Editor’s note: The following article is an original piece sent in by Daniel Garibay, a friend of the People’s Tribune and our sister bilingual publication, the Tribuno del Pueblo.
Over 150 community members turned out recently—both in person and via Zoom—to protest the opening of a new 2,500-bed ICE detention facility in California City, CA, operated by CoreCivic. The opposition included local residents, faith leaders, immigrant rights groups, and civil rights advocates, with Dolores Huerta speaking in person.
The California City Planning Commission pretended to be transparent by saying that they had no say on whether to approve or not approve the application for CoreCivic to open a detention center in California City. California City is in Kern County, about two hours north of Los Angeles.
Following the closure of the state prison in 2024, CoreCivic and ICE entered into a short-term agreement to reopen it as a federal immigration facility. It is expected to be approved for a longer term.
Speakers highlighted the human toll of ICE raids and detentions, including a child who asked why their father was moved to the facility. They also raised serious legal concerns:
The facility reopened without the 180-day public notice required under California SB29.
CoreCivic is operating without a valid license.
A Spanish-speaking zoom attendee commented that she was worried about her son who has been detained for six months and was being transferred to California City detention center. He was detained while going to work. She pleaded for his release to have him at home. She claimed that she has not slept in all this time, is frustrated and that there are many mothers who are worried and suffering just like she is.
The California City deal follows a national pattern of ICE using initial contracts to quickly activate shuttered facilities managed by private operators like CoreCivic previously known as Corrections Corporation of America.
Despite these issues, city officials deflected responsibility. The Planning Commission claimed it lacked authority over CoreCivic’s application, while the City Council canceled its last scheduled discussion.
Advocates stressed the broader implications: as the largest ICE detention center in California, the facility could drive more arrests and raids across the Central Valley. It also sets a dangerous precedent by exploiting loopholes in AB137, which bans the reuse of state prisons for immigration detention but does not cover privately owned facilities like this one.
Organizations leading opposition include: Faith in the Valley, Dolores Huerta Foundation, Detention Watch Network, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, CHIRLA, ACLU, Interfaith Movement, Dignity Not Detention Coalition, Deportation Defense and many concerned residents.
Daniel Moritz-Rabson is a New York-based researcher and investigative journalist whose work focuses on the criminal legal system. His reporting has appeared in outlets including ProPublica, The Intercept, and The Appeal.
