After Delaney Hall, Adelanto: Calls to close California ICE center over irregularities

Immigrant rights advocates are sounding the alarm over a hunger strike by dozens of detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center and its adjacent Desert View Annex in California. The detainees are protesting what they describe as substandard living conditions, including insufficient medical care, inadequate food, and problems with potable water and mold. Some detainees reportedly began refusing meals on May 20, with around 40 individuals participating in the protest across both facilities, according to a coalition of monitoring organizations.

Federal lawmakers, including Representatives Judy Chu, Pete Aguilar, and Jimmy Gomez, have visited the facility to hear the detainees' grievances firsthand. Chu, who has monitored the Adelanto center for over a decade, stated that the observed issues are not new and described the living conditions as unacceptable, reiterating her call for the facility's permanent closure. The protest at Adelanto comes shortly after similar demonstrations at the Delaney Hall ICE detention center in New Jersey, which is operated by the same company, GEO Group.

In response to the allegations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied the existence of a hunger strike and defended the ICE facility's medical care. However, the detainees' complaints, detailed in statements from Chu's office, highlight a range of issues, including alleged lack of access to medical professionals, delayed treatment, and insufficient medication. Detainees also report being forced to purchase supplemental food from the commissary due to the inadequacy of provided meals, prompting some to initiate an internal economic boycott.

The controversy has drawn attention to the operations of GEO Group, the private prison company managing both Adelanto and Delaney Hall. Immigrant advocates continue to push for the closure of these facilities, citing persistent human rights concerns and the need for improved conditions for detained individuals.

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The problems observed are not new. During the visit, I once again found complaints about living conditions that I describe as unacceptable.