call (619) 671-8724. The message should include the detainee's full name, their alien registration number, and a telephone number where you can be reached.

When there is an emergency telephone call for a detainee, the message is given to the detainee as soon as possible. They will be allowed to return the emergency call as soon as reasonably possible within the constraints of security and safety.

How to Send Money

You can send money to a detainee at Otay Mesa Detention Center via the CoreCivic lockbox. ONLY money orders or cashier's checks are accepted, payable to the detainee. Personal Checks and cash are NOT accepted. 

The envelope must have a return address. Do NOT include any correspondence such as letters, cards or pictures. Nothing sent to this address will be forwarded to the detainee or returned to the sender. 

Mail to:
CoreCivic Inmate Trust Account
[Detainees Name First, Last, & Detainees "A" Number]
Facility: OMDC
P.O. Box 933488
Atlanta, GA 31193-3488 

Western Union

You can send money via Wester Union by using the internet, by phone or walk-in cash payment at a Western Union location. The website is westernunion.com/corrections. The phone number for Phone Quick Collect is 1-800-634-3422.

To Post a Delivery Bond

When a detainee in ICE custody is placed into removal proceedings while they are in the United States, a delivery bond may be posted. When you post a delivery bond, you are required to show proof of identity.

Bonds for aliens detained by ICE can be posted at ICE ERO bond acceptance offices nationwide, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., local time. For a list of ICE ERO bond acceptance offices nearest you or for bond information, click here. You must have the last name of the detainee and their alien registration number before calling. 

Acceptable forms of payment are: 

• money orders
• cashier’s checks 
• certified checks

Payments must be made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Programs For Inmates

This information is not publicly available.

Pictures of Otay Mesa Detention Center

Careers at Otay Mesa Detention Center

If you are interested in a career with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement/CoreCivic and would like more information about job openings at Otay Mesa Detention Center, click here.