San Diego is suing ICE for access to the detention center

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San Diego County filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday, alleging that the Trump administration illegally blocked a public health inspection of the Otay Mesa detention center, escalating a dispute over oversight of the private immigration detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The lawsuit seeks court order a requirement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the private prison company CoreCivic to allow county health officials to conduct a full inspection. According to the lawsuit, ICE initially authorized county officials to enter the facility, but reversed that decision when the inspection team arrived.

“The Trump administration cannot hide the conditions at the Otay Mesa detention center,” Tera Lawson-Remer, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, said in a statement. press conference in federal court. “If they won’t allow a legal public health inspection, a federal court will.”

Tennessee-based CoreCivic did not respond to a request for comment.

The White House referred CalMatters to the Department of Homeland Security. In a written statement, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security countered that San Diego officials improperly requested the inspection by not notifying ICE seven days in advance. “These procedures and protocols exist for the safety of detainees, staff and visitors,” the statement said.

San Diego officials say the inspection was authorized by California Law of 2024 which gives local public health officials the power to inspect private detention centers to ensure they meet health and safety standards. CalMatters reported in October that local governments across the state were not using this new power.

“That’s our job. This authority exists for a reason. Disease and unsafe conditions affect those inside the facilities and don’t stop at the sluice doors. Staff, contractors and visitors move between these facilities and our community every day,” Lawson-Remer said.

San Diego County Public Health Officer Dr. Sayone Tihalolipawan arrived at the Otay facility on February 20 to conduct an inspection according to California Health Code after what county officials described as “alarming reports from inside the facility.”

San Diego County Administrator Paloma Aguirre, whose district includes the detention center, cited a CalMatters report detailing some of those conditions, including the detention of a deaf man from Mongolia who He has been detained for more than four months without access to an interpreter. His lawyer described it as akin to solitary confinement. Aguirre cited other reports of unsafe conditions inside, such as disease, inadequate food and delays in medical care.

“Unfortunately, what we’re seeing today reflects a broader pattern under the Trump administration where federal agencies are increasingly blocking transparency and oversight even when public health is at stake,” Aguirre said.

Also held at two other private facilities in California sued before the federal government due to facility conditions. The companies that run them have said they operate the detention centers in accordance with federal law.

In one of the lawsuits, attorneys for detainees at the Adelanto Detention Center filed a motion Tuesday that includes more than two dozen affidavits claims of dirty water, spoiled food and people locked in isolation for asking for basic necessities at the San Bernardino County site.

On the same day that CoreCivic and ICE denied San Diego County officials access to the Otay Mesa detention center, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla attempted an unannounced visit.

A federal law allows members of Congress to inspect detention centers without notice. The Department of Homeland Security requires lawmakers to give seven days’ notice of visits, but in December a federal judge temporarily suspended this restriction confirming that lawmakers can monitor detention centers in real time.

District Attorney Damon Brown said the lawsuit alleges the federal government’s refusal violated the Administrative Procedure Act because officials did not provide a legal explanation for blocking the state-mandated inspection.

“Every entity operating in San Diego County must comply with state health and safety laws, and no entity is exempt,” Brown said.

CalMatters reporters Deborah Sullivan Brennan and Jeanne Quang contributed to this report.