SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new report from the state Department of Justice shows that while conditions in California’s federal immigration detention facilities have improved since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, they remain grim.
The department has been required to conduct regular reviews of conditions within the facilities since 2017, when the Legislature passed AB 103. The new report is based on inspections conducted by DOJ staff, correctional and medical experts between October and January.
“Navigating our immigration system is never easy and it is clear from the report released today by my office that the pandemic added new layers of uncertainty for immigrants in federal custody,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote in a statement Thursday. “By shining a light on conditions of confinement at immigration detention facilities still operating in our state, we’re able to provide crucial information that supports on-the-ground efforts to protect the safety and well-being of all of our communities.”
