Feinstein on Inspector General Report on Conditions at ICE Dentition Facilities
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general report on conditions at four Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers, including the privately owned Adelanto Detention Facility in California:
“The inspector general found that ICE has repeatedly violated its own standards in a way that ‘shows a disregard for detainee health and safety.’ That is unacceptable.
“The report stated that detainees are receiving delayed and inadequate medical care, and contaminated or rotten food is being served. Some of the detainees at these facilities are parents who were improperly separated from young children as part of the administration’s zero tolerance policy.
“At the Adelanto Detention Facility in California, DACA recipient José Ibarra Bucio, collapsed into a coma while in ICE custody in February. His family removed him from life support and he passed away in March. “I remain deeply troubled by the lack of oversight of the private contractor running the Adelanto facility. This report reinforces my concerns.
“The issues in the report are not new. Instead, they are part of a pattern of neglect by the Trump administration. Families fleeing violence deserve empathy and respect. ICE must take immediate action to guarantee humane conditions.”
Report highlights
- Inspectors found food storage problems at all the facilities they toured, including chicken packets open and leaking into a refrigerator in Essex, and spoiled, unwrapped meat in Adelanto.
- Inspectors found detainees were held in solitary confinement and placed in restraints while in solitary, without sufficient justification, and without sufficient recreation time in Essex and Adelanto.
- Inspectors found that the Adelanto and Essex facilities were so unsanitary that they posed health risks to detainees. Both facilities had peeling paint and mold in the showers and vents. The Essex facility also failed to provide adequate toiletries to detainees.
