Stewart Detention Center

Stewart Detention Center Information

Life Inside Stewart Detention Center: A Detailed Look at the Controversial ICE Facility in Georgia

Stewart Detention Center located in rural Lumpkin, Georgia has become one of the largest and most controversial immigration detention facilities in the United States. Operated by private prison company CoreCivic, Stewart currently detains over 1,300 adult immigrants under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

With an average daily population over 1,000 detainees, the medium-security Stewart facility has faced growing scrutiny over its conditions, oversight, and treatment of those held there awaiting immigration review or deportation.

Key Facts and Figures on Stewart Detention Center

- Location: Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta
- Official Capacity: 1,752 detainees
- Average Daily Population (Nov 2021 - Nov 2022): 1,088 detainees
- Current Population (as of July 27, 2023): 1,382 total detainees (1,188 male, 194 female) 
- Owned/Operated By: CoreCivic since 2006
- Contract: With ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Top Detained Nationalities: 
  - Mexico: 324 detainees
  - Guatemala: 216 detainees
  - Cuba: 183 detainees
- Monthly Payment From ICE: Approximately $3.3 million 

CoreCivic has operated Stewart under contract with ICE for over 15 years. The facility began housing immigrant detainees in 2006 in a complex that was previously a medium-security state prison. 

Stewart Detention Center is located in rural Stewart County, which relies heavily on revenue from the detention facility. The county receives approximately 85 cents per inmate per day, which accounts for over half of its annual budget.

Inside the Facilities: Concerns Over Conditions and Oversight

While Stewart complies with some detention standards, the facility has repeatedly failed to meet other key guidelines for housing immigrant detainees according to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

A 2023 OIG inspection found deficiencies with Stewart's:

- Special management units
- Custody classification system
- Grievance policies  
- Staff-detainee communication
- Medical care

Some of the issues uncovered included:

- **Inappropriate disciplining** of detainees who should have been in administrative segregation rather than solitary confinement as punishment

- **Co-mingling of custody levels** leading to safety risks with low- and high-level detainees housed together

- Failure to complete initial medical screenings for **all new detainees** as required

- Lack of translating grievance responses into languages detainees understood

- No tracking of paper detainee requests submitted to staff

- Failure to conduct proper **"sick call"** procedures to address detainee health concerns

- **Unused bedspace** costing ICE unused guaranteed minimum payments in the millions 

Table summarizing the deficiencies found in the 2023 OIG inspection:

| Area Inspected | Deficiencies Found |
|-|-|  
| Special Management Units | Use of solitary confinement for discipline |
| Custody Classification | Co-mingling of custody levels |
| Grievance Process | Language barriers, lack of responses |
| Staff-Detainee Communication | No tracking of paper requests |
| Medical Care | Failure to complete initial screenings, sick call issues |

Advocacy organizations have also reported problems with Stewart's remote location making attorney access difficult, overuse of solitary confinement, and inadequate medical staffing.

Daily Life Inside as a Detainee 

For immigrants detained at Stewart, days are carefully regimented with restricted movement and limited access to the outside world. Some details on typical daily life for detainees:

- **Housing:** Detainees are housed in secure cell blocks of around 100 people with shared sleeping, bathing, and eating areas. Cells have either two bunk beds or four beds in an open dorm layout. Little privacy.

- **Schedule:** Highly structured schedule dictates times for meals, sleeping, recreation, bathing, lockdowns:

  - 4-5am: Wake up call
  - 5-6am: Breakfast
  - 7am-3pm: Cell doors locked, headcounts
  - 11:30am-12pm: Lunch
  - 1 hour recreation time
  - 4-5pm: Dinner
  - 11:30pm: Lights out

- **Meals:** Served in a shared cafeteria three times a day. Special diets can be requested for religious/health reasons. Quality of food is poor according to detainees.

- **Recreation:** One hour outdoors (in an enclosed recreation yard) plus indoor rec time permitted each day. Activities limited to basic exercise.

- **Bathing:** Detainees allowed to shower once per day for 10-15 minutes. Hot water is limited. 

- **Sleeping:** Lights out at 11:30 pm means detainees must be in bunks. Wake up calls may come as early at 4 am. Difficulty sleeping due to uncomfortable beds, cold temperatures.

- **Communication:** No telephone calls permitted. Detainees must rely on mail and in-person visits for connecting with family and attorneys. Unreliable access to interpreters.

With restricted freedoms and little mental stimulation or healthy sustenance provided in confinement, many detainees suffer from depression and other mental health issues that go untreated.

Visitation Policies and Rules at Stewart

Stewart Detention Center allows in-person visitation on a limited basis for family and friends of detainees:

- **Schedule:** Visits possible 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm (processing stops at 2:30pm)

- **Frequency:** One 1-hour non-contact visit allowed per detainee each week

- **Approval:** Prior approval not required but visitors must show ID  

- **Minors:** Allowed with guardian supervision. Left unaccompanied prohibited.

- **Number of Visitors:** Limited to two adults and two minors per visit

- **Search Procedures:** All individuals and belongings subject to search before entering

- **Clothing Restrictions:** Guards enforce dress code prohibiting revealing clothing

- **Items Prohibited:** No electronic devices, cash, or other personal items allowed

Attorneys are permitted legal visitation from 8am to 7:30pm daily with some allowance for after-hours visits if arranged in advance. Official consular visits for detainees, clergy visits, and video teleconferencing through ICE's pilot Skype program are also options for in-person attorney meetings.

Sending Mail and Packages to Detainees

Friends and family of Stewart detainees can send mail and small packages directly to the facility. Rules and restrictions include:

- All incoming mail screened, inspected, and sometimes rejected before delivery to detainee

- Postage provided for indigent detainees to send mail after screening

- Outgoing letters can be sealed by detainee prior to pickup 

- Packages strictly limited to travel necessities or items approved for release 

- Cash prohibited from being sent through mail

- Prior approval required for packages before mailing to detainee   

- Photocopies of photos allowed but polaroids and electronics prohibited

To send mail or urgent messages, friends and family can contact Stewart Detention Center at (229) 838-5000 with the detainee's ID number and identifying information. Translators may be needed for non-English speakers to communicate.

Reporting Abuse, Complaints, or Misconduct

Individuals wanting to report abuse, file complaints, or allege staff misconduct at Stewart Detention Center have several options:

- Contact ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in person, by phone, or in writing. 

- Call the ICE OPR hotline at 1-833-4ICE-OPR or email [email protected]

- Reach out to the ICE Field Office Director for the Atlanta Field Office 

- File a complaint with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for DHS

Contact details for all these ICE and OIG offices are provided on the detention center's website and detainee handbook. Those concerned can also directly contact the facility's Warden or ICE's community relations office in Atlanta. 

Final Thoughts

As one of the largest immigration detention centers run by a private prison contractor, Stewart Detention Center remains plagued by oversight failures and concerning conditions for those housed there. With limited access to legal help, strained communication, unchecked COVID risks, and confined living, Stewart represents the need for expanded alternatives to detention and reforms of the policies that fill facilities like it across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I locate a detainee at Stewart Detention Center?

You can call (229) 838-5000 to inquire about a detainee. Have their biographical info and A-number ready.

### What items can you bring to visitation? 

Only a photo ID. No purses, wallets, phones, etc. Allowed. All belongings must be secured in vehicles.

### How do I send money to a detainee?

You cannot send cash in the mail. You can deposit funds in their commissary account by calling the detention center and providing payment info.

### Can detainees make phone calls?

No, Stewart does not allow detainees to make any phone calls. All communication must be through mail or visits.

### How do I file a complaint about detainee treatment?

You can contact the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility by phone, email, mail, or in person to file a complaint.

Phone: 229-838-5000

Physical Address:
Stewart Detention Center
146 CCA Road
Lumpkin, GA 31815

Mailing Address (personal mail):
Inmate's Full Name & A-Number
Stewart Detention Center
146 CCA Road
Lumpkin, GA 31815

Other Jails and Prisons

Search Stewart Detention Center Inmates

Search Stewart Detention Center Inmates

How Do You Find Someone in the Stewart Detention Center?

How to Find Someone in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detainee Locator

When someone that is not a US Citizen gets arrested in the United States, and they are here illegally, depending on what state or city they are arrested in, the person may be turned over to ICE. 

Many states such as New York and California, as well as hundreds of US cities, have declared themselves 'sanctuary cities' and do not turn over foreigners here illegally, even if they are committing crimes in their jurisdiction.

However, when an alien here illegally is turned over to ICE, and sent to one of the over 100 Immigration Detention Centers in the United States, the only way to try and locate where they are being detained is using the Online Detainee Locator System.


There are two ways to search for an ICE Detainee:

You can look them up using their assigned A-Number.

  • An A-Number is a 9-digit number that either looks like this: A-123456789, or like this 123-456-789. This is required if you do not know their name.
    It is also called a Registration Number when on a visa, or a USCIS# when on a Green Card.
    If for whatever reason the A-Number you have does not have 9-digits, you need to add 0s (zeroes) to the front of the number until the number has 9-digits.

    That number might then look like this:  001234567.


You can also try and look them up by using their name.

  • In order for this to be effective, you need to have the exact name that is either on their paperwork, or the the name with the exact spelling that they gave ICE. This is required.
  • You also need to know the country of their birth, or the country of their birth that they gave ICE. This is required.
  • Knowing their Date of Birth is helpful but not required to find them in the system.


Important things to know about using the ICE Detainee Locator

  • You do not need to set up an account to use the Detainee Locator System.
  • A-Number stands for 'Alien Registration Number'.
  • The System does not have information on all detainees in custody.
  • Juvenile names are NOT in the System.
  • The Detainee Locator System is updated every 8 hours, sometimes sooner.
  • If the detainee is being moved to a new facility, the new location will not be shown until they have arrived and are processed. 
  • No warnings or prior notice are given in advance of a detainee being moved.
  • While being transferred to a different facility they may still be shown online as being in the original facility.
  • If you are planning a visit, always call before you come to confirm the detainee is still at the facility and has not been moved.
  • To visit a detainee you must have some type of government issued photo ID, or other identification when photo identification is unavailable for religious reasons.
  • If you are unable to find the detainee using the System, contact the ICE Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in the area where you believe the person's immigration case was initiated or the Detainee Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) at 888-351-4024.

Pamphlets in various languages with Instructions on how to use the Online Detainee Locator System:

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About the Stewart Detention Center

Life Inside Stewart Detention Center: A Detailed Look at the Controversial ICE Facility in Georgia

Stewart Detention Center located in rural Lumpkin, Georgia has become one of the largest and most controversial immigration detention facilities in the United States. Operated by private prison company CoreCivic, Stewart currently detains over 1,300 adult immigrants under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

With an average daily population over 1,000 detainees, the medium-security Stewart facility has faced growing scrutiny over its conditions, oversight, and treatment of those held there awaiting immigration review or deportation.

Key Facts and Figures on Stewart Detention Center

- Location: Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta
- Official Capacity: 1,752 detainees
- Average Daily Population (Nov 2021 - Nov 2022): 1,088 detainees
- Current Population (as of July 27, 2023): 1,382 total detainees (1,188 male, 194 female) 
- Owned/Operated By: CoreCivic since 2006
- Contract: With ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Top Detained Nationalities: 
  - Mexico: 324 detainees
  - Guatemala: 216 detainees
  - Cuba: 183 detainees
- Monthly Payment From ICE: Approximately $3.3 million 

CoreCivic has operated Stewart under contract with ICE for over 15 years. The facility began housing immigrant detainees in 2006 in a complex that was previously a medium-security state prison. 

Stewart Detention Center is located in rural Stewart County, which relies heavily on revenue from the detention facility. The county receives approximately 85 cents per inmate per day, which accounts for over half of its annual budget.

Inside the Facilities: Concerns Over Conditions and Oversight

While Stewart complies with some detention standards, the facility has repeatedly failed to meet other key guidelines for housing immigrant detainees according to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

A 2023 OIG inspection found deficiencies with Stewart's:

- Special management units
- Custody classification system
- Grievance policies  
- Staff-detainee communication
- Medical care

Some of the issues uncovered included:

- **Inappropriate disciplining** of detainees who should have been in administrative segregation rather than solitary confinement as punishment

- **Co-mingling of custody levels** leading to safety risks with low- and high-level detainees housed together

- Failure to complete initial medical screenings for **all new detainees** as required

- Lack of translating grievance responses into languages detainees understood

- No tracking of paper detainee requests submitted to staff

- Failure to conduct proper **"sick call"** procedures to address detainee health concerns

- **Unused bedspace** costing ICE unused guaranteed minimum payments in the millions 

Table summarizing the deficiencies found in the 2023 OIG inspection:

| Area Inspected | Deficiencies Found |
|-|-|  
| Special Management Units | Use of solitary confinement for discipline |
| Custody Classification | Co-mingling of custody levels |
| Grievance Process | Language barriers, lack of responses |
| Staff-Detainee Communication | No tracking of paper requests |
| Medical Care | Failure to complete initial screenings, sick call issues |

Advocacy organizations have also reported problems with Stewart's remote location making attorney access difficult, overuse of solitary confinement, and inadequate medical staffing.

Daily Life Inside as a Detainee 

For immigrants detained at Stewart, days are carefully regimented with restricted movement and limited access to the outside world. Some details on typical daily life for detainees:

- **Housing:** Detainees are housed in secure cell blocks of around 100 people with shared sleeping, bathing, and eating areas. Cells have either two bunk beds or four beds in an open dorm layout. Little privacy.

- **Schedule:** Highly structured schedule dictates times for meals, sleeping, recreation, bathing, lockdowns:

  - 4-5am: Wake up call
  - 5-6am: Breakfast
  - 7am-3pm: Cell doors locked, headcounts
  - 11:30am-12pm: Lunch
  - 1 hour recreation time
  - 4-5pm: Dinner
  - 11:30pm: Lights out

- **Meals:** Served in a shared cafeteria three times a day. Special diets can be requested for religious/health reasons. Quality of food is poor according to detainees.

- **Recreation:** One hour outdoors (in an enclosed recreation yard) plus indoor rec time permitted each day. Activities limited to basic exercise.

- **Bathing:** Detainees allowed to shower once per day for 10-15 minutes. Hot water is limited. 

- **Sleeping:** Lights out at 11:30 pm means detainees must be in bunks. Wake up calls may come as early at 4 am. Difficulty sleeping due to uncomfortable beds, cold temperatures.

- **Communication:** No telephone calls permitted. Detainees must rely on mail and in-person visits for connecting with family and attorneys. Unreliable access to interpreters.

With restricted freedoms and little mental stimulation or healthy sustenance provided in confinement, many detainees suffer from depression and other mental health issues that go untreated.

Visitation Policies and Rules at Stewart

Stewart Detention Center allows in-person visitation on a limited basis for family and friends of detainees:

- **Schedule:** Visits possible 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm (processing stops at 2:30pm)

- **Frequency:** One 1-hour non-contact visit allowed per detainee each week

- **Approval:** Prior approval not required but visitors must show ID  

- **Minors:** Allowed with guardian supervision. Left unaccompanied prohibited.

- **Number of Visitors:** Limited to two adults and two minors per visit

- **Search Procedures:** All individuals and belongings subject to search before entering

- **Clothing Restrictions:** Guards enforce dress code prohibiting revealing clothing

- **Items Prohibited:** No electronic devices, cash, or other personal items allowed

Attorneys are permitted legal visitation from 8am to 7:30pm daily with some allowance for after-hours visits if arranged in advance. Official consular visits for detainees, clergy visits, and video teleconferencing through ICE's pilot Skype program are also options for in-person attorney meetings.

Sending Mail and Packages to Detainees

Friends and family of Stewart detainees can send mail and small packages directly to the facility. Rules and restrictions include:

- All incoming mail screened, inspected, and sometimes rejected before delivery to detainee

- Postage provided for indigent detainees to send mail after screening

- Outgoing letters can be sealed by detainee prior to pickup 

- Packages strictly limited to travel necessities or items approved for release 

- Cash prohibited from being sent through mail

- Prior approval required for packages before mailing to detainee   

- Photocopies of photos allowed but polaroids and electronics prohibited

To send mail or urgent messages, friends and family can contact Stewart Detention Center at (229) 838-5000 with the detainee's ID number and identifying information. Translators may be needed for non-English speakers to communicate.

Reporting Abuse, Complaints, or Misconduct

Individuals wanting to report abuse, file complaints, or allege staff misconduct at Stewart Detention Center have several options:

- Contact ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in person, by phone, or in writing. 

- Call the ICE OPR hotline at 1-833-4ICE-OPR or email [email protected]

- Reach out to the ICE Field Office Director for the Atlanta Field Office 

- File a complaint with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for DHS

Contact details for all these ICE and OIG offices are provided on the detention center's website and detainee handbook. Those concerned can also directly contact the facility's Warden or ICE's community relations office in Atlanta. 

Final Thoughts

As one of the largest immigration detention centers run by a private prison contractor, Stewart Detention Center remains plagued by oversight failures and concerning conditions for those housed there. With limited access to legal help, strained communication, unchecked COVID risks, and confined living, Stewart represents the need for expanded alternatives to detention and reforms of the policies that fill facilities like it across the country.

Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I locate a detainee at Stewart Detention Center?

You can call (229) 838-5000 to inquire about a detainee. Have their biographical info and A-number ready.

### What items can you bring to visitation? 

Only a photo ID. No purses, wallets, phones, etc. Allowed. All belongings must be secured in vehicles.

### How do I send money to a detainee?

You cannot send cash in the mail. You can deposit funds in their commissary account by calling the detention center and providing payment info.

### Can detainees make phone calls?

No, Stewart does not allow detainees to make any phone calls. All communication must be through mail or visits.

### How do I file a complaint about detainee treatment?

You can contact the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility by phone, email, mail, or in person to file a complaint.

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Directions / Map to the Stewart Detention Center
Understanding US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

What is an ICE Detention Center?

Men, women, and children that are in the United States illegally and are apprehended by the US Border Patrol or ICE will most likely be placed in removal proceedings and may be detained in one of the more than 200 jails and detention centers that make up ICE’s detention system.

Many of the illegal immigrants that are detained are held in county and local jails that contract with ICE to detain immigrants. The rest are held in dedicated immigration detention facilities run by ICE or contracted to private prison corporations, including family detention centers that hold mothers and children.

What Determines if an Illegal Immigrant gets Detained?

ICE will typically detain an immigrant because DHS (Homeland Security) believes that an illegal immigrant is either a “flight risk” and may move to another location within the U.S. or that they pose a public safety threat. Detaining the person allows the government to guarantee that the person will show up for their hearing before an Immigration Court.

Some of the reasons that causes an illegal immigrant to get arrested and held in detention prior to their day in court is as follows:

The illegal immigrant has:

  • committed a crime, or multiple crimes
  • arrived at the border without a visa prior to formally applying for asylum or refugee status
  • an outstanding removal (deportation) order on record, either pending or past due, or
  • missed prior immigration hearing dates.

 

How do you find someone that is in an ICE Detention Center?

The first step to finding out if an illegal immigrant is in ICE or DHS custody is by using the ICE Detainee Locator.

It’s easier to find the person if you have an Alien Number (A#), if one exists. A green card or work permit will show this number. If you don’t have an A# the person is much more difficult to locate.

The information you will need is as follows:

  • the person’s full name as it appears in the ICE System. The exact spelling and the order of how the name is listed is required.
  • the person’s date of birth
  • the person’s country of birth

If you are having difficulty, try different spellings and the order of how the name is listed.

If the illegal immigrant was only recently detained, the ICE Detainee Locator may not be updated with the latest information. Keep in mind that ICE does not give information (online or over the phone) for people under 18 years of age. In such cases, you can only get information on them from the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field office nearest you.

If the person you are looking for is not in an ICE Detention Center, they may have been taken to a local jail that contracts with ICE, so contact their local City and County Jail, all which can be found here.

Another option, short of the expense of hiring an Immigration Lawyer, is to go to this website and use their online form to get their help.

Once an illegal immigrant is located and you find out the facility where they are being held you need to find out the Deportation Officer that has been assigned to their case. The Officer can tell you how to call or visit the detainee, or pay for the detainee to be able to call you, or how you can send any needed items such as clothing, prescriptions, etc.

The last option, and the most expensive, is to hire an experienced immigration attorney to assist you in tracking down the Deportation Officer. If the person being detained requires specific medical care, an attorney can ensure that they receive that care.

If the detained illegal immigrant has been deported from America previously or has an outstanding removal order - in which case they have no right to see an immigration judge - they can be removed within a few days, or even hours, of the initial arrest.

Even if the government does not immediately remove the person, it is possible that they can be moved around to different Detention Centers. There is never a warning that a person is being moved around and during the transfer there is a complete blackout of any information.

How long are people held in ICE Immigration Detention Centers?

The time that an illegal immigrant is held in an ICE Detention Center can vary. It all depends on several factors such as the individual’s personal situation, criminal record, the severity of the crime they are being charged with, previous deportations and the current caseload that the Detention Center is dealing with.

This image portrays the most recent data available on the time a detained illegal immigrant remains in custody before their release and/or deportation.

Can you visit someone in ICE Detention Centers?

The short answer is yes. The person visiting an illegal immigrant in an ICE Detention Center must be lawfully present in the United States. In other words the visitor must have some form of currently valid immigration status at the time of the visit. A detention center or jail will not allow the visit unless visitor can show valid I.D. and offer proof that they are lawfully in the United States.

If you want to become a volunteer that visits illegal immigrants in order to offer emotional support, it may be possible. You can join one of these visitation networks by going here and contacting the network in your area.

What crimes can cause an illegal immigrant to be deported?

(The following information comes from Nolo.com, a trusted legal resource)

  • Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude (see list). This includes any attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime. It does not include crimes that were committed that the illegal immigrant committed when they were under the age of 18 years, however the person must have been released from jail more than five years before applying for a visa or other immigration benefit. It also does not include crimes for which the maximum penalty did not exceed one year in prison and the person was not, in fact, sentenced to more than six months in prison.
  • Conviction or admission of a controlled substance violation, whether under U.S. or foreign law. This includes any conspiracy to commit such a crime.
  • Convictions for two or more crimes (other than purely political ones) for which the prison sentences totaled at least five years. This multiple-offense ground of inadmissibility applies whether or not the convictions came from a single trial and whether or not the offenses arose from a single scheme of misconduct or involved moral turpitude.
  • Conviction of or participation in (according to the reasonable belief of the U.S. government) controlled substance trafficking. This includes anyone who knowingly aided, abetted, assisted, conspired, or colluded in illicit drug trafficking. It also includes the spouse, son, or daughter of the inadmissible applicant if that person has, within the last five years, received any financial or other benefit from the illicit activities, and knew or reasonably should have known where the money or benefit came from.
  • Having the purpose of engaging in prostitution or commercialized vice upon coming to the United States, or a history, within the previous ten years, of having engaged in prostitution.
  • Procurement or attempted procurement or importation of prostitutes, directly or indirectly, or receipt of proceeds of prostitution, any of which occurred within the previous ten years.
  • Assertion of immunity from prosecution after committing a serious criminal offense in the U.S., if the person was thus able to depart the U.S. and has not since submitted fully to the jurisdiction of the relevant U.S. Court.
  • Commission of particularly severe violations of religious freedom while serving as a foreign government official.
  • Commission of or conspiracy to commit human trafficking offenses, within or outside the U.S., or being a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with such a trafficker according to the knowledge or reasonable belief of the U.S. government. Also inadmissible are the spouse, son, or daughter the applicant if they, within the previous five years (but when older than children), received financial or other benefits from the illicit activity and knew or reasonably should have known that the money or other benefit came from the illicit activity.
  • Conviction of an aggravated felony, if the person was removed from the U.S. and seeks to return (this ground of inadmissibility lasts for 20 years)
  • Seeking to enter the U.S. to engage in money laundering, or a history of having laundered money, or having been (according to the knowledge of the U.S. government) a knowing aider, abettor, assister, conspirator, or colluder with money launderers.

These are the straightforward crimes that are mentioned in the immigration law. The statute also lists a number of security violations, such as involvement in espionage, sabotage, terrorism, Nazi persecution, totalitarian parties, and so forth.

Once an illegal immigrant is deported, how long before they can come back to the United States?

If an illegal immigrant has a deportation or removal order in their immigration file, it's possible that they won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. for five, ten, or even 20 years.

The applicable law comes from Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.).

Five-Year Ban: If they were summarily removed or deported upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry because they were found inadmissible, or if they came to the U.S. but were immediately put into removal proceedings and then removed or deported, they may be ineligible to return to the U.S. for five years. The five-year ban also applies if they failed to show up for their removal hearing in the United States.

Ten-Year Ban: If a ‘removal order’ was issued at the conclusion of their removal hearing in Immigration Court, they may not be able to return for ten years after their removal or departure.

Twenty-Year Ban: If they were convicted of an aggravated felony or have received more than one order of removal, they are barred from returning to the U.S. for 20 years. And if they entered without permission after having been removed, or illegally reentered the U.S. after having previously been in the U.S. unlawfully for more than one year, they may be barred from entering the United States for 20 years or permanently.

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This facility, known as "Stewart Detention Center" is also known as ICE Detention Facility, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.