A Southern California legal coalition representing several people detained inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center is asking a federal judge to order immediate improvements at the facility, “before more people are irreparably harmed,” the group announced on Tuesday.
The detainees say their Constitutional rights have been violated, and that the facility has failed to comply with detention standards by repopulating the Adelanto ICE center in 2025 without adequate staffing, according to court records.
This request for relief is part of a lawsuit filed January by an LA nonprofit and four detainees against federal officials and agencies alleging inhumane conditions inside the Adelanto ICE detention center.
Denials of medication, hospitalizations for untreated infections, being forced to drink dirty water and eat rotten food, and being locked in solitary confinement after asking for basic necessities are some of the conditions people detained inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center are subjected to, according to more than two dozen sworn declarations from individuals currently and formerly detained, legal advocates, and medical and corrections experts.
The plaintiffs, in their request for a preliminary injunction, say they are seeking such improvements as timely and adequate health care staffing and services, reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, adequate nutrition and medical care for pregnant women, sufficiently nutritious and sanitary meals with a sufficient number of calories, accommodating those with dietary restrictions, access to clean potable drinking water, and adequate sanitation throughout the facility.
“They have served us spoiled food. The oranges and fruits are sometimes rotten. Food is sometimes sour when it is not supposed to be. This has been the case with the tuna and chicken they serve us,” said plaintiff and detainee Sevak Mesrobian in a declaration taken as part of the lawsuit.
Recently, Alberto Gutierrez Reyes, a 48-year-old father and husband, died after being detained inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center for less than two months, according to authorities, days after he reported feeling sick. Days later, Irvin Cruz-Nape, 44, died after being released from Adelanto, according to KVCR.
Last year, Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, and Gabriel Garcia-Aviles, 56, died after being detained inside the Adelanto ICE facility. Ayala-Uribe’s family say he didn’t receive proper medical care while in ICE custody.
For years, the Adelanto ICE Processing Center has faced widespread scrutiny from politicians, watchdog groups, and advocacy groups for alleged and documented cases of abuse and neglect.
In 2018, the Office of Inspector General found nooses made out of braided bedsheets in detainees cells during an unannounced visit and other serious issues that violated ICE’s Performance-Based National Detention Standards.
In 2025, Disability Rights California released a report on their visitation findings, which concluded that people with disabilities detained inside the Adelanto ICE Processing Center are subjected to abuse and neglect. A man with diabetes reported receiving his medication twice within 10 days – a medication he’s supposed to receive twice a day.
“These claims of inhumane conditions inside the Adelanto ICE processing center are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, water, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers. In fact, ICE has higher detention standards than most U.S. prisons that hold actual U.S. citizens,” said Lauren Bis, DHS’ deputy assistant secretary for public affairs, in an emailed statement.
“It is a longstanding practice to provide comprehensive medical care from the moment an alien enters ICE custody. This includes medical, dental, and mental health services as available, and access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare than many aliens have received in their entire lives.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and GEO Group — the private-prison company that owns and operates the Adelanto ICE detention center — did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
A judge will consider the request for relief at a hearing in Riverside on April 10.