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ICE hit with lawsuit over inadequate drinking water at California detention center; other serious allegations emerge
ICE has been hit with a federal class-action lawsuit, with the complaint stating that conditions at a California detention center are unsafe and unsanitary.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been hit with a federal class-action lawsuit after it was accused of inadequate access to drinking water at a California immigration detention center. A coalition of detained migrants and immigrant-rights advocates claimed in the lawsuit that conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Southern California are so unsafe that they violate constitutional and federal law, according to Newsweek.
"The limited drinking water often appears dirty and tastes odd, raising serious concerns about its potability," the lawsuit reads.
Assistant Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin denied the allegations, saying in a statement to Newsweek, "Any claims there are inhumane conditions at ICE detention centers are FALSE. Messaging bills like these are the type of garbage contributing to our officers facing an 8000% increase in death threats and a more than 1,300% in assaults against them.”
She added, "ICE has higher detention standards than most US prisons that hold actual US citizens. ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards."
With the Trump administration pushing forward with a hard-line deportation policy, ICE is facing widespread criticism and allegations of misconduct. The lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in .S. District Court for the Central District of California, names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE acting director Todd M. Lyons, and Jaime Rios, Acting Director of ICE’s Los Angeles Field Office, as defendants. The plaintiffs are four people who are detained at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, as well as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), a Los Angeles–based nonprofit organization.
Adelanto is located in the Mojave Desert and operated by the private prison company GEO Group under contract with ICE. The complaint alleged that the facility’s population has been increasing since mid-2025. It has increased from a few dozen people to nearly 2,000 detainees in just a few weeks, the plaintiffs said, adding that the surge ended up overwhelming staffing and infrastructure, leading to deteriorating conditions.
Allegations in the lawsuit
The lawsuit alleged that detainees have experienced unreliable access to clean drinking water. Water has been described as limited, discolored, or foul-tasting. It also alleged that detainees are left without adequate water for long periods, raising concerns about dehydration and overall health.
The complaint talked about unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, including mold in living areas, insufficient food, limited access to clean clothing, and exposure to infectious diseases, with the plaintiffs saying the standards are "worse than conditions in state and federal prison." It also alleged that detainees who suffer from serious medical conditions, including epilepsy, cardiac disorders, mobility impairments, and severe infections, have faced delayed or denied treatment.
The Department of Homeland Security, however, has dismissed these allegations. It told Newsweek, "All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, and toiletries, and have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals. 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."
Supervising attorney Rebecca Brown told the outlet, “Our immigrant neighbors are being subjected to conditions that violate their most basic human rights—denied medical care, given inadequate food, and treated with cruelty rather than dignity. The Constitution does not allow the government to cage people in conditions that cause serious injury, worsening illness, and lasting trauma. This lawsuit demands accountability and immediate action to ensure that every person detained at Adelanto receives the humane treatment they deserve under our Constitution. No one—regardless of immigration status—should be subjected to these conditions.”
Alvaro M. Huerta, director of litigation and advocacy at Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), said, "Being detained for a civil infraction should never result in serious illness or even death. Our lawsuit aims to stop the human rights violations that our federal government is committing against people they are choosing to imprison, separating them from their loved ones, and in some instances costing them their lives. Overcrowding, squalid conditions, and denial of proper medical care are pressure tactics ICE is using to coerce ‘voluntary’ departure. ICE bears responsibility for every preventable illness, every avoidable death, and every unconstitutional injustice these conditions bring about, and we intend to hold them fully accountable in court.”
