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The Immigration Docket
Facilities · Iowa · St Paul field office · code POLKJIA

Polk County Jail

Des Moines, IA · Polk County · Local jail used through a U.S. Marshals agreement · men and women

On ICE's published facility list Operator: not yet confirmed

If someone you know is held here

Find themUse ICE's Online Detainee Locator. You need their A-number (9 digits) or their exact name, plus their country of birth. Results can be several hours old. We don't search for anyone. More on finding someone
Call the facility(515) 323-5400
People held here can't receive incoming calls. Have their full name, any other names, date of birth and country of birth ready.
Visit
• Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. • Friday, Saturday: No on-site public visitation** Visitation hours may be adjusted on holidays or due to other events. **Remote visits through www.iwebvisit.com are available daily (8 a.m. – 10 a.m., 12 p.m. – 4:30 …
ICE's full visiting rules
## On-Site Visitation Hours
• Sunday: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Friday, Saturday: No on-site public visitation**
Visitation hours may be adjusted on holidays or due to other events.
**Remote visits through www.iwebvisit.com are available daily (8 a.m. – 10 a.m., 12 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.)
## Off‐Site Visitation Hours
• Sunday – Saturday: 8:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• No visits are allowed during the following times every day:• 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
• 5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Visitation hours may be adjusted on holidays or due to other events.
All off‐site visits must be scheduled at least one day in advance.*
You may schedule a remote visit up to 3 weeks in advance.
*Qualified Professionals have the ability to schedule a remote visit with 1 hour notice.
SAME‐DAY REMOTE VISITS FOR STANDARD VISITORS ARE PROHIBITED.
## Visitation Rules and Guidelines
• Visitor attire must be conservative in appearance. All clothing shall be clean, worn in good repair, be non-offensive, and within the bounds of common decency. Skirts and shorts must be mid-thigh in length. Sleeveless shirts are permitted, however tank tops, halter tops or spaghetti straps are prohibited.
• No visitor will be permitted to visit if they appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Visitors discovered to be in possession of illegal contraband may be subject to arrest and criminal prosecution.
• Tobacco products, gum, soda and other food items are strictly PROHIBITED in the visiting area.
• Prospective visitors with known felony charges shall be denied access.
FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE RULES MAY RESULT IN YOUR VISIT BEING DENIED.
Engaging in illegal or illicit (to include disrobing and/or sexual behavior) will result in the visit being terminated. This visitor will be blocked from any further visits to any inmate confined in the Polk County Jail with the visitor being subject to criminal prosecution. The inmate may also be charged with violation of the visiting rules, which may result in loss of visitation privileges.
Rules change. Call before you go, and bring a government photo ID.
Messages, mail, money
ICE's rules for mail, packages and money
Letters sent to detainees must include the last four digits of the detainee’s A-number (File Number), plus the sender’s name and address. To enhance the safety of the facility, all incoming mail is subject to screening for contraband. The mail is not read upon opening, only inspected by the delivering officer. Detainees may send mail from the facility. Detainees may seal their outgoing letters and give them to a staff member for posting. All incoming mail will be delivered to the detainee, and outgoing mail will be routed to the proper postal office within 24 hours of receipt by facility staff. A mail pick-up and delivery schedule is posted in all housing units.
Detainees are allowed to purchase stamps for use. Generally, there is no limit to the amount of correspondence detainees may send at their own expense. Indigent detainees (those who have no means of financial support and no funds in their facility account) will be provided postage allowance at government expense.
When detainees depart the facility or are transferred to another facility, only their legal mail will be forwarded to them. General correspondence will be endorsed "Return to Sender" and returned to the post office.
If detainees receive funds in the mail, they will be taken to the processing area for the money to be placed into their account. The processing officer will provide a receipt for all funds received. Detainees are cautioned not to have cash sent to them in the mail.
A detainee may receive items that are determined to be of necessity for the sole purpose of travel or release from agency custody with approval of the ICE Deportation Officer. These packages must be received by mail. Before sending packages to detainees, contact the Des Moines ICE/ERO Office at (515) 323-2413.
Note that detainees being removed from the United States are allowed one small piece of luggage. If a detainee does not have such baggage, such luggage can be sent/delivered after receiving approval from Supervisory Deportation Officer. Please be advised that for security reasons, no electronic devices (cell phones, electric razors, laptop computers, radios, etc.) will be accepted.
Free legal helpThe government's list of free legal service providers is organized by immigration court: EOIR pro bono list. Search nonprofit legal services near you: National Immigration Legal Services Directory.
From inside, people held can call the Freedom for Immigrants hotline for free by dialing 9233#.
Court caseCheck a case by A-number with EOIR's Automated Case Information or by phone at 1-800-898-7180.
Avoid scams. ICE never takes bond payments by gift card, Zelle or cash app. A "notario" or "immigration consultant" is not a lawyer; only lawyers and accredited representatives can give legal advice.

Source: ICE's page for this facility (ICE updated 08/06/2026). Last checked Nov 6, 2026.

The record

Held per day
50
Aug 2025 – Jul 2026
vs year before
+34.9%
Aug 2024 – Jul 2025: 37
Typical stay
8 days
median, stays ended FY2026
No criminal conviction
39%
of people booked in, FY2026
Deaths, FY2026
0
reported by ICE

People held per day, by month

02040602023202420252026
Average people held per day at Polk County Jail, Oct 2022 – Jul 2026. Source: ICE records obtained by the Deportation Data Project.
People booked in, Oct 1, 2025 – Aug 5, 2026court-obtained ICE records
684
Held on Aug 5, 2026court-obtained ICE records
15
Average stay herecourt records · ICE's own figure: 22.8 days
19.0 d
No conviction and no pending chargeof people booked in, FY2026
14%
ICE's average daily population, FY2026ICE statistics, pulled Jul 9, 2026
52
Not convicted of a crime, by ICE's countshare of daily population, ICE statistics FY2026
52%

How long people stay

Under 1 week49%
1–4 weeks32%
1–3 months16%
3–6 months3%
6 months or more<10

Based on 669 stays that ended in FY2026. Groups under 10 are not shown.

What happened when they left

Transferred to another facility94%
Released in the U.S.2%
Still held on Aug 5, 20262%
Other<10
Removed from the U.S.<10

Based on 684 people booked in during FY2026. Groups under 10 are not shown.

Where people came from

Transfers into this facility, FY2026. Pairs with fewer than 10 moves are not shown.

Where people went next

Transfers out of this facility, FY2026.

Deaths in ICE custody

ICE has reported no deaths at this facility since October 1, 2025.

ICE must publish a report within 90 days of each death. Causes are ICE's own statements; see all deaths.

Inspections

InspectionEndedStandardResult
ODOFeb 6, 2025NDS 2019Fail

Inspections are mostly done by ICE's own Office of Detention Oversight. The DHS detention ombudsman and civil rights offices, which also inspected facilities, were cut in March 2025.

Immigration court

We haven't confirmed which immigration court hears cases from this facility yet.

Draft link from EOIR hearing-location records matched by ZIP code; not yet hand-checked.

About these numbers

"Held per day" is the average number of people in custody here each day, computed from ICE's own individual records (names removed) that the Deportation Data Project obtained through FOIA litigation. They run through Aug 5, 2026. A stay counts the time at this facility only; people are often transferred. Shares and averages based on fewer than 10 people are not shown. How we count