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A group of immigrants has filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), alleging systemic abuse and inhumane conditions at California’s largest and newest immigration detention center. The class-action complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, centers on the California City Detention Facility, a 2,300-bed center located in the Mojave Desert and operated by private prison contractor CoreCivic.
The lawsuit, brought forth by the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and other civil rights groups, details numerous allegations of neglect and mistreatment. Plaintiffs claim they have been denied adequate medical and mental health care, faced racial abuse and harassment from staff, and been subjected to retaliatory discipline, including excessive use of solitary confinement. Detainees have also reported squalid living conditions, such as the presence of black mold, foul-smelling water, and insufficient access to basic hygiene supplies. According to the ACLU's press release on the legal challenge, these conditions create a dangerous environment that violates constitutional standards.
The facility, a former prison that was shuttered before being repurposed as an immigration detention center, has been criticized since it began housing ICE detainees. The legal filing argues that the defendants have demonstrated a deliberate indifference to the health and safety of the people in their custody. Attorneys for the plaintiffs state that officials at ICE and CoreCivic were aware of the appalling conditions at the immigration facility but failed to take corrective action, perpetuating a cycle of harm.
The lawsuit seeks a court order to compel ICE and CoreCivic to remedy the unconstitutional conditions. This includes providing adequate healthcare, ending the misuse of solitary confinement, and ensuring the facility meets basic sanitation and safety standards. The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the use of private prisons for immigrant detention and the oversight of such facilities by federal agencies. Neither ICE nor CoreCivic has issued a formal public response to the specific allegations in the lawsuit at this time.
