ICE Detention Healthcare Fails All 8 Standards at CA Facility

What if the deadline to fix dangerous conditions has already passed — and nothing changed? That is the situation at California City detention center, located northeast of Los Angeles. A federal judge ordered an investigation in February 2026 after a class-action lawsuit alleged life-threatening medical neglect. The court-appointed monitor, Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar — a physician who previously audited ICE detention centers for the Department of Homeland Security — reviewed 141 medical records, visited the facility for three days in May, and interviewed 40 patients and staff. His conclusion: the facility failed every single one of the eight healthcare standards the judge required.

What the Monitor Found

The problems were not minor. Patients with diabetes reported they could not get insulin consistently. People needing cancer treatment were denied it. Some detainees had to stay awake until 2 a.m. to receive medications that were supposed to arrive by 7 p.m. The monitor also found loose pills on the floor of the medication room. Psychiatric patients who needed inpatient hospital care were left in detention until their condition got so bad they had to be hospitalized — then returned to the same facility with little improvement. A wheelchair user reported being injured during transport to an outside medical appointment on two separate occasions. People with disabilities said they relied on roommates, not trained staff, for basic daily help.

Staff shortages made everything worse. Some employees were moved into clinical roles before they finished orientation. Staff who were not yet fully trained were assigned to train others. The facility opened last year and was intended to house people "in good health," according to the monitor — but instead received many detainees with complex medical needs. Dr. Anandkumar wrote that the failures reflect "broader problems in the facility's health care delivery system rather than occasional lapses in care." Lawyers for the detained immigrants called this the first court-ordered investigation of the full scope of medical care at any ICE facility in the United States. CoreCivic, the private prison company that operates the facility, said it was still reviewing the report. A DHS spokesperson did not respond to the monitor's findings but said the agency provides "comprehensive medical care."

The report arrives as ICE detention numbers have reached record levels — more than 65,000 people were in ICE custody as of July 11, 2026. Tess Borden, managing attorney at the Prison Law Office representing the plaintiffs, said the findings "tell a nightmarish story — psychiatric patients left without follow-up, medication and culture specimens improperly stored, specialist appointments that were missed or never scheduled." The 51-page report includes recommendations for fixing the gaps, but no court order requiring specific changes has been issued yet.

What to Do If You or Someone You Know Is Detained

• If a detained person is not receiving medication or medical care, their attorney or a family member can file an emergency motion with the federal court overseeing the case. The Prison Law Office lawsuit shows this path is available.
• Document everything. Ask the detained person to write down dates, symptoms, what they requested, and what they received — or did not receive. This record can support a legal complaint.
• Contact a nonprofit immigration legal organization. Groups like the Prison Law Office, ACLU, or local legal aid clinics can advise on filing complaints about medical neglect in ICE detention.
• If the detained person has a serious medical condition, lawyers recommend raising it explicitly at any immigration bond hearing — a judge may consider medical vulnerability when setting or reducing bond.

What to do, step by step — see our guide “Bond Hearing: How to Get Released”.