Indian-origin United States Congressman Ro Khanna has expressed profound shock and horror after visiting a privately-run immigration detention facility in California, describing conditions as a severe violation of human rights that are worse than those for animals.
Disturbing First-Hand Accounts from Detainees
During a visit on January 5, Congressman Khanna spoke directly with 47 detainees held at the California City ICE Detention Facility. The accounts he heard were deeply troubling. One man reportedly had blood in his urine but had been unable to see a doctor. Another detainee complained of finding rocks in the food, while others spoke of being forced to shiver at night due to a lack of warm clothing like long-sleeve shirts.
Khanna, who spent approximately three hours at the centre with an aide, stated that his conversations revealed a pattern of "systemic neglect." He emphasized that the situation was "dehumanizing," with many detainees breaking down in tears during their interactions. The facility, operated by private contractor CoreCivic, is located in the remote Mojave Desert and opened in late August last year under a contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Overcrowding and Lack of Basic Amenities
The visit comes at a time when ICE is detaining a record number of people, with roughly 69,000 individuals in custody as of late December. This surge is part of President Donald Trump's MAGA-aligned immigration crackdown. Khanna was informed that the facility housed more than 1,400 detainees, including 215 women, though official ICE data from December listed a lower figure of 922.
Detainees described a litany of hardships to the Congressman, including undrinkable water, repeated lockdowns, family visits with no physical contact, and severe delays in accessing medical care. Khanna noted that during his tour, he saw only one doctor attending to around 40 patients. The facility is poised to become the largest ICE detention centre in California, with a planned capacity for nearly 26,000 detainees.
A Call for Dignity Amidst Political Debate
In posts on social media platform X and in subsequent interviews, Khanna did not mince words. "We're treating these people like animals, not like human beings," he said, calling the situation "an embarrassment for the country." He framed the issue as a basic matter of human dignity, separate from the political debate on immigration consequences. "Whatever you think about the consequences for people who are undocumented, we should all agree that you treat people with dignity," Khanna asserted.
The Congressman's findings gain a grim context from the rising number of deaths in immigration custody. The year 2025 has seen 32 detention-related deaths reported, marking the highest number in over two decades. CoreCivic, the company managing the facility, has rejected the claims of neglect. A company spokesperson stated that health and safety are a top priority and that detainees have daily access to medical and mental health services.
Khanna contrasted the official tour, where he said prison officials were "going by the book," with the raw reality shared by the detainees. "Then when we met the detainees, I was just floored," he recounted, highlighting a stark disconnect between administration and on-ground suffering.
