The El Valle Detention Facility is a privately run immigration detention facility in Raymondville, Texas, under the auspices of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The facility opened in 2018 on the site of the Willacy County Correctional Center, which was itself an immigration detention facility, operating on behalf of ICE and later the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The operator of both El Valle and the prior facilities is Management & Training Corporation.[2]
  Location in Texas | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Dedicated Migrant Detention Center |
| Population | 941[1] (FY 2026 (YTD)) |
| Opened | July 2018 |
Detainees
editVenezuelan detainees held at El Valle were subject to an attempted deportation under the Alien Enemies Act in 2025, which was blocked by multiple Federal court rulings.[3][4]
Immigrant and court translator Meenu Batra was held at El Valle during her six weeks of detention in 2026, despite having legal authorization to live in the United States.[5]
| Fiscal year | ADP |
|---|---|
| FY 2019 | |
| FY 2020 | |
| FY 2021 | |
| FY 2022 | |
| FY 2023 | |
| FY 2024 | |
| FY 2025 | |
| FY 2026 |
References
edit- ↑ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2026-02-02). "ICE Detention Statistics FY 2026". U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- ↑ Gringlas, Sam (2018-08-03). "As Private ICE Lockups Grow, Towns Could See Economic Boon". NPR. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ Garcia, Berenice (2025-04-11). "Federal judge rules against Trump, halts deportation of Venezuelans held in Texas under wartime act". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ Martínez-Beltrán, Sergio (2025-05-01). "Trump-appointed federal judge blocks use of Alien Enemies Act for Venezuelans in South Texas". NPR. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ AOL (2026-05-07). "Texas mom says "no one is safe" after she spent 6 weeks in ICE custody - AOL". AOL.com. Retrieved 2026-05-23.
- ↑ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2019-09-30). "ICE Detention Statistics FY 2019". U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Additional fiscal year data: FY20, FY21, FY22, FY23, FY24, FY25, FY26.