Key Takeaways
• California DOJ reports worsening mental health care at all six private immigration detention centers.
• Detention population rose from 2,300 in 2023 to 3,100 by April 2025, mostly without criminal records.
• Poor oversight, harsh discipline, and recordkeeping failures endanger detainee rights and legal outcomes.
California’s top law enforcement office has issued a strong warning after releasing the latest review of its immigration detention centers. The California Department of Justice (California DOJ), led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, has told Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that the state’s six privately-operated detention centers are still failing in important ways—and that those failures are getting worse as the number of people detained goes up.
The new 165-page report is the fourth effort by the California DOJ to look closely at the conditions inside these immigration detention centers. According to the findings, many problems have barely changed since earlier reports, and in some cases, new troubles are showing up. The report raises deep concerns, especially around how people with mental health issues are treated and whether everyone in detention is getting fair treatment and basic care.
Let’s break down the report’s key areas, what these problems mean for people being held, and why this continues to matter for California and the whole United States 🇺🇸.
Widespread Issues in Mental Health Care
The major message from the California DOJ’s review is simple: Each immigration detention center has serious problems providing even basic mental health care. People brought there by ICE are not getting the help they need. The report found several issues:
- Weak Mental Health Assessments: In all six facilities, those with mental health conditions didn’t get regular and complete psychiatric checks. Sometimes, there was no follow-up care.
- Medication Overuse: Instead of counseling or other support, staff at the centers mainly relied on giving people medication to address mental health needs. This approach does not always solve the problem and can even make things worse.
- Poor Suicide Prevention: Some facilities failed to put in place or use strong steps to stop suicides, which is especially serious in a high-stress environment.
- Solitary Confinement: People with mental health issues were sometimes kept in solitary confinement, cut off from others, for weeks or even months. Experts say this can be very damaging, especially for those already struggling.
- Bad Recordkeeping: All centers reviewed by the California DOJ had trouble keeping accurate medical and mental health records. Without these records, it’s hard for staff to follow up, for patients to get the right care, or for outside reviewers to see what really happened.
These issues, taken together, show that ICE’s system for caring for people’s minds and bodies is falling short. According to the report, many of these problems mean detained people are suffering and not getting their basic needs met. As reported by VisaVerge.com, the lack of proper oversight and care could lead to serious, long-term harm for thousands of people.
Unsafe Use of Force and Failing Discipline
The report also lays out how some people in immigration detention centers are being treated unfairly—not only when it comes to health care, but also how rules are enforced:
- Disproportionate Use of Force: At several centers, staff reacted with too much force when dealing with people who had mental health problems. Instead of trying to calm situations, physical force was used too quickly or too often.
- Harsh Discipline for Small Problems: Some detainees were put in solitary confinement for breaking very small rules or simply for voicing complaints. This type of punishment is thought to be both harsh and unnecessary, especially considering the added stress already placed on detainees.
- Intimidation and Pat-Down Searches: The centers often used frequent pat-down searches. These made some people so uncomfortable or afraid that they chose not to leave their rooms, even when they needed medical help. At some facilities, these searches led people to file sexual assault complaints against staff.
All these practices, according to the California DOJ, increase fear inside the detention centers, rather than making things safer or more controlled.
Due Process Violations
For many people held by ICE, how they are treated during their time in the immigration detention centers can have a huge impact on their legal case. The California DOJ’s report points out that:
- Missed Treatment Before Court: Some detainees did not get the medicine or mental health care they needed before going to immigration court. This meant they struggled to take part in their own hearings, which can affect their future in the United States 🇺🇸.
- Lack of Legal Guidance: Some centers did not correctly tell detainees about their rights under important federal court decisions. For example, those with serious mental health problems are supposed to get legal help, but this information was not always shared.
These problems mean that the process isn’t fair for everyone. People may end up with outcomes that do not reflect the facts or their needs—simply because the system did not work as it should.
Population Growth Makes Matters Worse
A troubling detail in the DOJ’s report is how the number of people in immigration detention centers has gone up fast. There were about 2,300 detainees in 2023, and by April 2025, that number had jumped to 3,100.
Even more important, about three out of four people held in these centers have no criminal record at all. For many, being held in a place with these types of problems is their only experience with jail or prison.
As more people are sent to these centers—a move sometimes linked to stronger federal enforcement—existing failures in the system become even more serious. The California DOJ warns that if the trend continues, the results could be even more harmful for all those involved.
Shrinking Federal Oversight
Attorney General Rob Bonta made clear in his statement that California cannot count on federal reviews to catch and fix these problems. Recent changes in federal policy have led to the closing of Department of Homeland Security offices that used to look into civil rights complaints from people held in detention. The result: less outside review, and fewer chances for those inside to have their voices heard.
Bonta stressed that California will continue to do its own reviews. He said, “California’s facility reviews remain especially critical…in light of efforts by the Trump Administration to both eliminate oversight…and increase its inhumane campaign of mass immigration enforcement…”
This statement points to a basic disagreement over how much attention should be paid to conditions inside ICE detention centers and who should be in charge of making sure detainees are safe and treated fairly.
The Facility Operators Push Back
Not everyone agrees with the state’s findings. The GEO Group, which runs four out of six California ICE detention centers, claims the California DOJ report is not fair. They say the findings are “politically motivated attacks” that are less about solving real problems and more about trying to “abolish ICE.” GEO Group insists that the report is full of mistakes and does not match what actually happens in their facilities.
ICE officials have also answered the criticism. They said they care about being open and check on their centers themselves with regular inspections. However, they noted that they had not been given enough time to fully look over the state’s new report. ICE asks anyone with complaints to contact them directly through their hotline.
A Closer Look at Mesa Verde and Other Troubling Cases
The California DOJ report pulled out special examples to show how things go wrong in practice. At the Mesa Verde center in Bakersfield, for example, officials did not correctly record the forced transfer of people on hunger strike. Hunger strikes are a powerful way for detainees to show their deep unhappiness or protest conditions, but the lack of detailed records about forced transfers raises real questions about oversight and respect for detainee rights.
In other centers, the pattern was the same: poor documentation, unclear policies, and a feeling among detainees that their complaints went unheard or led to punishment.
Why Accurate Records Matter
One repeating problem highlighted by the report is the lack of good recordkeeping, especially around medical care. When medical records are missing or wrong, staff cannot be sure what care a person has received—or what care they need next. This can put people at risk, especially those with ongoing medical or mental health needs.
In any correctional or detention setting, good records are the backbone of safe care. Without them, even well-meaning staff can make mistakes, treatments can be missed, and accountability disappears.
What This Means for Detainees and for California
The California DOJ’s report is more than just a list of complaints. It is a call to action for ICE, private contractors, and federal officials to make real changes. The report warns that if nothing is done—and if the number of people in detention keeps rising—the problems will only get harder to fix, and more people will get hurt.
For the people actually held in these centers, the risk is clear. Without safe, fair, and careful treatment, their health, their chances at a fair hearing, and their sense of dignity are all threatened. For California as a whole, the findings are a serious warning that the current system is not working well.
What’s Next?
The California DOJ isn’t done yet. Attorney General Bonta has promised to keep checking up on the centers in the months and years ahead. Later this month, the DOJ will hold a public briefing so anyone interested—from immigrant families to lawyers to lawmakers—can hear directly about what was found and what California hopes to do about it.
Meanwhile, ICE contractors are being pressed to make urgent changes across all areas, from mental health programs and recordkeeping to how discipline works and how people are told about their legal rights.
If you want to learn more directly from the California Department of Justice, you can find the full report and updates about immigration detention oversight at the Attorney General’s official website: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-sounds-alarm-releases-fourth-immigration-detention
National Impact: A Reflection of Broader Trends
While this report focuses on California 🇺🇸, its findings have meaning for the entire country. ICE runs detention centers in many states, and the problems listed by the California DOJ are not unique to just one region. Other reports from groups and state governments around the United States 🇺🇸 have shown similar problems, especially in private centers.
This makes the California DOJ’s message even more important. Without strong and regular checks from both state and federal officials, these systems can slip into poor practices or worse. The debate over who should be detained, how they should be cared for, and who should watch over the whole process is likely to continue for years. Those in favor of stronger enforcement say the centers are needed, while others argue for more humane treatment or smaller detention populations.
Summary and Real-World Steps Forward
The latest California DOJ review shines a bright light on serious problems inside state immigration detention centers. It points to:
- Lacking mental health care and overuse of medication
- Poor recordkeeping that puts detainees at risk
- Harsh use of force and unfair discipline, even for small problems
- Risks to people’s legal rights and ability to participate in court
- The bigger dangers caused by a growing population of people—many without criminal records—being sent to already struggling centers
The California DOJ is calling for major changes and promising to keep the pressure on ICE and the private contractors who run these immigration detention centers. The debate around these centers will continue, but for now, one point is clear: many people’s safety and rights depend on whether these warnings are taken seriously and if real changes are made.
For anyone needing to understand the rules around immigration detention and oversight, or who wants to file a complaint, the ICE official website provides detailed information and hotlines for public use.
As California prepares for more public discussion later this month, all eyes will be on whether ICE and its contractors will finally take the steps needed to improve life inside these detention centers. The results in California 🇺🇸 may set the stage for changes across the country, reminding everyone of how important good care and fair treatment are for anyone held by ICE.
Learn Today
Immigration Detention Centers → Facilities where non-citizens are held by ICE while their removal proceedings or immigration status are resolved.
California DOJ → California Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General, oversees legal matters and investigates conditions in state detention centers.
Solitary Confinement → A form of incarceration where individuals are isolated from others for extended periods, often worsening mental health problems.
Due Process → Legal requirement ensuring fair treatment in legal matters, including access to courts, representation, and necessary medical care.
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) → Federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including detention and removal of non-citizens in the U.S.
This Article in a Nutshell
California’s Department of Justice uncovered serious, ongoing issues in all six private immigration detention centers, with mental health care especially inadequate. Increasing detainee numbers and shrinking federal oversight worsen conditions. The report emphasizes urgent reforms to ensure detainees’ safety, rights, and access to adequate health care, spotlighting California’s national importance.
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• Denver businesses face record ICE fines for unauthorized workers
• Most ICE detainers in North Carolina do not lead to custody
• ICE agents face scrutiny over welfare checks on migrants
• REAL ID vs. standard driver’s license: What immigrants need to know
• NC House approves bill expanding sheriff cooperation with ICE
