ICE Detainees Report Gas Leak, Heat Crisis in Mississippi
What if your family member is locked in an ICE facility with no air conditioning in Mississippi summer heat — and no one will tell you what happened? That is exactly what one detainee's wife described to the Guardian this week. Her husband, who has an active asylum application and no criminal record, is being held at Adams County Detention Center, where detainees say they were exposed to a gas leak and then denied medical care.
What detainees say happened
Last Saturday, detainees at Adams County Detention Center in Natchez, Mississippi — a facility run by private contractor CoreCivic — were evacuated outside after what several people believed was a natural gas leak. According to the wife of one detainee, who spoke to the Guardian, people were kept outside for hours in afternoon heat. When they returned inside, she said, the smell of gas remained. Men began reporting headaches and other symptoms. No one told them where the leak came from or whether it was fully resolved. CoreCivic's senior director of public affairs, Ryan Gustin, said staff detected no gas leak and that a maintenance worker found nothing after an inspection.
Then on Monday, a storm knocked out power to the facility. CoreCivic says the outage lasted about two hours. But the detainee who contacted the Guardian through his family said electricity was only partially restored on Tuesday, and that air conditioning was out until late Wednesday — two full days. In Mississippi in August, outdoor temperatures approach 100°F. The detainee said people were forced to stand outside in direct sun with no shade, or stay locked in cells with no cooling. Gustin said the facility's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems were never interrupted. The two accounts directly contradict each other.
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Immigrant rights, appeals and protective measures
The Adams County facility is one of the largest immigration jails in the country. Mississippi Today reported in March that it holds more than 2,000 detainees, with only 9% having any criminal record. The man who contacted the Guardian was arrested by ICE in January at a routine appointment. He has an active asylum application. An ICE inspection in May found 23 violations of use-of-force or restraint standards at the facility, which caused its rating to drop from superior in 2025 to acceptable/adequate this year. A 2021 Department of Homeland Security inspection found violations that "threatened the health, safety, and rights of detainees," including one case where a sick detainee was not sent to the hospital and later died. Separately, a third person held at Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey — run by another contractor, GEO Group — was reported to have died this week.
What to do if your family member is detained
- Call the ICE detainee locator at 1-888-351-4024 or search online at ice.gov to find out where your family member is being held and their detainee ID number.
- Document everything. Write down dates, times, and exact symptoms your family member reports. Ask them to do the same in writing if possible. This record matters if you file a complaint or go to court.
- File a complaint with the DHS Office of Inspector General (oig.dhs.gov) if your family member is denied medical care or held in dangerous conditions. You can also contact the ICE Office of Detention Oversight directly.
- Contact a nonprofit immigration legal organization in the state. In Mississippi, organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center or local legal aid groups may be able to help. The Workers Circle also assists families of detainees nationwide.
Related: our step-by-step guide — “Deportation Defense”.
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Detainees in ICE custody have a constitutional right to adequate medical care under the Fifth Amendment, and facilities are required to meet ICE detention standards — including timely access to healthcare. If a detainee is denied treatment after reporting symptoms, that denial can form the basis of a formal complaint to the DHS Office of Inspector General or, in serious cases, a civil rights lawsuit. Families should also ask an attorney whether the conditions could support a bond motion or emergency stay of removal. Consult an immigration attorney as soon as possible if you believe your family member's rights are being violated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ICE detainees refuse to be held in unsafe conditions?
Detainees cannot simply walk out, but they have the right to report unsafe conditions and request medical care. They can also ask their attorney or a nonprofit organization to file a formal complaint with the DHS Office of Inspector General on their behalf.
Does having an asylum application protect someone from being held in ICE detention?
No. Having a pending asylum application does not automatically prevent ICE from detaining someone. However, it may support a request for release on bond or parole, especially if the person has no criminal record and has strong ties to the community.
What happens if an ICE detainee is denied medical care?
Denied medical care can be reported to the DHS Office of Inspector General at oig.dhs.gov. In serious cases, an attorney can file an emergency motion in immigration court or a federal civil rights complaint. Document the denial in writing with dates and details.
Who runs Adams County Detention Center, and is it a government facility?
Adams County Detention Center is run by CoreCivic, a private company, under contract with ICE. ICE is the federal agency responsible for immigration detention, but day-to-day operations are managed by CoreCivic. Complaints about conditions can be directed to both ICE and the DHS Office of Inspector General.