FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27th, 2019
Southern CA Rapid Response Networks call on Cities, Counties, and State Government to respond to CA Attorney General’s Report on Detention Conditions
The SoCal Rapid Response Network collectively asks City, County, and State Governments to respond to the crisis inside CA detention centers.
Southern CA – A report released yesterday by Attorney General Xavier Becerra on inspections of immigration detention facilities in CA, mandated under AB 103 Dignity Not Detention, only confirms what Southern California Rapid Response Networks have long spoken out about— that ICE detention is rampant with abuse and neglect, systemic barriers to adequate legal representation, and isolation of immigrants from their families and support systems.
The Southern California Rapid Response Network is particularly concerned the report indicates that ICE blocked the Attorney General’s office from making full inspections of or having access to interview detainees and staff at any of the privately-operated detention centers in the State, of which 3 out of 4 are located in the Southern CA region (Adelanto, Imperial and Otay Mesa Detention Facilities). It is no surprise that these same detention centers are also home to some of the worst abuse allegations, particularly the Adelanto Detention Center, where unaddressed medical neglect has led to multiple deaths.
The report estimates there are 5,142 people detained throughout the state. The breakdown of numbers from the AG report also show that the majority of immigrants detained in California are housed in the Southern CA region, a total of 4,498 people. The detained population throughout the Southern California region are as follows:
- 1,940 in Inland Empire (Adelanto Detention Center)
- 958 in Orange County (Theo Lacy and James Musick facilities)
- 896 in San Diego County (Otay Mesa Detention Center)
- 704 in Imperial County (Imperial Detention Center)
Call to Action – It is for the aforementioned reasons that the undersigned ask of Cities, Counties, and the State government the following:
To the Attorney General Xavier Becerra – We call on you to exercise greater oversight of detention centers in CA, especially those that privately owned and operated. Work alongside community groups, non-profits, legal service providers, and directly impacted community members to be a part of this oversight process. Additionally, there remains an urgent need for more transparency and accountability when it comes to local law enforcement agencies violating state laws, like SB 54 (the Values Act) and AB 2792 (the Truth Act).
To the State Legislature and the CA Governor – It is imperative that the state not create the ground floor, but rather the ceiling for what is possible when helping those who are detained. Universal Representation at the state level should continue to be a priority and Due Process should be a right granted to everyone, including those who undocumented, detained, and with past convictions. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to enter the criminal justice system in CA should not have to be doubly punished and transferred over to ICE for deportation. As a state and community, we have to stand up and empower those who have been criminalized and as a state support the rehabilitation of people exiting the criminal justice system.
To City and County Governments – We call on you to defend Due Process at the City and County levels. Several jurisdictions across the state and country have created Legal Defense Funds for their Cities and Counties. Invest public dollars to protect those who are in immigration detention. Cities, Counties, and our State government can also invest in a regional Bond Fund. Not only that, City and County governments have the power to exercise greater oversight over detention facilities at the each of the regions. Work alongside community groups, non-profits, legal service providers, and directly impacted community members to be a part of this oversight process.
Lastly, we call on City, County and State and governments to end formal and informal cooperation with ICE and CBP. Ultimately, the undersigned below advocate and work towards limiting, if not ending, detentions and deportations in our State and across the Country. By ending collaboration on any scale will lead us towards that greater progress.
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