Empty ICE Processing Center Encountered During California Congressional Inspection Visit
The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California has described the B-18 ICE processing center in downtown Los Angeles as "dungeon-like," accusing the administration of failing to provide basic necessities like food, water, adequate hygiene facilities, and medical care.
Recent Congressional visits to the facility have revealed troubling findings. Detainees reportedly receive only a small pack of cookies and juice as their single meal of the day, indicating inadequate food provision. Accounts also describe delayed or absent medical care for detainees, and highly sanitized conditions during oversight visits, leading to accusations that ICE deliberately sanitized and emptied the center ahead of visits to hinder oversight.
Congressional investigators and advocacy groups question the discrepancies between official statements and reported on-the-ground realities. For instance, ICE officials maintain that detainees receive three meals a day and medical care, but this contradicts the experiences of those held at B-18.
The facility, which can hold up to 335 migrants, has been holding scores of migrants and some U.S. citizens for multiple days. Reports of overcrowding and lack of adequate sleeping accommodations have also emerged.
Reps. Brad Sherman, Judy Chu, Jimmy Gomez, and Maxine Waters have criticized the ongoing immigration enforcement and the use of masked, roving agents. They described a sparse scene inside B-18 with nine holding rooms, each with two toilets but no beds. Some detainees have reported receiving only one meal a day, and the food pantry at B-18 was described as "scanty."
Detainees were allegedly subjected to overcrowding and did not have adequate sleeping accommodations. They reportedly have no soap or toothbrushes, adding to the harsh conditions. One of the two detainees at the ICE facility on Monday was seen resting with his head on a table.
A class-action legal case filed last month in federal district court in Washington alleges inhumane detention at B-18, including the absence of access to counsel. The lawsuit seeks to block the Trump administration's "ongoing pattern and practice of flouting the Constitution and federal law" during immigration raids in the L.A. area.
In response, ICE recently published new guidelines for members of Congress and their staff, requiring at least 72 hours' notice from lawmakers and at least 24 hours' notice from staff before an oversight visit. However, this has not quelled the concerns of Congress members and advocacy groups.
City and school officials are taking steps to protect undocumented families amid immigration enforcement, setting up "safe zones" around LAUSD campuses. The Department of Homeland Security has faced criticism for its handling of immigration enforcement in California, with arrests lagging behind states such as Texas and Florida due to fewer initial arrests and weaker cooperation.
California: A federal judge temporarily barred the government from mass sweeps in Los Angeles and seven nearby counties without first establishing reasonable suspicion that the targets are in the U.S. illegally. This decision comes amid ongoing concerns about the treatment of detainees in facilities like B-18.
In summary, multiple sources indicate substantial evidence of food scarcity, insufficient medical care, harsh cell conditions, and strategic sanitization of B-18 during inspections, raising serious compliance and human rights concerns at the downtown L.A. ICE processing center.
- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California has accused the administration of failing to provide basic necessities at the B-18 ICE processing center in downtown Los Angeles, describing it as "dungeon-like."
- Reports from Congressional visits to the B-18 facility have shown troubling findings, such as inadequate food provision and delayed or absent medical care for detainees.
- Detainees held at B-18 have reported receiving only one meal a day and have described the food pantry as "scanty."
- City and school officials in Los Angeles are taking steps to protect undocumented families amid immigration enforcement, setting up "safe zones" around LAUSD campuses.
- A federal judge in Los Angeles has temporarily barred the government from mass sweeps in the area without first establishing reasonable suspicion, due to ongoing concerns about the treatment of detainees in facilities like B-18.
