US Judge Orders Safety Reforms at Adelanto ICE Facility After Alleged Constitutional Violations
Published on 07/18/2026 at 22:17 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A federal judge has ordered immediate health and safety improvements at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California, following allegations of unconstitutional conditions at the facility operated by the GEO Group. The preliminary injunction, issued on July 17, 2026, requires the facility — which houses nearly 1,500 detainees — to provide clean drinking water, nutritious meals, adequate hygiene products, and daily cleaning, including the removal of mould.
Mandated Reforms and Independent Oversight
U.S. District Judge Sunshine Sykes found that constitutional violations were likely occurring at the facility and ordered a series of specific improvements. Detainees must now be granted four hours of daily outdoor recreation, restrictions have been placed on the use of solitary confinement, and headcounts are limited to twice daily. Family visits must remain unrestricted, and the facility must provide temperature-appropriate clothing.
The court has appointed two independent monitors to oversee compliance. Facility operators have 14 days to submit a remedial plan addressing medical care and accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
The legal action stems from a lawsuit filed in January 2026, with a motion for a preliminary injunction following in March 2026, supported by approximately two dozen declarations. The case gained momentum after at least four deaths at the facility since September 2025, including the deaths of Ismael Ayala-Uribe and Gabriel García-Avilés in autumn 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has maintained that it holds high standards for detention conditions, but agency spokespersons criticised the ruling, describing the judge as an activist and denying that conditions were substandard.
Wider Concerns Across US Detention Facilities
The Adelanto ruling comes amid reported health and safety issues at other detention sites run by private contractors and federal agencies. In New Mexico, detainees at the Torrance County Detention Facility, operated by CoreCivic, reported skin irritation and rashes linked to tap water. The Town of Estancia declared a water emergency in July 2026 due to low reservoir levels, forcing the facility to ship in drinking water.
In Colorado, immigration advocates are pressing the state attorney general to investigate a potential tuberculosis outbreak at the Aurora ICE facility. Following one laboratory-confirmed case in June 2026, detainees have alleged there may be as many as 12 positive cases. State health officials have demanded access to the site, and the GEO Group was recently given a deadline to comply with health department requirements.
Conditions have also come under scrutiny at the Miami Federal Detention Center. Reports from July 18, 2026, indicate that detainees there have faced broken toilets, cockroach infestations, and extreme heat. The Bureau of Prisons stated that water and air conditioning issues had been resolved, but families of those detained alleged that complaints were met with retaliation.
Previous Safety Violations and Settlements
The recent court orders follow earlier regulatory actions against private detention operators. In May 2026, the GEO Group reached a $100,000 settlement with Cal/OSHA over safety violations related to disease control at the Golden State Annex.
That case established a significant legal precedent in California, as state authorities treated detainees as workers under labour laws for the purpose of enforcing safety standards. The settlement required the facility to improve its infectious disease control plans, reflecting ongoing regulatory pressure on the private detention industry to address both workplace and residential safety.
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