Prairieland Detention 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 Global Tel Link (GTL) - ConnectNetwork, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.
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
Prairieland Detention is an immigration detention facility in Alvarado, TX. 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 Prairieland Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, is one of the larger immigration detention centers operating in the North Texas region under contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Managed by LaSalle Corrections, the facility primarily houses adult ICE detainees awaiting immigration hearings, transfer proceedings, deportation actions, or other federal immigration case outcomes. Located in Johnson County, the detention center sits strategically south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, giving federal authorities direct access to major immigration courts, transportation corridors, and regional enforcement hubs.
The detention center has a reported operational capacity of approximately 707 detainees, although population levels have periodically climbed near or beyond that threshold during periods of intensified immigration enforcement activity. Recent federal detention data has shown Prairieland frequently operating near maximum occupancy, making it one of the more heavily utilized ICE detention sites in Texas. The facility includes large housing pods, intake and processing areas, recreation yards, medical units, administrative offices, and secure transportation infrastructure designed specifically for long-term federal immigration detention operations.
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.
Oversight of the surrounding county law enforcement jurisdiction falls under the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, currently led by Sheriff Adam King. While Prairieland itself is operated through a federal detention contract and private corrections management structure, local law enforcement agencies in Johnson County often coordinate with federal authorities on transportation, emergency response, and broader public safety matters connected to the facility. The presence of a large ICE detention center has made Johnson County an important location within the broader federal immigration enforcement network operating throughout Texas.
Prairieland has become known nationally because of ongoing debates surrounding immigration detention conditions, detainee rights, overcrowding concerns, and federal detention policy. Advocacy groups, attorneys, journalists, and federal oversight organizations have periodically examined operations at the facility, particularly during periods when national ICE detainee populations surged. Reports in recent years have described overcrowding concerns and increased operational pressure tied to rising immigration enforcement efforts across the southern United States. These issues have placed facilities like Prairieland at the center of larger national conversations about detention standards, staffing, healthcare access, and immigration policy enforcement.
Despite controversy surrounding immigration detention nationwide, Prairieland remains a major component of ICE’s detention infrastructure in Texas. The facility continues to process and house detainees from numerous countries while serving as a transfer and holding point for federal immigration proceedings across the region. Its proximity to Dallas-Fort Worth, large detainee capacity, and dedicated federal detention design distinguish it from smaller county jail contracts that occasionally house ICE detainees on a temporary basis. As immigration enforcement priorities continue to evolve, Prairieland Detention Facility is expected to remain a significant operational hub within the federal detention system.
