California Members Press DHS, ICE on CoreCivic Disability Rights Violations

Washington, D.C. — Rep.’s Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Judy Chu (CA-28) Jan. 15 led a letter, signed by 26 Members of Congress, to the Department of Homeland Security or DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, urging immediate federal oversight and accountability for serious violations at the California City Immigration Processing Center in Kern County.

The letter calls on DHS and ICE to refer CoreCivic, the private prison contractor operating the facility, to the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties or CRCL and the Office of Inspector General or OIG for investigations into alarming reports of unsafe and unlawful treatment of detained immigrants with disabilities. The lawmakers’ action follows a September site visit by Disability Rights California or DRC, conducted just weeks after the facility opened. DRC documented serious violations of federal disability protections and ICE detention standards, raising urgent concerns about the facility’s ability to safely and lawfully house individuals with disabilities. Key findings included delayed or denied medical care, missed medications, lack of mobility aids, unsafe conditions, and insufficient oversight. 

The letter urges DHS and ICE to:

• Refer CoreCivic, the private prison contractor operating the facility, to the office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Inspector General for investigations.
• Conduct immediate inspections and require corrective actions to ensure detainees with disabilities have consistent access to medications, mobility aids, and appropriate medical care;
• Require public reporting by CRCL and OIG on investigative findings and remedial measures; and
• Enforce federal disability laws, including the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and ICE’s 2011 performance-based national detention standards or PBNDS across all California immigration detention facilities.