South Texas Family Residential Center

The South Texas Family Residential Center is a private ICE detention facility that is located in Dilley, Texas. This facility is managed by CoreCivic and houses both adult and juvenile detainees who are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

The ICE field office that supervises the South Texas Family Residential Center is located in San Antonio, Texas. If you need information about an ICE detainee housed at the South Texas Family Residential Center, call (830) 378-6500 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

When you call, have the detainee's information ready, including their full name (first, last, and hyphenated), any known aliases, date of birth, and country of birth.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting hours at South Texas Family Residential Center are daily between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.

General Rules

Family, relatives, friends, and associates are allowed to visit unless they would pose a threat to the security and good order of the facility. Detainees are allowed a minimum of one hour to visit, and may have an unlimited number of visits. All visits are contact visits.

Adult visitors must have a valid, government-issued photo ID to enter the visiting room. Minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Visitors must arrive 20 minutes prior to their scheduled visiting time to allow for processing through security.

All visitors are subject to a pat-down search, an inspection of their belongings, and a metal scan search. Visitors are not allowed to carry any items into the visiting area, or give any items to detainees.

Visitors may bring their identification, vehicle keys and/or remote, handkerchief or facial tissue if needed and eyeglasses into the visiting room. Lockers are available in the lobby for storage of small personal items during the visit, however you are encouraged to leave any unnecessary items in your vehicle. 

Visitors bringing in infants/toddlers may bring up to two diapers, a pacifier, and one plastic baby bottle with nipple and cap or non-spill sippy cup per child. One small (travel-sized) package of wipes may also be brought for care of infants/toddlers. Diaper bags are not permitted. 

Dress Code

Female Visitors Age 5 and Older 

• Shorts must cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh comply. Short-shorts, jogging shorts, cut-offs, and other obviously inappropriate short garments are prohibited. 
• Skirts and dresses must extend to mid-thigh when seated. 
• Slits in skirts and dresses can rise no higher than mid-thigh when seated. 
• Sheer (see-through) clothing is prohibited. 
• The top of clothing can be no lower than the underarm in the front and back. Bare midriffs and strapless tops, tube tops, and swimsuits are prohibited. Tops that reveal cleavage are prohibited. 
• Flat shoes (closed toe and heel) must be worn at all times. Work shoes or casual/athletic shoes are recommended. Sandals, flip-flops, and shoes with narrow heels will not be permitted. Flat dress shoes are allowed, but not recommended. 
• Gang “colors” and other gang displays are prohibited. 

Male Visitors Age 5 and Older 

• Shorts must cover customarily covered areas of the anatomy. Shorts no higher than mid-thigh comply. 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. 

Attorney Visits

Attorneys and/or paralegals are allowed to visit detainees seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m., including holidays.

Consular Visits

Consular officials are allowed to meet with their detained nationals at any time. If possible, arrangements should be made in advance by calling the ICE Supervisory Deportation officer at (830) 378-6500. All consular officials should bring appropriate credentials. 

Clergy Visits

Clergy are allowed to visit detainees housed at South Texas Family Residential Center at any time. Arrangements should be made in advance through the chaplain's office.

You must include the detainee's name and alien number in the mailing address of all detainee mail. Also include your name and address in the envelope's "return address" section, or the mail will not be given to the detainee. Staff does not read incoming inmate mail, but they do check it for contraband.

Sending Packages

Detainees are not allowed to receive care packages. However, with the approval of the ICE Deportation Officer, they are allowed to receive items that are considered necessary for travel or release from agency custody. Before sending packages to detainees, contact the Facility Administrator at:

South Texas Family Residential Center
300 El Rancho Way
Dilley, TX 78017

Detainees who are being removed from the United States are allowed to have one small piece of luggage. If a detainee does not already have baggage, they may have one bag sent after receiving approval from the Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer. 

Electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.) can not be included in the detainee's luggage for security reasons.

How to Call an Inmate

You can't call a detainee at South Texas Family Residential Center. However, if you need to leave an urgent message you can call (830) 378-6500.

The message should include the detainee's full name, the detainee's alien registration number, and a telephone number where you can be reached.

How to Send Money

To send money to a detainee at South Texas Family Residential Center, mail a money order or cashier's check directly to the lockbox. Do not send cash. 

Deposits can be made into a detainee's account by mailing a cashier's check or money order to:

Facility: SOTEX
Detainee's Name and Alien Number
PO Box 933488
Atlanta, GA 31193-3488 

Cash will not be accepted at the South Texas Family Residential Center. However, there are kiosks in the front lobby and visitation center where visitors may deposit money into a detainee's account. The kiosks accept US currency, credit, and debit cards.

Money orders received via Western Union Quick Collect are also accepted. You must have the detainee's name and alien number. For more information, click here.

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 for a delivery bond are money orders, cashier's checks, and certified checks. Payments must be made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” or “Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Programs For Inmates

No programming information is available.

Pictures of South Texas Family Residential Center

Careers at South Texas Family Residential Center

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