Khanna said he spoke with a man who said he had blood in his urine and was still waiting for medical care after seven days. He said people described rocks in their food, undrinkable water, punishing lockdowns four times a day and no-contact visits with family members.
“It was really dehumanizing, and many of them were in tears,” he said. “Some of them had been in this country for over a decade, paying taxes, and they’re just shocked that they had been sent to this facility.”
Khanna said he was particularly alarmed by the lack of medical care. On the day he visited, he said, he saw only one doctor handling a clinic waiting room filled with roughly 40 patients.
CoreCivic, the company that owns and operates the facility, said the safety and health of people in its custody is its top priority.
The facility employs licensed health care providers, who “[take] seriously their role and responsibility to provide high-quality healthcare, available 24/7, to the individuals in our care,” said CoreCivic public affairs director Ryan Gustin, in a statement emailed to KQED. “Our health services teams follow both CoreCivic’s standards for medical care and the standards set forth by our government partners. All individuals have daily access to sign up for medical care, including mental health services.”
Gustin added that the company’s immigration facilities are closely monitored by ICE and required to undergo regular reviews and audits “to ensure an appropriate standard of living and care for all detainees.”
ICE did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But information the agency is legally required to make public indicates that, as of Dec. 26, 2025, the most recent inspection of the California City facility took place “pre-occupancy,” with another inspection due at an unspecified date in 2026.
A state-authorized inspection was conducted in September by Disability Rights California, a nonprofit watchdog organization with investigative powers under state and federal law to protect the rights of people with physical, developmental and psychiatric disabilities. The group found that conditions at the detention center were dangerous for disabled people and that health care access was broadly lacking.
In October, immigrant rights organizations filed a lawsuit alleging that CoreCivic began operating the ICE facility without first obtaining state and local permits. Then, in November, detainees at the facility sued, alleging the place is polluted by sewage leaks and insect infestations, and that detainees can’t get proper medical attention for life-threatening conditions.
