ERO Lumpkin core location of ICE operations
Hidden among the wildlife and rural landscape of southwest Georgia sits one of the largest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in the United States.
The Stewart Detention Center, which is located in Lumpkin, Georgia, facilitates the processing of illegal aliens through the immigration court system and coordinates their departure from the United States. With a maximum capacity exceeding 1,900, and an average daily population of 1,875 ICE detainees, the Stewart Detention Center serves as the main detention facility for the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Atlanta Field Office.
One of the most productive offices in the nation in both enforcement and removals, the ERO Atlanta Field Office’s area of responsibility includes the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The success of the Atlanta Field Office relies heavily on the staff of the Stewart Detention Center.
Stewart Detention Center officers work in an immersive and fast-paced environment where they quickly hone their case management skills and knowledge of immigration law. A strong understanding of case management and the specifics of the removal process are the backbone of the most successful careers in ICE.
John Bretz, assistant field office director, explains: “Working at an exclusively ICE-run facility gives our officers the opportunity to closely examine processes and procedures and make improvements on a regular basis. The breadth of knowledge gained while working as an officer pays dividends throughout an officer’s career, whether you are working in a facility or conducting enforcement operations in the field.”
Bretz believes there is no better place than ERO Lumpkin to learn the fundamentals of deportation officer duties.
“Stewart is great place to cut your teeth as a new hire,” he said. “It is a great place to come and learn how to become a great deportation officer. Here, you will learn many of the fundamentals of being a deportation officer. You will build the core of what you need to know to be successful in other ERO programs.”
Sean Gallagher, field office director for ERO Atlanta, knows the value of a deportation officer career at the Stewart Detention Center.
“Successful mastery of the deportation officer role in a detention facility prepares motivated employees for a career without limits in a fast-growing, dynamic agency. Many of our current and former agency leaders worked in a custodial setting at one time during their career. The experience gained is immeasurable.”
The ICE Office of the Principal Legal Advisor’s Office of the Chief Counsel partners with ERO on a daily basis to obtain orders of removal and travel documents for detainees and reach out to consulates and embassies as needed. The two ICE components share office space and enjoy a close working relationship due to their co-location at the Stewart Detention Center.
“The Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC) and Enforcement and Removal Operations have an extremely close working relationship as we are co-located at the Stewart Detention Center,” said Kelly Scot Johnson, deputy chief counsel for the Stewart Detention Center.
Many ERO Lumpkin employees commute to work from nearby Columbus or Eufaula, Alabama. Lumpkin and the surrounding communities are a sportsmen’s paradise. Many employees take full advantage of world-class fishing, hunting and camping in the area. Lake Eufaula, which is a short drive from Lumpkin, is known as the “bass capital of the world.” Salt water fishing and the beach lifestyle can be found in the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico, just a few hours down the road.
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