The California Department of Justice carried out inspections that echoed long-standing complaints from people in federal immigration custody: several immigration detention centers in the state are failing to meet basic standards. A report released on May 15 by Attorney General Rob Bonta outlines problems ranging from severe overcrowding to lapses in medical attention and instances of alleged misconduct by staff.
Those findings arrived amid policy shifts at the federal level that increased the numbers of people held in ICE custody, contributing to strained resources at facilities operated under contract with private companies. The state law passed in 2017 requires the Department of Justice to monitor these sites; the office has issued prior reviews in 2019, 2026, 2026 and 2026.
How overcrowding and policy changes intersect
Inspectors linked rising detainee populations to federal enforcement decisions that led to more arrests and to tightened bond practices. The report states that facilities were not prepared for this surge. At the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, for example, inspectors recorded higher occupancy than the facility’s contract allows, with detainees sleeping on mats called “boats” when beds were unavailable. These conditions, the report says, create not only discomfort but also violations of ICE detention standards, such as insufficient toilets per person and constrained access to services.
Facility management and contractor ties
All of the inspected centers are run by private prison companies under federal contract. The GEO Group operates five of the facilities, while CoreCivic and Management and Training Corporation manage others. The inspections note that one federal acting ICE leader previously worked as a GEO executive, a detail that observers have pointed to when critiquing contractor relationships with the agency.
Medical care failures and tragic outcomes
One of the most urgent concerns highlighted by investigators is the quality and timeliness of medical services. ICE standards require medical screenings within 12 hours of arrival, yet the report found many detainees who never received screenings or whose initial assessments were delayed by days or longer. Follow-up care for chronic and urgent conditions was often not delivered promptly; in interviews only 18% of detainees said they had seen a doctor for issues they raised.
At the Adelanto complex and its Desert View Annex, both cited as understaffed and overwhelmed, inspectors documented repeated medical shortfalls. The report also notes that four people died at Adelanto during the second Trump administration, a fact that amplifies concerns about lapses in care. Separately, two people died at the Imperial Regional Detention Facility during the same period.
Individual accounts and legal action
Personal testimonies punctuate the report. Detainees described delayed treatment after surgeries, deteriorating conditions such as blindness without appropriate support, and lack of access to mobility aids. In January, people held at Adelanto filed a class action lawsuit alleging medical neglect and systemic deficiencies. At Desert View, a recent hunger strike involving at least 20 detainees protested water quality, mold, nutrition, and the ability to communicate with advocates without retaliation.
Allegations of force, lockdowns and procedural lapses
Investigators also recorded claims of excessive use of force. One account described guards using pepper spray in an intake area, affecting multiple people. Inspectors found long lockdown periods, cold and leaking buildings, and inadequate protective clothing in some locations. At California City Detention Facility, which began receiving ICE detainees last August, the state found it had opened before adequate staffing and medical systems were in place; people requiring higher levels of care sometimes remained there for months.
Accusations about the misuse of segregation and threats of solitary confinement for minor infractions appear in interview material. Some detainees said that facility rules forbidding contact visits — allowing only visits through glass — were enforced even when no clear security reason existed, a practice the report indicates may violate the facility’s own policies and stem from understaffing.
Contractor responses and oversight
Company spokespeople generally pushed back on the report’s findings or deferred to federal oversight. A GEO Group representative stressed its long role supporting ICE operations; CoreCivic disputed some findings and noted subsequent reaccreditation from health oversight bodies. Management and Training Corporation acknowledged the report and said it was reviewing the concerns raised. ICE did not provide a response to requests for comment for the state report.
The inspectors’ work underscores the tension between federal immigration enforcement priorities and local accountability mechanisms. With the state’s oversight mandated by the 2017 law and a series of follow-up visits, the report on May 15 joins earlier reviews documenting recurring problems. Advocates and detainees call for facility repairs, accountability for deaths in custody, improved medical systems, and, in some cases, facility closures.
As oversight continues, the report frames a clear challenge: ensuring that contracted detention operations meet required standards for safety, hygiene and healthcare while addressing the pressures brought on by enforcement practices that increase detainee populations.
