Detainee Claims ICE Facility Provided Water Contaminated with Worms

An immigrant detainee at a California detention center alleges he received drinking water contaminated with worms, a claim supported by video footage shared by his lawyer. Carlitos Ricardo Parias, detained for months at the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, was shown in a video call with his lawyer, Margaret Hellerstein, holding a plastic bottle filled with water containing small, swimming creatures.

Hellerstein shared the video, recorded this week, with The Guardian. Though brief and blurry, the clip clearly shows Parias holding the bottle with what he described as worms or larvae. Parias stated this is the water supplied to detainees for consumption. He claims the contaminated water was taken from a water dispenser provided by facility staff and transferred to a plastic bottle as evidence.

"This is what they give us: contaminated water, water with larvae, water with small black worms that are slowly killing us here. We need proper drinking water and better treatment," Parias said in a statement translated from Spanish. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not directly address the video, but a spokesperson stated the facility receives water from the city of Adelanto, the same source used by local residents and businesses. Geo Group, the private prison company managing the ICE facility, asserted on Tuesday that the facility relies entirely on the municipal water system, which undergoes regular testing.

The revelation comes weeks after a federal judge ordered ICE to ensure 24-hour access to clean and safe drinking water for all individuals detained at Adelanto. This order followed a class-action lawsuit challenging dangerous conditions at the facility, where detainees alleged denial of adequate food, clean water, and proper medical care. The exact source of the water in the video and the extent to which it was distributed to other detainees remain unconfirmed. Parias, also known as TikTok content creator Richard LA, gained national attention after being shot by ICE agents last October and subsequently charged with assault.

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This is what they give us: contaminated water, water with larvae, water with small black worms that are slowly killing us here. We need proper drinking water and better treatment.