What Kind of Phone Calls Can Detainees Make? Direct, Free, and Collect Calls (What Families Should Know)
Phone access in detention gets confusing fast—especially when you're trying to reach someone and nothing works like a normal phone. Here's how calls are supposed to work at Otay Mesa: when calls must be allowed as direct or free, how quickly those requests should be handled, and what privacy rules protect legal calls.
Otay Mesa must give detainees reasonable, equitable access to telephones during waking hours. ICE standards require at least one phone for every 25 detainees, so access isn't limited to a lucky few. Phones are typically set up for outgoing calls only - which explains why families can't call directly into housing units the way you would at a hospital or someone's home.
Detainees at Otay Mesa cannot receive incoming calls. You won't be able to dial in and have someone brought to the phone. Instead, you'll need to use the options below for urgent messages or non-confidential messaging.
Need to leave an urgent message? Call (619) 671-8700. Have the detainee's full name and A-number ready, plus your own name and callback number. Staff will pass your message along.
Otay Mesa also has tablets for sending messages, but these aren't private. The facility points people to the "GettingOut" instructions for details. Just know this isn't a confidential channel - especially for anything legal-related.
Direct Free Call Categories
- ✓ Immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)
- ✓ Federal and state courts (when the detainee is or may become involved in a legal proceeding)
- ✓ Consular officials
- ✓ Legal service providers (including calls to the ICE/ERO-provided free legal service provider list) and calls made to pursue or consult about legal representation
- ✓ Government offices needed to obtain documents relevant to an immigration case
- ✓ Personal or family emergencies, or other compelling needs (interpreted liberally)
- ✓ Detainees in the Special Management Unit (SMU) should generally have the same direct/free call access as the general population, unless there are compelling safety or security reasons documented by staff
Note: If someone is in the Special Management Unit for disciplinary reasons, the facility can restrict direct/free call access - but only under compelling safety or security conditions, and those conditions must be documented.
When a detainee requests a direct or free call in a protected category - courts, consulates, legal providers - access should be granted within eight facility waking hours. It must be granted within 24 hours. If it takes longer than eight hours, the facility has to document why. That creates a paper trail, even when the phone system is built around collect calling.
- Make the request clearly - ask for the direct/free call and specify the category (for example: court, legal representative, consulate, or emergency).
- Ask when it will happen - the standard expectation is within eight waking hours, and no later than 24 hours.
- Ask about documentation if it’s delayed - delays beyond eight waking hours are supposed to be documented.
- Escalate if the timeline isn’t met - request to speak with a supervisor if the call still hasn’t been arranged within the required window.
Legal calls get extra protection. Calls to courts, legal representatives, or calls made to find legal representation won't be listened to unless there's a court order.
If the facility monitors phone calls, detainees must be told - either in the detainee handbook or materials provided at admission. Each monitored phone also has to display a notice explaining that calls are subject to monitoring and how to request an unmonitored legal call.
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