ICE deployment could extend to more than 40 states
ICE plans to send about 330 people to cities in more than 40 states, including Puerto Rico. The initiative aims to increase immigration enforcement in both large cities and small towns.
Attorney General Rob Bonta said Friday, May 15, that conditions in California’s immigration detention facilities are deteriorating, with detainees facing “poor access to clean drinking water” or difficulty receiving timely medical treatment.
Bonta released the California Department of Justice’s fifth report on conditions in detention facilities housing people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The report details the status of seven immigration detention facilities operating in California in 2025, Bonta said.
- Adelanto ICE Processing Center in San Bernardino County
- Desert View Annex in San Bernardino County
- Imperial Regional Detention Center in Imperial County
- San Diego County Otay Mesa Detention Center
- Golden State Annex in Kern County
- Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Kern County
- Kern County California City Detention Center
Bonta said the worsening situation is being caused by President Donald Trump’s deportation “campaign” and a policy change to not release people on bail.
“The federal government pays private, for-profit companies to run these detention centers, and they operate them in inhumane, cruel and unacceptable conditions,” Bonta said at a May 15 press conference.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to USA TODAY Network’s requests for comment on the California Department of Justice’s findings.
Bonta said that since the state’s 2023 inspection, the number of detainees has jumped from 2,303 to 6,028 as of last year’s site visit. He said the Adelanto ICE processing center had the fastest population growth.
“In several facilities, detainees reported overcrowding, undercooked food, inadequate clothing, and poor access to clean drinking water,” Bonta said.
Another problem area reported was around medical care and treatment.
“In interviews, detainees reported that they consistently did not have access to requested medical appointments and were unable to receive necessary and timely treatment, sometimes even emergency treatment,” Bonta said.
As a specific example, Bonta said the California City Detention Center is “understaffed,” “detainees reported that it is run like a prison,” and “often deviates from national detention standards.”
Bonta said there were six deaths between September 2025 and March 2026, four of which occurred in Adelanto and two at the Imperial Regional Detention Center.
The report, released May 15, is the fifth time the California Department of Justice has investigated conditions in the state’s immigrant detention facilities.
“Since 2019, there have been five reports of substandard and inhumane conditions, and five is too many,” he said.
California immigration detention facility responds to report
In response to the latest report from the California Department of Justice, operators of seven immigrant detention facilities provided a lengthy statement via email to the USA TODAY Network.
Adelanto, Desert View, Golden State, and Mesa Verde are GEO Group properties.
“Its support services are monitored by ICE, including field agency personnel and other entities within the Department of Homeland Security, to ensure compliance with ICE detention standards and contract requirements regarding the treatment and services received by ICE detainees,” a company spokesperson said.
A GEO Group spokesperson said: “When issues are identified, we promptly resolve all ICE concerns as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Oversight Plan.”
“At locations where GEO provides medical services, individuals are provided access to a team of medical professionals including doctors, nurses, dentists, psychologists and psychiatrists,” the spokesperson said. “If needed, immediate access to off-site medical professionals, diagnostic imaging facilities, emergency medical services, and local hospitals will also be provided.”
“The safety, health and well-being of the people entrusted to our care is our top priority,” said Ryan Gustin, a spokesman for CoreCivic, which contracts with ICE for facilities in California City and Otay Mesa.
“We take seriously our responsibility to comply with all applicable federal detention standards at our ICE-contracted facilities, including our California City and Otay Mesa facilities. These facilities are subject to multiple layers of oversight by our government partners, including auditors who are familiar with federal detention standards and conduct regular on-site inspections,” Gustin said in an email.
Gustin also highlighted the medical services available to detainees, saying emergency medical care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“All immigration facilities that provide medical care comply with federal detention standards, including staffing,” Gustin said.
In an emailed statement, the Management and Training Corporation, which operates the Imperial Regional facility, said it takes Bonta’s “reports, particularly any medical concerns,” seriously.
In a statement, MTC pointed to the report’s many positive findings regarding Imperial Regional Facilities, including medical care, programs and recreation, food services, and access to courts and attorneys.
However, the MTC acknowledged some concerns the report raised regarding “specialist referral and follow-up care for chronic conditions under performance-based national detention standards.”
“We take these concerns seriously and are reviewing related records and processes, including referral tracking, chronic care monitoring, and coordination with outside providers and ICE Health Services forces,” MTC said in a statement. “If our review identifies gaps, delays or deviations from standards, we will address them.”
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. please contact her pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
