KERN COUNTY, Calif. (FOX26) — A class action lawsuit has been filed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by seven detainees at the California City Detention Facility in Kern County.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by seven detainees at the California City Detention Facility in Kern County.
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The complaint accuses ICE and DHS of failing to provide adequate medical care and other essential services.
“It’s a mess in here. And it’s very cold. Very cold,” Sokhean Keo, one of the plaintiffs, said. “It’s like the whole floor is full of dirt.”
Keo has been detained for around three months and describes in the complaint witnessing suicide attempts of other detainees due to the living conditions.
“The mental health is very very poor for us,” Keo said.
The lawsuit claims detainees are denied essential medications and accommodations, with some waiting months for specialist care.
Kyle Virgien, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU National Prison Project, said the complaints are well documented and highlighted cases of inadequate care.
A class action lawsuit has been filed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by seven detainees at the California City Detention Facility in Kern County.
“We’ve documented an instance of someone who likely has cancer and has been waiting months to see a specialist to determine if he has it while his bloodwork gets increasingly abnormal,” Virgien said. “We’ve documented cases of someone who is not getting adequate diabetes care, who is not heart medication.”
DHS denied the allegations, claiming that the facility provides some detainees with the best healthcare they have ever received.
Virgien noted that the lawsuit aims to encourage more detainees to come forward, despite fears of retaliation.
DHS maintains that the safety and well-being of individuals in custody are priorities for ICE.
No hearing date has been set, but updates will follow as the case progresses.