Key Takeaways
• California DOJ report finds serious mental health and suicide prevention failures in six private immigration detention facilities.
• Detainees often lack proper mental health care, face isolation, and sometimes endure delayed or inadequate medical treatment.
• Attorney General Bonta demands immediate reforms as center operator GEO Group disputes report findings and political debate intensifies.
California DOJ’s Scathing Report Reveals Serious Problems in Immigration Detention Facilities, With Mental Health Care and Suicide Prevention Lacking
On April 29, 2025, the California Department of Justice (California DOJ) released a detailed report uncovering worrying problems in immigration detention facilities across the state. The findings show that people held in these centers do not always get the care they need, especially when it comes to mental health care and preventing suicide. This article looks at the report’s findings, the background behind it, what it means for those affected, and what could happen next.
What Did the Report Find?
The California DOJ’s review covered six immigration detention facilities, all privately operated, scattered across California 🇺🇸. This work was ordered by a 2017 law passed by the California Legislature that requires regular checks on the conditions in these detention centers.
Attorney General Rob Bonta explained that, after four reports, the message is clear: there are major problems that must be fixed now. He stated that the facilities “need significant improvements” just to meet the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) own standards.
Let’s break down the main findings:
- Mental health care services are not good enough.
- Suicide prevention and intervention are failing.
- Some staff use too much force, especially against people who have mental health needs.
- Solitary confinement practices can be cruel and are not always checked the way they should be.
- People can wait too long to get regular or emergency medical care.
- At some facilities, patrol and search rules scare people away from getting help.
The report included direct quotes, facts, and examples to make these failures clear.
Deep Problems in Mental Health Care
One of the most serious problems in California’s immigration detention facilities is mental health care. The report shows that, across all six facilities, people do not get the mental health services they need.
Some of the troubling findings the California DOJ laid out include:
- At the Golden State Annex, medical staff wrote down different—and sometimes opposite—psychiatric diagnoses for the same person. This means one doctor or nurse might say a detainee is suffering from a certain condition, while another says something different in the same file.
- At the Adelanto and Desert View Annex facilities, records showed that patients were getting medicine that did not match their written diagnosis, or they received no diagnosis at all. This makes it hard for anyone to get the right treatment.
- Several places, including Otay Mesa Detention Center, did not have a psychologist on-site. Psychologists are important because they can diagnose and help people manage serious mental health conditions.
- Some people did not get the medicines or treatments they were prescribed before important immigration court hearings. Without the proper care, many could not fully take part in their own hearings, which could affect their freedom and future in the United States 🇺🇸.
- Poor recordkeeping was a problem at every single detention center the California DOJ checked. Medical notes were not always up to date or well kept, even though these notes are supposed to be kept private and are very important for managing care.
- The investigation also found that immigration detention facilities are not the right place for people with serious mental health needs, especially when the right staff and care are missing.
Attorney General Bonta called for strong action to fix these problems, stating that people in immigration detention must get the mental health care they have a right to receive.
Suicide Risks and Prevention Failures
People held in immigration detention facilities can be at high risk of suicide due to isolation, fear, and separation from loved ones. Still, the California DOJ found that suicide prevention steps were not being taken seriously.
The report found failures that put lives at risk:
- At places like the Imperial, Golden State Annex, and Mesa Verde centers, staff did not always carry out needed suicide risk checks. These checks are very basic tests and questions meant to catch warning signs before someone gets hurt.
- At Otay Mesa Detention Center, people on “suicide watch” were held in cells with no running water or toilets. Detainees had to relieve themselves through grates in the floor, which the DOJ called “inhumane.”
- In a shocking example, a detainee who hurt themselves was locked in “segregation” (another word for solitary confinement) for nine months while still on suicide watch. This sort of response can make a mental health crisis worse, not better.
These failures matter because suicide prevention can save lives if done properly. People in custody depend on staff to watch out for these risks, and the California DOJ made it clear current systems are not working.
Problems with Use of Force and Solitary Confinement
The California DOJ exposed how staff sometimes use force or solitary confinement on detainees with known mental health needs—often without checking their history or medical files first.
According to the report, the following issues were found with use of force and segregation:
- Staff at several centers did not review a person’s mental health background before deciding to use force. This goes against ICE’s own rules, which say staff should consider if someone’s mental health could make them more vulnerable or less able to comply with orders.
- At most immigration detention facilities checked, there were no required mental health reviews before someone was put in solitary confinement (also called “isolation” or “segregation”). A mental health review could catch if someone is too fragile or unstable for such harsh punishment.
- Some people were kept in solitary for months, and some for over a year. Research shows long periods in isolation can be very damaging, especially to those already struggling with mental illness.
- At the Golden State Annex, the DOJ found people could get in trouble just for filing complaints. This led to extra harsh discipline, even though making a complaint should be a right, not a cause for punishment.
These findings suggest a culture in some centers where discipline is much too strict, especially for those facing mental health challenges, and where protocols to protect vulnerable people are ignored.
Basic Medical Care Delays and Other Problems
Beyond the mental health and solitary confinement issues, the report listed important medical care problems at these immigration detention facilities:
- Detainees at Mesa Verde experienced long delays getting access to off-site medical care, even when the care was urgent or “critical.”
- At Desert View Annex, staff were not managing infectious diseases properly. This can put everyone at risk, both inside and outside the detention center.
- Otay Mesa Detention Center had problems ensuring patients got timely and accurate tests or diagnoses. This means that someone who is sick might not know about it or get help as fast as they should.
- At the Mesa Verde facility, certain “pat down” search rules made some people afraid to ask for medical attention—or even go to meals. These searches can feel invasive or embarrassing, and caused some detainees to avoid needed help.
All these findings point to daily struggles for those detained, many of whom are still waiting for a chance to make their case to stay in the United States 🇺🇸.
Reactions: Attorney General, Operators, and the Ongoing Political Debate
Attorney General Rob Bonta promised that the California DOJ would keep investigating and reporting on the state of these detention centers. He said more checks are urgent now—especially as President Trump has promised increased deportations across California 🇺🇸, which may send more people into a system already under stress.
On the other hand, GEO Group—the company that operates four of California’s immigration detention centers—strongly rejected the claims in the report. They called the findings “baseless allegations” and said the review was just “politically motivated, and radical.” This shows the deep divide between what the DOJ found and what center operators say is really going on.
As the political argument continues, detainees and their families remain caught in the middle.
How Did We Get Here? The Background
This is the California DOJ’s fourth report on immigration detention facilities since 2021. Each report has pointed out problems with mental health care and safety. The California Legislature asked the DOJ to do this work to make sure privately run facilities are treated with the same oversight as public ones. The goal is to protect people in detention and to keep the public informed.
Investigators visited each facility, looked at thousands of records, interviewed people being held, and talked to staff at all levels. They compared what is happening in these centers with standards set by ICE—the federal agency that contracts with private companies to run these centers.
You can read more about the standards ICE sets for detention facilities on the official ICE detention standards page.
The California DOJ will host a public Community Briefing on May 22, 2025, to explain this latest report and take questions from the public. This is a chance for family members, advocates, and even detention workers to ask about the findings and what comes next.
The Human Impact: What Do These Failings Mean for Detainees?
What does all this mean for people held in immigration detention? For those inside, these problems can have life-changing effects, including:
- Being unable to take part in their own immigration hearings because they are too unwell, scared, or confused, partly due to lack of proper care or medication.
- Getting sicker—either physically or mentally—because medical and mental health needs are not met on time.
- Risking self-harm, suicide attempts, or harm from others due to weak prevention systems.
- Facing segregation or punishment for asking for help, making things worse for the most vulnerable.
- Feeling isolated and cut off from support networks because of fear or mistreatment.
Family members and legal representatives also struggle to get answers about the health and safety of their loved ones in detention.
What Are the Next Steps? Calls for Change
The California DOJ’s findings put pressure on federal and state leaders to act. These key steps could help make immigration detention facilities safer and healthier:
- Hire more mental health professionals, including on-site psychologists, to make sure everyone gets the care they need.
- Make sure medical records are correct, private, and up to date.
- Improve suicide prevention training and follow through on risk checks.
- Change solitary confinement rules and restart cases before isolation when mental health is at stake.
- Review force policies to keep people with mental health needs safe.
- Make pat down and search rules less intimidating, so no one is afraid to ask for help.
- Organize regular outside reviews and make sure findings lead to real changes.
These changes would not just help detained people—they could also lower risk for staff, speed up court processes, and make sure public funds are spent wisely.
Looking Ahead: What Does This Mean for Immigration in California?
As reported by VisaVerge.com, the problems found by the California DOJ are likely only a part of a much bigger problem facing immigration detention not just in California 🇺🇸, but across the United States 🇺🇸. With political debates heating up, especially around President Trump’s deportation plans, the number of people in detention could go up quickly. If current failures are not addressed, even more people will suffer.
The state’s own investigations show that checking on private detention centers is more important than ever. Open communication between the government, operators, and the public may push for real solutions.
For more information, updates, and links to official forms and rules about detention standards, visit the ICE website.
Final Thoughts
The California DOJ’s latest report on immigration detention facilities calls for urgent change, especially in mental health care and suicide prevention. While operators and some officials question the findings, the official evidence collected over several years suggests that deep, meaningful reforms are needed to protect those in custody.
The spotlight is now on policymakers, operators, and communities to work together for safe, humane, and just treatment of all people in California 🇺🇸 immigration detention centers. The next report, along with ongoing community briefings, will hopefully bring greater awareness and stronger action for basic human rights in these challenging settings.
Learn Today
California DOJ → California Department of Justice, state agency responsible for legal oversight and investigations, including monitoring detention facility standards and rights.
Solitary Confinement → A practice of isolating detainees in individual cells for long periods, often detrimental to mental health.
ICE → U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, federal agency overseeing immigration enforcement and detention, including facility standards.
Segregation → Term used for solitary confinement or isolating detainees from the larger population, often for discipline or suicide watch.
GEO Group → Private company operating immigration detention centers, responsible for managed care and facility operations in several locations.
This Article in a Nutshell
A California DOJ report released April 29, 2025, exposes serious gaps in mental health and suicide prevention in immigration detention facilities. Inadequate care, poor recordkeeping, and questionable practices highlight urgent need for reform. With political debate heating up, Attorney General Bonta calls for immediate improvement to protect detainees’ basic rights and safety.
— By VisaVerge.com
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