The annual review by the California Department of Justice found widespread violations of ICE detention standards across facilities, particularly in healthcare, with detainees reporting delays in treatment, missed referrals and difficulty accessing routine care. Food-related concerns were also reported at sites including Golden State and Mesa Verde, where detainees described insufficient portions and reliance on commissary purchases to avoid hunger. Overcrowding and staffing shortages at Adelanto, Desert View and California City contributed to breakdowns in intake processing, living conditions and supervision. The review ties deteriorating conditions to a surge in detention levels, with the detained population in California facilities growing approximately 162 percent between 2023 and 2025.
detention facilities, including widespread failures in medical care, reports of hunger, and invasive strip searches , as detainee populations surged and facilities struggled to cope. The annual review by the California Department of Justice said detention centers were increasingly overwhelmed and violating federal standards as numbers spiked, according to the report.
Inspectors found widespread violations of ICE detention standards across facilities, particularly in healthcare, with detainees reporting delays in treatment, missed referrals and difficulty accessing routine care, while food-related concerns were also reported at sites including Golden State and Mesa Verde, where detainees described insufficient portions and reliance on commissary purchases to avoid hunger; at the same time, overcrowding and staffing shortages at Adelanto, Desert View and California City contributed to breakdowns in intake processing, living conditions and supervision, according to the report.
"This is cruel, inhumane, and unacceptable — and it is past time for the Trump Administration to do something about it," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press release. No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States," an agency spokesperson told The review represents one of the few independent oversight efforts examining ICE detention conditions, coming at a time when facilities are managing their highest populations in recent years.
Across all facilities, the report ties deteriorating conditions to a surge in detention levels. The detained population in California facilities grew approximately 162 percent between 2023 and 2025, placing pressure on staff, infrastructure, and services, according to the report.
The number of people held in ICE detention in California reached 6,028 during state inspections in 2025, up from 2,303 in 2023, while the number of female detainees rose to 626 from 170, marking a roughly 268 percent increase, according to the California Department of Justice report. At the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, operated by CoreCivic, inspectors highlighted strip search practices after visits as a major concern.
The report states the policy of strip searching detainees after non-legal contact visits had "an overwhelming negative impact on the mental health and dignity of detainees," with detainees describing the experience as humiliating and denigrating, according to the report. The facility has also been described as having a "pattern of medical neglect," with detainees allegedly waiting weeks for appointments and, in some cases, being forced to pay.
At the Golden State Annex in McFarland, run by GEO Group, detainees reported persistent hunger and poor food quality. Inspectors found some were spending about $50 per week—and in some cases up to $100—on commissary items such as instant noodles, soups, and tuna "to satisfy their hunger," according to the report.
At the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, also operated by GEO Group, detainees described food as "bad," citing small portions and meals that caused illness, while inspectors found delays in medical screening and access to care following a sharp influx of detainees. At the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, the largest facility in the state with a capacity of 1,940, inspectors said conditions worsened rapidly as detainee numbers surged from seven in 2023 to more than 1,500 in 2025.
Detainees reported delays in medical treatment, lack of adequate water and food issues, and the facility was linked to multiple deaths during the review period, according to the report. The nearby Desert View Annex, which shares staff and operations with Adelanto, experienced similar strain from population growth. Detainees reported delays in care, inconsistent intake processing, and inadequate living conditions, the report says.
At the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, operated by Management & Training Corporation, inspectors noted somewhat improved staffing compared with earlier visits, but still identified issues, including delays in specialist care and detainee deaths linked to medical conditions during the review period, per the report. The California City Detention Facility, operated by CoreCivic and the newest site reviewed, drew particular scrutiny.
Inspectors found the facility "opened prematurely" and was "not ready to accept detainees," citing inadequate staffing, restricted visitation, and conditions detainees described as prison-like, according to the report. Detainees held in California ICE facilities came from a wide range of countries, led by Mexico with 1,225 detainees, followed by India with 476 and Guatemala with 41
California ICE Detention Widespread Violations Surge In Detainee Populations Overcrowding Staffing Shortages Medical Neglect Hunger Strip Searches Food Quality Delays In Treatment Inadequate Living Conditions Violations Of ICE Detention Standards California Department Of Justice California Attorney General Rob Bonta California ICE Facilities Golden State Annex Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center Adelanto ICE Processing Center Desert View Annex Imperial Regional Detention Facility California City Detention Facility Mexico India Guatemala
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