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California DOJ Probe Finds Six Deaths and Systemic Neglect in ICE Detention

The findings heighten pressure on ICE by linking overcrowding to dangerous lapses in care.

Overview

  • State investigators published a 175-page report that confirms six deaths in ICE custody in California over the past year, with four at Adelanto and two at the Imperial facility.
  • The report says medical care broke down, including facilities with only one doctor for nearly a thousand people, long waits for treatment, and too little mental health support.
  • Inspectors and detainees described cold cells, dirty bathrooms, scant food that led to stomach problems, and people sleeping on floors during crowding.
  • The detained population in the state surged from about 2,300 in 2023 to roughly 6,028 in 2025, which investigators say overwhelmed staff and fueled the failures.
  • Telemundo Arizona reported authorities disclosed the cause of death for a Haitian detainee, and California’s attorney general called the conditions “cruel, inhuman and unacceptable” as advocates press for audits, lawsuits, and federal action.