Rep. Jimmy Panetta Conducts Oversight Visit to California’s Largest ICE Detention Facility as Administration Ramps Up Detention Spending
Monterey, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) conducted a congressional oversight visit to the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center, California’s largest immigration detention facility, to examine conditions and ensure that detainees are being treated humanely and afforded due process. This visit marks Rep. Panetta’s seventh trip to an immigration or border facility during his time in Congress.
The oversight visit comes as the Administration begins implementing a $170 billion expansion of immigration enforcement, including $45 billion for ICE detention. This federal funding, passed through President Donald Trump’s partisan reconciliation law, is set to more than double current ICE detention capacity. The Administration has also announced plans to deploy members of the National Guard to detention sites across the country, including Adelanto.
“As a Member of Congress, it’s not enough to just to speak out, we have to show up when it comes to holding this Administration accountable through our oversight responsibilities,” said Rep. Panetta. “I traveled to Adelanto to see firsthand the conditions at the largest immigration detention facility in California and ensure due process. As the Administration expands its deportation policies to well beyond those with criminal records, more transparency and oversight are needed. That’s why I’ll continue to show up, press for answers, and ensure due process on behalf of California’s 19th Congressional District.”
The facility, which is privately operated by the GEO Group, currently holds over 1,600 detainees. During his visit to Adelanto, Rep. Panetta conducted a two-hour walkthrough of the facility that included visits to a number of areas, including medical, mental health, pharmaceutical, kitchen, dining, recreation yards, general population units, cells, special housing unit, law library, lawyer meeting rooms, family visitation areas, five immigration courts rooms, and more. Rep. Panetta also met with on-site ICE officials, facility managers, and legal advocates. Rep. Panetta raised a number of questions about who is being detained, the length of their stay, their criminal history or lack thereof, location of arrest, how ICE ensures access to attorneys and family members, and more. During the visit, Rep. Panetta also observed immigration court proceedings in the five on-site immigration court rooms and spoke with volunteer attorneys from the ACLU, to ensure due process for the detainees.
Rep. Panetta will continue his oversight responsibilities with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE and press this Administration for continued transparency. Rep. Panetta remains committed to ensuring that those detained are provided the appropriate due process as well as continuing his legislative work to secure the border and fix our broken immigration system with commonsensical immigration reform.
Rep. Panetta discusses his visit to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center
and the need for Congressional oversight.
Press play or click HERE to watch Rep. Panetta’s reactions.