The Department of Homeland Security is continuing to buy up ICE detention facilities in California and as of this week now has full ownership over the Adelanto ICE Processing Center near Victorville.
DHS bought the Adelanto facilities from private prison operator, GEO Group, which announced the sale on Monday. GEO expects to continue to operate the processing center’s three facilities -- Adelanto East, Adelanto West, and Desert View -- through December 2034.
“We stand ready to continue to assist the federal government in meeting its immigration enforcement priorities,” said GEO Group CEO George Zoley in a statement. “We remain focused on allocating capital to enhance long-term value for shareholders, including through share repurchases.”
The purchase is part of a larger pattern by the federal government. Earlier this summer, DHS bought detention centers in Otay Mesa and California City from another private prison contractor, CoreCivic.
Combined, the feds have spent more than $2 billion on these facilities. DHS said in a statement that ICE has $45 billion dollars to expand detention space under President Trump’s budget bill.
For years, the government only leased these facilities, but owning them outright could help limit state and local oversight at a time when California is trying to increase it. Just last week, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of more than 20 bills aimed at boosting accountability around immigration enforcement in the state.
The Adelanto ICE Processing Center has already been under scrutiny for its living conditions and a judge ordered improvements earlier this year after a lawsuit. The Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which is part of that suit, says the sale of Adelanto shows that the federal government has resources, but it fails to uphold basic human rights.
"No matter who owns the facility, the government must comply with a federal court order requiring it to meet its constitutional obligations,” said Alvaro Huerta, Director of Litigation and Advocacy with ImmDef. “The fact that DHS is able to make this [purchase] of the facility, while 1,700 detained people are denied proper medical care, nutritious food, clean water, and safe living conditions is a jarring reminder that the suffering at Adelanto has never been due to a lack of resources.”
Javier Hernandez, the executive director with the Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice (IC4IJ), said the sale of the Adelanto ICE Processing Center should “raise alarms” for people.
“The federal government is spending nearly a billion dollars to purchase these facilities, but there has been no indication that this will bring greater transparency or meaningful oversight,” said Hernandez. “We are calling on Congress to cancel this contract and reject any further investment in a detention system that has failed to provide the transparency and accountability our communities deserve.”
CalMatters contributed to this reporting
