Amid surge in detainee population, immigration detention facilities are failing to meet ICE’s own detention standards, protect basic rights, safety, and wellbeing of detainees

LOS ANGELES — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today released the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) fifth report on conditions at immigration detention facilities operating in California where noncitizens are detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). During inspections conducted at the seven facilities operating in California in 2025, DOJ found that conditions had largely worsened as the Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign led to overcrowding and strained resources, especially around access to medical care and conditions of confinement. Tragically, there were six deaths of detainees between September 2025 and March 2026 — the highest number since DOJ started conducting reviews in 2017. These deaths, coupled with DOJ’s findings of substandard conditions that fail to meet ICE’s own detention standards, raise serious concerns about these facilities’ ability to safely detain a growing detainee population and underscore the need for greater accountability and oversight.

“The Trump Administration’s mass deportation campaign has led to a shocking increase in detainee populations — and facilities have been alarmingly unprepared to meet this new demand. During their inspections, my team found evidence of inadequate medical care and heard countless reports of disturbing, unsafe, and unsanitary conditions and a lack of basic necessities,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This is cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable — and it is past time for the Trump Administration to do something about it. My office has worked tirelessly to shine a light on conditions at these facilities — and I hope this report will generate the rightful outrage and urgency necessary to improve conditions and protect detainees’ civil rights.”

In response to growing concerns for the health and safety of people in civil immigration detention, during the first Trump Administration, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill (AB) 103 to require DOJ to review and report on conditions of confinement at immigration detention facilities through July 1, 2027. Recognizing the ongoing need for transparency around these facilities, earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta sponsored Senate Bill (SB) 1399, authored by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), which would remove the sunset provision of AB 103 so that these critical reports continue past 2027.

Since AB 103 took effect, DOJ has published four reports on conditions in immigration detention facilities in California in 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2025, identifying and documenting substandard and inhumane conditions that fail to meet ICE's own applicable standards. 

THE 2026 REPORT

For its fifth report, DOJ inspected all seven facilities active in 2025 in California operating pursuant to contracts with ICE, including the recently opened California City Detention Facility. While finalizing the report, DOJ became aware that an eighth facility, Central Valley Annex, began to receive ICE detainees in April 2026, and reports suggest ICE may seek to open additional facilities in the future. DOJ will inspect all new facilities that are subject to AB 103 reviews. 

During its review process, in 2025, DOJ staff — with support from a team of correctional and health care experts — toured each facility, reviewed and analyzed logs, policies, detainee records, and other documentation, and interviewed detention staff and 194 detained individuals across the seven detention facilities.

DOJ’s inspections found an unprecedented surge in detainee population, which grew approximately 162% from 2,303 detainees at the time of DOJ’s 2023 site visits to 6,028 at the time of site visits in 2025. This, in part, appears to be driven by the Trump Administration’s refusal to release detainees on bond, coupled with its aggressive mass detention and deportation campaign. Notably, despite the Trump Administration’s claims it has targeted “criminals,” most of these individuals had no criminal history and were classified as low security.

As the detainee population increased, it overwhelmed most facilities’ intake processes and other operations. DOJ identified multiple violations of ICE’s own detention standards relating to conditions of confinement and basic medical health care at all seven active facilities in 2025, although there was much variation in detainee experience across these facilities. DOJ found declining conditions for detainees who were experiencing inadequate medical care, delay in medical treatment, overcrowding, inadequate food, excessive use of force by detention facility guards, and inadequate clothing, violating standards such as those guaranteeing nutritious meals, an adequate environment, reasonable uses of force, and adequate medical care.

Other observations made in the report include: 

Insufficient Staffing: Staffing levels have not kept pace with the needs created by the dramatic surge in apprehension and confinement of detainees. California City, in particular, was inadequately staffed when the facility opened and not ready to accept detainees. The detainee population at Adelanto, where four deaths recently occurred, increased from 7 in 2023 to 1,570 by early July 2025, while medical and detention staffing levels failed to meet the needs of the surge of detainees held.

Inadequate Medical Access: Detainees at all the facilities reported being unable to consistently access requested medical appointments or receive necessary and timely medical treatment, including emergency medical care, contributing to preventable medical crises. Across most facilities, detainees with chronic and acute medical conditions did not consistently receive necessary referrals for follow-up medical care, either within the facility or with outside medical providers.

Lengthy and Overcrowded Intake Process: Detention facilities are required to complete the intake process for new detainees, including a medical and mental health screening, no more than 12 hours after their arrival. During the surge in detentions, detainees at several facilities reported waiting days and even weeks before receiving a classification, housing assignment, and medical screening. While they waited to be processed, some detainees reported sleeping on the floor without access to basic necessities, such as water or clothing. 

Unsafe, Inadequate, and/or Inaccessible Food and Water: Across most facilities, detainees reported improperly cooked food, failure to receive dietary or allergy accommodations, irregular mealtimes, and issues with accessing clean potable water. At Adelanto, detainees reported water coolers remaining empty for hours and DOJ witnessed murky drinking water coming out of the tap in the women’s housing unit. At Golden State Annex and Mesa Verde, detainees reported spending approximately $50-$150 per week on commissary items to satisfy their hunger.

Failure to Provide Basic Necessities: Detainees across multiple facilities reported living in extremely unsanitary and hazardous conditions, with problems accessing basic necessities. At California City, detainees described experiencing extremely cold temperatures, with leaks during rainy periods, and a lack of weather-appropriate clothing. To protect themselves from the cold, detainees modified socks to improvise sleeves and covered air vents in their cells with sheets of paper.

Due Process Barriers: Detainees were denied access to facility phones for prolonged periods at some facilities, and there were language barriers impeding detainees’ ability to understand the facilities' process and rules. 

Use of Force Concerns: Staff at some facilities, such as Adelanto and Desert View, appeared to be overutilizing discipline and use of force, with multiple reported incidents of facilities using pepper spray against detainees. 

Pat Downs and Strip Searches: Otay Mesa is the only facility in California with a policy and practice to strip search detainees after each non-legal contact visit. Detainees reported that this practice has an overwhelming negative impact on the mental health and dignity of detainees.

RELATED WORK 

Attorney General Bonta is committed to providing members of the public and policymakers with critical information about the conditions that people in civil immigration detention in California are subjected to. In March, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief opposing the conditions of confinement at Adelanto ICE Processing Center (Adelanto). Attorney General Bonta also announced his sponsoring of SB 941, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), which would prohibit the excessive markup of products sold at immigration detention facilities. The proposed legislation seeks to address the unjust and undue burden placed on detainees and their families to obtain basic necessities during their confinement. Last year, Attorney General Bonta sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shining a light on dangerous conditions at the recently opened California City Detention Facility.

Attorney General Bonta has repeatedly opposed the Trump Administration’s no-bond policy, which mandates the indefinite detention of vast numbers of non-citizens without the opportunity for a bond hearing, co-leading six multi-state amicus briefs in support of legal challenges to the policy.

LEARN MORE

DOJ's Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement will host a Community Briefing on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM PT to share the findings of this report.