ACLU lawsuit alleges appalling conditions at California’s largest immigration detention facility

A federal lawsuit filed Wednesday has brought to light disturbing allegations about conditions at California’s largest immigration detention facility, where detainees reportedly face sewage backups and inadequate medical care amid crumbling infrastructure.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit in the District Court for Northern California on behalf of seven men detained at a facility in California City, approximately 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The detention center, a former prison that was shuttered in 2023, reopened under an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contract in late August.

“ICE is playing with people’s lives, and they treat people like they’re trash, like they’re nothing,” said plaintiff Sokhean Keo in a statement. “Some of the people I’m detained with don’t even have soap — they take showers without soap — and they’re losing weight because they don’t have enough to eat.”

Among the most serious allegations are reports of sewage bubbling up from shower drains and detainees being forced to use dirty bandages to wrap open wounds. The complaint also describes newly arrived detainees being ordered to clean cells containing trash and unflushed toilets without proper cleaning supplies.

The lawsuit further alleges that the facility, which currently houses approximately 800 people but has a capacity for 2,560, suffers from severe understaffing and provides woefully inadequate medical care. Detainees reportedly spend much of their day locked in cells with few activities, creating what the suit describes as “a widespread sense of hopelessness, desperation and, in some cases, self-harm and suicidal ideation.”

One plaintiff, Fernando Gomez Ruiz, a diabetic who was detained by ICE in early October while eating at a food truck outside a Home Depot, claims he has been denied regular insulin doses. According to the complaint, this has resulted in elevated blood sugar levels and “a large, oozing ulcer on the bottom of his foot” that he must cover with soiled bandages because clean ones are unavailable. Ruiz reportedly fears he may lose his foot.

Federal officials have forcefully denied these allegations. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, stated that ICE “has higher detention standards” than most prisons and that all detainees receive three meals daily, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, and toiletries. She also noted that detainees have access to phones to communicate with family members and lawyers, and that certified dieticians evaluate meals provided at the taxpayer-funded facility.

The lawsuit comes amid the ongoing implementation of aggressive immigration enforcement policies that have characterized recent years. The California City facility represents part of the detention infrastructure supporting these enforcement efforts.

Immigration advocacy groups have long criticized conditions at ICE detention facilities nationwide, arguing that civil detention should not mirror or exceed the harshness of criminal incarceration. The California lawsuit highlights this concern, specifically alleging that conditions at the California City facility are worse than those typically found in criminal prisons.

The reopening of the California City facility itself reflects the fluctuating demands on the immigration detention system. The prison was initially closed in 2023 before ICE contracted to reopen it specifically for migrant detention. This practice of repurposing former correctional facilities for immigration detention has drawn criticism from human rights organizations who argue these buildings were designed for punishment rather than civil detention.

As the case moves through the legal system, it may bring renewed attention to oversight and standards within immigration detention facilities nationwide, particularly those housed in former prison buildings. The lawsuit seeks improved conditions for detainees at the California City facility, including better medical care, sanitation, and living conditions.