"California's U.S. senators expressed grave concerns about conditions at the state's newest and largest immigration jail, and said they will not support an upcoming bill to further increase funding for immigration enforcement, after a visit Tuesday. "The most frequent feedback we got was the inadequacy of the medical care they are receiving," he added. "That's frightening." The immigration detention facility, owned and operated by the private, for-profit prison company CoreCivic, currently holds about 1400 people, the senators said, but it has a capacity for 2,560 detainees."
"Deaths in detention continue to rise. Last year, 32 people died in ICE facilities, a level not seen in more than two decades. And in just the first three weeks of 2026, ICE has reported that six more people have died. However, representatives have repeatedly been turned away from visiting detention centers over the past year, including three Minnesota representatives earlier this month. A challenge brought by several Democratic lawmakers in July is currently making its way through the courts."
California U.S. senators visited the state's newest and largest immigration detention facility and identified serious problems, especially inadequate medical care. The CoreCivic-operated center opened in late August under a two-year, $130 million ICE contract, holds about 1,400 people with a 2,560 capacity, and is expected to fill early this year. Deaths in ICE custody rose to 32 last year, with six more in the first three weeks of 2026. Representatives have often been denied access to detention centers, and legal challenges by lawmakers are pending in court. The senators said they will not support further increases in immigration enforcement funding.
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