A court-appointed medical monitor has found that California City Detention Facility, the largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in California, failed all eight core standards of a functioning health care system, concluding that detainees face "serious risk of both immediate and long-term harm" because the facility lacks "a reliable system to consistently provide adequate health care."
The findings, released Monday, stem from the first court-ordered review of an ICE detention center's entire health care system. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney ordered the investigation after seven detainees filed a class-action lawsuit alleging medical neglect and unconstitutional conditions.
The report clears the way for the litigation to continue, as The Guardian reports.
Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar, a physician who previously audited ICE detention centers for the Department of Homeland Security, reviewed 141 medical records, interviewed 40 detainees and staff members, and inspected the facility over three days.
He found the center out of compliance in every category examined, including staffing, emergency care, access to specialists, medication delivery, medical screenings and the system for responding to detainees' requests for treatment.
The report identified recurring delays in diagnosing illnesses, conducting assessments, administering medications and providing follow-up care, concluding that the deficiencies reflected systemic failures rather than isolated incidents. Anandkumar also cited chronic staffing shortages, incomplete intake screenings, missed specialist appointments, inadequate mental health care, inconsistent access to medications and barriers to care for detainees with disabilities.
Among the examples cited were psychiatric patients who deteriorated while awaiting treatment, patients receiving evening medications hours late, and referrals to outside specialists that were delayed or denied without documented justification. The report also found that some newly hired medical employees were assigned clinical duties before completing their training.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Guardian the agency provides "comprehensive medical care" to detainees. CoreCivic, which operates the facility, said it was reviewing the report and maintained that detainees have access to medical, behavioral health and specialty care, while noting that appointments with outside providers depend on their availability.
The findings come as the Trump administration expands immigration detention capacity nationwide amid record arrest levels. More than 65,000 people were in ICE custody as of mid-July, and California could soon add another detention facility if a proposed site near Gilroy moves forward.
That project is currently facing separate litigation from California officials and environmental groups seeking to halt construction while federal courts consider whether required environmental reviews were bypassed.
