A video allegedly showing worm-like creatures floating in drinking water at a California Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center has sparked online reactions, with a detainee and his attorneys claiming it points to poor conditions at the facility.
The footage, released by the legal team of Calitos Ricardo Parias, shows him holding a plastic bottle filled with water. While the bottle initially appears normal, small moving particles can later be seen inside it. Parias claimed the water contained worms or larvae and was given to detainees at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California.
According to The Mirror US, Parias said he poured the water from jugs provided to detainees into the bottle himself to preserve it as evidence for his lawyers. He said he did not consume the water. In a statement translated by his attorneys, Parias alleged that detainees were being provided unsafe drinking water.
“This is what they give us: contaminated water, water with larvae, water with little black worms, which is slowly killing each one of us who are detained here,” Parias said. “We need proper drinking water, better treatment.”
{{/usCountry}}“This is what they give us: contaminated water, water with larvae, water with little black worms, which is slowly killing each one of us who are detained here,” Parias said. “We need proper drinking water, better treatment.”
{{/usCountry}}Parias, who is from Los Angeles and creates content online under the name Richard LA, has been detained at the Adelanto facility for months while facing deportation proceedings, the report said. He previously gained attention after he was shot by an ICE agent in October and later charged with assault, though the charges were dismissed.
Lawyers, advocates respond to viral video
Margaret Hellerstein, one of Parias’ attorneys, said she was disturbed after watching the footage.
“When I saw the video, I was horrified and disgusted. I felt sick to my stomach,” Hellerstein said, adding that the footage was “video evidence” that should not be ignored.
Immigration advocates also raised concerns over the allegations. Rebecca Brown, supervising attorney at Public Counsel, said the organization was reviewing the video and noted that detainees had previously complained about water quality at the facility.
The controversy comes after a class-action lawsuit alleged “dangerous conditions” at Adelanto, including issues related to food, medical care and access to clean drinking water. A judge later ordered ICE to provide detainees with 24-hour access to clean, potable drinking water, according to the report.
Internet reacts
The video triggered mixed reactions on social media. While some users expressed concern over the alleged conditions, others questioned the detainee’s claims.
One user jokes, “Fresh protein,” while another commented, “He probably found a way to put the bugs in the water. I do not trust him."
“Broadcast this video everywhere to terrify them so they can self deport,” read another comment.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had not directly commented on the viral footage. However, a DHS spokesperson told The Guardian that detainees receive “the same water used by residents and businesses in the area.”
DHS also said in court that the private prison company Geo Group operates the facility and is responsible for its conditions. Geo Group has not publicly commented on the allegations.