Lawsuit Details Disturbing Allegations of Abuse, Neglect at California Migrant Detention Centre
ADELANTO, Calif. – A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges horrific conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, detailing claims of systemic abuse, medical neglect, and unsanitary living conditions endured by detainees. The civil rights lawsuit, brought by detainees and advocacy groups, paints a picture of a facility where individuals are subjected too prolonged solitary confinement, denied adequate medical care, and forced to live in overcrowded and filthy environments.
The Adelanto facility, reopened in 2023 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being shuttered in 2023, currently houses approximately 800 migrants with a capacity of 2,560 beds. The lawsuit arrives amid heightened scrutiny of ICE detention practices and the Trump administration’s intensified efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. The allegations raise serious questions about the standards of care within ICE detention centers and the potential for widespread human rights violations.
According to the complaint, detainees routinely face delays in receiving medical attention, including for serious conditions like broken bones and chronic illnesses. The lawsuit alleges instances of inadequate mental health care,leading to self-harm and suicide attempts. Detainees also describe being subjected to verbal abuse by guards, denied access to basic necessities, and confined to unsanitary cells with limited access to hygiene products.
“The conditions at Adelanto are simply inhumane,” saeid a plaintiff in the lawsuit, identified only as “J.R.” in court documents.”We are treated like animals, denied basic dignity, and left to suffer in silence.”
The lawsuit further alleges that prolonged solitary confinement is used as a punitive measure, often without due process, and that detainees are routinely denied adequate food and water.
Department of Homeland Security Spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin denied the allegations, stating that ICE “has higher detention standards” than most prisons. “All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, and toiletries, and have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals,” she said in a statement.
Attorneys representing the plaintiffs argue that ICE’s standards are demonstrably inadequate and fail to protect the health and safety of detainees. They are seeking a court order mandating improved conditions at the Adelanto facility and systemic reforms to ICE detention practices.The case is expected to draw national attention as it unfolds, possibly impacting the future of immigration detention in California and beyond.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
