HOME                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Grecia Mata

 Memorandum

                   Date:          February 12, 2010

                   To:              Professor Owen M. Williamson

                   From:         Grecia E. Mata

                   Subject:      El Paso Field Office (El Paso Processing Center)

                          El Paso Field Office (EPC) is there to hold immigrants till they are proven to be United States citizens otherwise they are sent back to where they came from. Their facility holds approximately 800 detainees while they wait to get the right to stay in the United States. The EPC supports all the work that the Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso and Marfa Border Patrol Sectors, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts in El Paso and surrounding areas in Texas and parts of New Mexico. All visitors are required to show their driver’s license regardless of purpose and proof of insurance may be required. While the driver is visiting the office, the officer will hold driver’s license. Attorney's, Consular officials, Clergy and family may visit detainees with an appointment or scheduled visit according to the detainees first initial of their last name. There are buildings for detainee services that include a processing building, a dining hall and food service facilities, a medical services building, and laundry facilities. There is a dress code, visitors must be dressed appropriately to enter their facilities no matter what. All visitor's are checked and searched for weapons or other harmful objects. Visitor's are not allowed to carry anything when in contact with the detainees.

                                      The discourse practices that are used at El Paso Field Office are notes, calendars for appointments, memos, applications, and other important papers that may have to be filled out when they are working on a case. They use notes and reminders to know what needs to be done or what they are expected to do. They also take phone calls, write emails and letters. They are expected to treat everyone with respect but if they have to be rough on someone they have the right to do so. Nowadays, there is so much more technology than before that they can load up anyone's information according to their name and they find out who is a United States citizen and who is not.

                   We all know that the El Paso Field Office is there to help immigrants up to some extent till their case is solved and then decisions are made. This agency is important to the issue of undocumented immigration. Some of the people who get detained are lucky to be granted to stay in the United States. Not many get by because they never know if a terrorist is attempting to cross to harm our country. The United States is a very lucky country because we have the best security and people working to keep us safe. I was not able to contact them because I am not a family member or friend of any of the detainees or the people working there. I called them but they would not answer me. I could not go visit either because I did not have a valid reason to be there. This facility was kind of rude but I understand that safety comes first and they do not know me.