Immigrants At Federal Detention Centers In California Lack Health, Legal Access, State Officials Say

Immigrants at federal detention centers in California lack sufficient access to health care and legal aid and the facilities operate with little to no oversight, according to reports released on Tuesday by the state’s attorney general and auditor.

Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra said those held at the centers are “civil detainees” awaiting a hearing on their immigration status. He said they are due fair and humane treatment.

“We found for example prolonged periods of confinement without breaks with some detainees confined in their cells for up to 22 hours a day,” Becerra said at a news conference in San Francisco. “We found significant language barriers which compromised medical confidentiality and access to due process. We found difficulties in access to medical and mental health care which increased the risk to detainees of a major medical or medical health incident.”

Over the past three years the centers have held approximately 74,000 detainees according to the attorney general’s office. They have included immigrants as young as 13 and old as 95, from more than 150 countries.

Becerra's office reviewed conditions at the state’s 10 detention facilities before issuing its first report on the topic Tuesday, as required by a law passed in 2017.

In a written statement, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency is “committed to providing for the welfare of all those entrusted to its custody” and that its facilities meet "rigorous standards."

The agency added that it is also committed to “ensuring all detainees are treated in a humane and professional manner."

"The safety, rights and health of detainees in ICE’s care are of paramount concern and all ICE detention facilities are subject to stringent, regular inspections,” the statement reads.

ICE contracts with cities and counties to house the detainees. Those local governments then subcontract with private companies to run the facilities.

The auditor’s report said those cities and counties are not making sure health and safety standards are met, including ensuring subcontractors correct problems noted by federal inspectors. Those include inadequate dental care, failing to report detainee grievances of staff misconduct to ICE .