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California's Largest ICE Detention Center Fails All Court-Ordered Medical Standards

Jul 28, 2026·Location: California City, CA

California's Largest ICE Detention Center Fails All Court-Ordered Medical Standards
Photo via The Guardian

A court-appointed monitor, Dr. Muthusamy Anandkumar, found that the California City detention center, the largest ICE facility in California, violated all eight healthcare standards set by U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney in a February injunction. His 51-page report cited staffing shortages, incomplete intake screenings, delayed specialist referrals, chronic medication failures, and neglect of detainees with disabilities, concluding the facility "lacks a reliable system to consistently provide adequate health care." The case stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in November by seven detained men alleging life-threatening gaps in treatment, and is the first court-ordered review of the full scope of medical care at any ICE facility nationwide. The findings come as ICE detention has reached record levels, with more than 65,000 people in custody as of July 11.

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