Karnes County Immigration Processing Center, also known as Karnes Detention Center or Karnes County Detention Center, is a facility located in Karnes City, Texas. It’s about an hour southeast of San Antonio, and its relatively remote location can make it difficult for family members and loved ones to schedule visitation.
The location of the Karnes detention facility doesn’t just affect how easy or often visitation is; it can also impact how easily detainees can access legal help and which immigration court handles their cases.
People held at Karnes County Immigration Processing Center are civil immigration detainees, not those being held on criminal charges. This means that their detention is administrative.They are only meant to be held there while their immigration cases go through the court process. In some cases, detainees qualify for release while awaiting court.
Historically, this center has been used in different ways depending on ICE policies. In general, Karnes Detention Center houses adults in immigration proceedings, as well as families during periods of heightened immigration enforcement.
The population at the Karnes Detention Center can fluctuate based on ICE operations updates. Detainees may be transferred from other states, other facilities in Texas, or county jails.
This detention center is managed by The GEO Group, Inc. Detainees are to be provided with medical care, food service, and laundry, per the standards of the USMS-Southern District. The facility also provides court and airlift transportation services as needed. Detainees have access to a full-service kitchen, law library, print shop, and outdoor recreation yard. The availability of and access to certain amenities depends on the current ICE policies and the amount of people being held at the facility at any given time.
For many detainees, the most important aspect of their stay is access to legal assistance and visitation.
This detention center is managed by The GEO Group, Inc. Detainees are to be provided with medical care, food service, and laundry, per the standards of the USMS-Southern District. The facility also provides court and airlift transportation services as needed. Detainees have access to a full-service kitchen, law library, print shop, and outdoor recreation yard. The availability of and access to certain amenities depends on the current ICE policies and the amount of people being held at the facility at any given time.
For many detainees, the most important aspect of their stay is access to legal assistance and visitation.
At Karnes County Immigration Processing Center, there are several ways you can communicate with loved ones. Loved ones can send items to the facility using the detainee’s A-number, plus the sender’s name and address. This facility also has tablets, and family members can send non-confidential messages. If you want to leave a message, you can call the facility directly and leave a message between 8 A.M. and 8 P.M. However, detainees cannot receive incoming calls.
Visitation times are split between men and women.
Visiting hours are from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. As a general rule, visits are limited to one hour per week.
Detainees at the Karnes Detention Center can see their lawyer seven days a week, but legal representatives are limited to two hours of visitation per day. Attorneys can visit from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. on weekdays and from 8 A.M. to 12 P.M. on weekends.
Virtual appointments are another option at Karnes Detention Center. An individual’s immigration detention lawyer must request a video conference or confidential legal phone calls through ERO eFile.
The Karnes County Detention Center’s cases are mostly serviced by the Houston-Greenspoint Park Immigration Court, with hearings occurring at San Antonio Immigration Court. However, many hearings for detainees are held via video conference.
When you have a loved one in an ICE detention center, early legal assistance is crucial. Transfers between detention centers can happen quickly and with minimal notice, making it hard for family members to advocate for detainees, communicate with them, and protect their rights.
At Alamo Law Group, we can help your loved one seek bond or release, apply for asylum or another form of relief, or tackle more complex immigration situations. If they have a prior removal order, a criminal history that may bar them from immigrating, an imminent risk of deportation, or other factors complicating their efforts to stay within the United States, we’re here to help look for solutions that keep families united.
If you have a friend or family member being held at Karnes Detention Center, don’t wait any longer to find out how you can help. Call Alamo Law Group at 210-346-8276 or fill out our consultation request form to discuss your loved one’s case with our team.
Call (210) 787-3916 
