What Happens Inside Immigration Detention Centers?

Essential Points:

• Immigration detention is a civil process, but daily life often mirrors jail, with strict routines, uniforms, and limited freedom.
• Detainees sleep in crowded dorms, eat basic meals, and follow rigid schedules with minimal recreation or privacy.
• Phone calls are expensive and monitored; medical care is available but often delayed, and visitation is difficult due to remote locations and strict rules.
• Though not a criminal sentence, detention can be emotionally and physically taxing; understanding the system helps families advocate for their loved ones.

When people hear “immigration detention,” many picture a jail cell, and in some ways, they’re right. But immigration detention is technically a civil process, not a criminal one. That distinction matters legally, but for the people inside, daily life can feel just as harsh and restrictive.

From the moment someone enters a detention facility, their world is turned upside down. Their freedom is limited, their belongings are taken, and access to essentials like medical care or phone calls often comes with delays and high costs. Even without a criminal record, a person can be held for weeks or months, far from their family, with little information about what comes next.

Let’s break down what life is really like inside these centers, from housing and food to phone access and visitation, so you know what to expect and how to advocate for your loved one.

Living Conditions In Detention: Dorms, Rules & Restrictions

Unlike traditional jail cells, most immigration detention centers use open dormitories with rows of bunk beds. Each dorm may house 40 to 80 people.

Things to expect in housing:

• No personal locks or storage, which means belongings are subject to search at any time.
• Lights-out and wake-up times are enforced.
• Uniforms, which are often color-coded by risk level, must be worn at all times.

It’s not solitary confinement, but it’s far from comfortable. Living in such tight, impersonal quarters takes a toll, especially when you don’t know how long you’ll be there. And the challenges don’t stop at housing; they show up at every turn, including the food.

Food In Immigration Detention: What Meals Are Really Like

Meals are served three times daily, with menus standardized across many facilities. A typical meal schedule might look like:

• Breakfast: Oatmeal, milk, toast.
• Lunch: Sandwich, fruit, chips.
• Dinner: Rice, beans, a meat portion, sometimes a dessert.

Detainees with religious or medical dietary needs must file special requests. While theoretically accommodated, in practice, these are often delayed or mishandled.

For many detainees, meals are just enough to get by, not enough to feel nourished or cared for. And when your body isn’t well-fed, it’s even harder to cope with the strict rules and limited freedom inside.

Daily Routine & Recreation In Immigration Detention

Freedom of movement is limited. Detainees can move within designated areas at set times, typically the dorm, a recreation yard, a dining hall, and sometimes a chapel or legal library.

Daily schedule includes:

• Mandatory headcounts.
• Brief outdoor periods.
• Limited access to books or educational programs.

While there is some opportunity for movement and fresh air, it’s always on a strict schedule and within set limits. For many people, that lack of freedom can be disorienting, especially when paired with the challenge of staying connected to loved ones on the outside.

Phone Calls In Immigration Detention: High Costs & Limited Access

One of the most heartbreaking aspects for detained families is communication. Calls are possible, but expensive and monitored. Detention centers contract with private phone vendors, and a single call can cost several dollars per minute.

Key things to know about phone access:

• Phones are typically shared among 40+ detainees.
• Calls are limited in duration.
• All non-attorney calls are recorded.
• Some facilities restrict calls to landlines.

Staying connected shouldn’t come at such a high cost, financially or emotionally, but for many detained immigrants, it does. And when health issues come up, getting the care you need can feel just as out of reach.

Medical Care In Immigration Detention: Delays, Limits & Real Risks

I always tell families, yes, medical care is supposed to be available in detention, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get. Requests often take time to process, and what’s provided may be limited to the basics.

Medical service realities

• Sick calls are triaged by nurses, not doctors.
• Dental care is rare.
• Medical grievances often go unanswered.
• Suicide watch is real; many suffer in silence.

Even when care is eventually provided, it’s rarely enough to meet the full needs of someone under that much stress. For families on the outside, it’s heartbreaking to know a loved one is sick and waiting. And for those inside, that worry only adds to the emotional weight, especially when visits are already so difficult to arrange.

Visiting Someone In Immigration Detention: Barriers & Restrictions

Visitation is often discouraged. In-person visits are rare outside weekend hours, and video calls may require preapproval. ICE detention centers are often in remote areas, like some outside Houston, making travel hard.

What families should prepare for:

• Photo ID required for all visitors.
• Delayed visitation requests.
• No physical contact allowed in most cases.
• Detention visits monitored by officers.

When visits are hard to arrange and full of barriers, families feel the separation even more deeply. And that emotional strain only grows when you compare detention to what most people think of as jail.

Immigration Detention Vs. Jail: Legal Differences

It’s important to understand that immigration detention is considered a civil matter, not a criminal one. But when I talk to clients and their families, they often can’t tell the difference. The uniforms, the locked doors, the loss of control, it all feels the same.

Here’s a breakdown of how the two systems differ on paper, even if the day-to-day experience can be just as harsh.