California gave counties power to inspect ICE detention centers. They're not using it

"Three of the four California counties empowered to inspect federal immigration detention facilities have not done so, and the fourth has conducted only basic reviews of food this year, records obtained by CalMatters show. If they were checking, local officials would be providing an additional layer of oversight at a time when the number of people held in detention centers has surged because of the Trump administration's crackdown on unauthorized immigrants."

"The first, passed during the first Trump administration, allows the attorney general's office to inspect for violations of national detention standards and health or safety issues. The AG's office has used that power to publish annual reports on conditions inside detention centers, including one this year that alleged deficient mental health care. The second, a 2024 law, empowers counties to inspect privately run detention facilities."

"In Kern County - where three detention centers operate - the health officer, through an attorney, has said in testimony before a federal judge that he has "no intention" of exercising his new authority to inspect the facilities to ensure they comply with state and local health standards. The companies that manage the detention centers through contracts with the federal government say they take seriously their responsibility to adhere to federal standards and uphold human rights."

Three of four California counties authorized to inspect federal immigration detention facilities did not perform inspections, and the fourth conducted only basic reviews of food this year. Two state laws grant inspection authority: one empowers the attorney general to inspect for national standard violations and health or safety issues, and the other, enacted in 2024, allows counties to inspect privately run detention facilities. Counties have previously found mold and infestations in local jails. In Kern County the health officer declared he will not exercise the new authority. Management companies assert compliance with federal standards, and one unsuccessfully sued to block the law. More than 5,700 people are detained amid rising federal enforcement.

Read at Los Angeles Times