This ICE jail cost millions – detainees say it won’t even provide blankets

Judge issues sweeping detention center order

U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney issued a preliminary injunction on Feb. 11 requiring ICE and DHS to provide constitutionally adequate healthcare at the California City Detention Facility.

The facility sits in the Mojave Desert in Kern County and holds the title of California’s largest immigration detention center.

Judge Chesney also ordered the appointment of an independent medical monitor to oversee conditions for at least 120 days.

Order covers healthcare, clothing and recreation

The court order covers a wide range of basic needs.

The facility must maintain adequate healthcare staffing, provide timely access to prescribed medications, and complete medical intake screenings within 12 hours of a detainee’s arrival.

Detainees must also get timely access to specialists, emergency services, and a working sick call system.

Beyond medical care, the order requires free temperature-appropriate clothing and blankets, confidential attorney access, including in-person visits, and at least one hour of outdoor recreation every day.

Seven detainees filed a class-action lawsuit

The ruling stems from a federal class-action lawsuit that seven detainees filed in November 2025 in the Northern District of California. They alleged medical neglect, unsanitary living conditions, and abusive treatment.

The ACLU, Prison Law Office, California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, and the law firm Keker, Van Nest, and Peters supported the case.

Judge Chesney provisionally certified more than 1,000 current detainees as a class, broadening the order’s reach well beyond the original seven plaintiffs.

Detainees alleged denied medical care

The allegations paint a grim picture. One plaintiff, a diabetic man, alleged staff failed to give him regular insulin, which led to elevated blood sugar and a bleeding foot ulcer.

Another alleged he went months without seeing a physician for what tests suggested was prostate cancer.

A third alleged staff member withheld his heart medication for days at a time, even though his condition required daily monitoring.

When detainees reported pain, the lawsuit alleged, staff told them to buy Tylenol from the commissary.

Attorneys filed an emergency motion in December

Conditions grew dire enough that attorneys filed an emergency motion in December 2025 asking the court to order ICE to provide lifesaving care to two plaintiffs.

A medical expert concluded that one man had a serious heart condition and faced a significant risk of sudden cardiac death.

The same expert said the other man had a high probability of prostate cancer and needed urgent specialist care. ICE later agreed to provide medical treatment to both men.

ICE missed a cancer-related appointment

During a Feb. 7 court hearing, an ICE attorney acknowledged the facility failed to take one plaintiff to get his prostate cancer biopsy results.

Staff had not properly entered the appointment into their scheduling system. Court records showed the man had lost 25 pounds since arriving and was in significant pain.

Judge Chesney expressed concern about the case, noting the seriousness of prostate cancer.

Lawsuit describes harsh living conditions

The medical allegations were not the only problems. The lawsuit alleged sewage bubbled up from shower drains and insects crawled on cell walls.

Detainees said staff locked them in small concrete cells for hours at a time.

The facility was described as extremely cold, yet detainees said they received no warm clothing or blankets. Staff allegedly told them they could buy sweatshirts and sweatpants from the commissary for about $20 each.

Private prison company runs the facility

CoreCivic, a private for-profit prison company based in Tennessee, owns and operates the 2,560-bed facility. It previously served as a state prison until California ended its contract in 2024.

ICE began receiving detainees on Aug. 27, 2025, under a two-year contract expected to generate about $130 million in annual revenue. The facility opened despite failing a fire inspection in July 2025.

The city manager warned CoreCivic that the building was unsafe.

Scrutiny grew before the ruling

Warning signs mounted for months before Judge Chesney’s order. Detainees launched a hunger strike in the fall of 2025 to protest conditions.

Disability Rights California visited in September 2025 and found the facility failed to meet basic needs.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a letter to DHS in December 2025, warning of dangerous conditions after a state inspection.

Bonta said the facility had opened too early and was not ready for the incoming population.

Two senators visited in January 2026

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff visited the facility on Jan. 20 for an oversight tour. They spent four hours inside, spoke with the warden, and met with detained people.

Both senators said inadequate medical care was the most frequent concern detainees raised. The facility held about 1,450 people at the time of their visit.

DHS calls order unnecessary

DHS and CoreCivic pushed back on the ruling. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called the judge’s order “unnecessary and superfluous,” saying DHS medical policy already exceeds what the court ordered.

McLaughlin said all detainees receive meals, water, medical treatment, and access to family and lawyers.

CoreCivic spokesperson Ryan Gustin said the company works closely with its government partner to meet all applicable standards.

In court filings, ICE argued the facility has an experienced warden who follows national detention standards.

Independent monitor starts review

The independent monitor will review medical records, inspect conditions, and interview staff and patients for at least 120 days. The court may extend that period.

Both sides will try to agree on an independent medical expert to serve as a monitor. If they cannot agree, the judge will appoint one.

Judge Chesney has reserved additional relief that the plaintiffs requested for a future order.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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