Seven people detained at California's largest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the US government, alleging 'life-threatening' medical neglect, frequent hunger, and housing in a 'decrepit' facility. The complaint, filed on Wednesday, challenges conditions at the California City detention centre, which opened in late August inside a shuttered state prison.
The suit alleges that residents have been denied essential medications, including cancer treatment and insulin for diabetes, and that basic disability accommodations are lacking. The facility, run by private prison corporation CoreCivic, is described as a 'torture chamber' and 'hell on earth' by detainees. Lawyers say sewage bubbles up from shower drains, insects crawl on walls, and temperatures are 'frigid', with some detainees wearing socks on their arms as makeshift sleeves.
Meals are 'paltry', and those unable to afford supplemental food go hungry, the complaint states. Despite being held for civil immigration violations, the facility 'operates even more restrictively and punitively than a prison', with families forced to visit behind glass and limited access to lawyers. Tricia McLaughlin, a Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, denied the claims, stating that detainees receive three meals a day and proper medical care.
The plaintiffs include Jose Ruiz Canizales, who is deaf and non-speaking, and has only communicated once with staff via a sign language interpreter. Yuri Alexander Roque Campos, who has a heart anomaly, has been denied medication for days at a time, resulting in two emergency hospitalisations. The lawsuit is backed by the Prison Law Office, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups.
