Detention Centers

Neither type of inspection ICE uses to examine detention facilities ensures consistent compliance with detention standards or comprehensive correction of identified deficiencies. Specifically, because the Nakamoto inspection scope is too broad, ICE’s guidance on procedures is unclear, and Nakamoto’s inspection practices are not consistently thorough, its inspections do not fully examine actual conditions or identify all compliance deficiencies. In contrast, ODO uses effective methods and processes to thoroughly inspect facilities and identify deficiencies, but the inspections are too infrequent to ensure the facilities implement all corrections. Moreover, ICE does not adequately follow up on identified deficiencies or systematically hold facilities accountable for correcting deficiencies, which further diminishes the usefulness of both Nakamoto and ODO inspections.

A recent unannounced inspection of the Theo Lacy Facility, an ICE detention facility in Orange, California, raised serious concerns, some that pose health risks and others that violate ICE’s 2008 Performance-Based National Detention Standards and result in potentially unsafe conditions at the facility.  Overall, we had concerns about food handling, confinement conditions, and services.  We made three recommendations to ensure compliance with ICE detention standards and strengthen ICE’s oversight of TLF.

As part of our ongoing oversight of detention conditions, we completed unannounced inspections of three U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) family detention facilities.  During these inspections, nothing came to our attention that warranted serious concerns about the health, safety, or welfare of the detained families.  Specifically, we did not observe any conditions or actions that represented an immediate, unaddressed risk or an egregious violation of ICE’s Family Residential Standards.  The facilities were clean, well-organized, and efficiently run.  At all three facilities, ICE was satisfactorily addressing the inherent challenges of providing medical care and language services and ensuring the safety of families in detention.  Staff said they had received training for handling allegations of sexual assault or abuse and child abuse, and all staff interviewed could identify the appropriate steps for handling such allegations, complaints, or grievances.  We also observed surveillance cameras and perimeter security at all three facilities.  Staff at all three facilities reported they store camera footage for at least three weeks; staff at one facility reported cameras cannot see certain spots in public areas; and facility perimeters may not prevent unauthorized intrusion.  We made no recommendations in this report.