Detainees sue ICE for allegedly denying medical care at California City facility
Seven people detained at the immigration processing facility in California City have filed a federal lawsuit against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging serious failures in the facility’s operations that infringe on the basic rights and wellbeing of the detainees.
The lawsuit was filed this week by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights organizations.
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges the facility is plagued by faulty infrastructure, poor sanitation, denial of basic services and insufficient medical care. Among the other claims: raw sewage leaks, insect infestations, inadequate food and water access, lack of timely attorney visits, and insufficient clothing for cold weather.
“In their haste to warehouse hundreds of men and women in this isolated facility, defendants have failed to provide for the basic human needs of the people for whose lives and wellbeing they are legally responsible,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to the plaintiffs, detainees with mobility issues don’t have access to wheelchairs and some are unable to bathe or dress themselves. One plaintiff named in the suit, Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, was allegedly denied crucial heart-medication for days, leading to two hospitalizations. He was told by a doctor he could die if the lapses happened again, yet he still reportedly has not seen a cardiologist and continues to receive inconsistent treatment, according to the complaint.
The facility in question, known as the California City Immigration Processing Center, opened in August on the site of a former prison in the remote Kern County desert. The Bee previously reported that the site, operated by private contractor CoreCivic, began receiving detainees even as questions remained over compliance with local permitting.
Migrants detained at the facility have protested poor living conditions and several have alleged mistreatment and neglect by staff. . More than 100 people refused meals demanding better conditions, and attorneys say some detainees were placed in solitary confinement in retaliation.
A September inspection by a state disability-rights group found that the facility’s operators failed to distribute medication for life-threatening conditions and did not schedule timely surgeries for people that needed them.
“In the rush to expand capacity, ICE has cobbled together a patchwork system of county jails, private prisons, and newly converted facilities across the country. The rapid and haphazard growth of the detention system has outstripped any meaningful system of accountability or oversight,” the lawsuit alleges.
CoreCivic and ICE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CoreCivic previously said the site provides “robust medical care” and adheres to “standards set forth by our government partners.”
In a statement to the Fresno Bee, Tricia Mclaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, said “any claims there are subprime conditions at the California City Correctional Facility are FALSE.”
“This type of garbage about ICE facilities is contributing to our officers facing an 8000% increase in death threats against them,” she said.
This story was originally published November 13, 2025 at 1:28 PM.
