ADELANTO — Attorneys for Carlitos Ricardo Parias released footage showing him holding a bottle of water from inside the Adelanto ICE facility that appeared to be contaminated with worm-like creatures. The video shows Parias holding a plastic bottle filled with water containing small pests swimming inside.

Margaret Hellerstein, an attorney for Parias, shared the footage on Thursday and stated it was filmed recently. Parias is a Los Angeles man who has been detained for months at the Adelanto ICE facility, which is run by the private prison company Geo Group.

Parias is a TikTok creator known as Richard LA. He received national attention after he was shot by an ICE agent in October and then charged with assault. A federal judge dismissed the assault charge against Parias and he was transferred to ICE custody where he is facing removal.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated in an email that the facility receives its water from the city of Adelanto and provides the same water used by residents and businesses in the area. Lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security stated in a filing that drinking water had been sampled and tested at various distribution points by an independent third party and determined to be clean per Food and Drug Administration standards.

The Department of Homeland Security has argued in court that Geo Group as a contractor is responsible for the conditions of the facility. Geo Group is not a defendant in the lawsuit.

A federal judge ordered ICE to ensure that people detained in Adelanto had 24-hour access to clean, potable drinking water. The judicial order was a response to a class-action lawsuit challenging conditions at Adelanto, where plaintiffs alleged they were denied sufficient food, clean drinking water, and proper medical care.

The class-action lawsuit stated that tap water at the facility was discolored and tasted odd, raising concerns about its potability. Lawyers for the class-action plaintiffs wrote that drinking water provided in coolers often appears dirty and regularly runs out for hours at a time.

U.S. District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes granted a renewed motion for a preliminary injunction two weeks ago, ordering DHS and ICE to make improvements at the facility. Judge Sykes ordered ICE to provide access to two independent, third-party monitors to the facility, one focusing on medical care and disability accommodations and the other on general facility conditions.

Why It Matters

The release of footage showing pests in detained individuals' water occurs shortly after a federal judge ordered the facility to provide 24-hour access to clean, potable drinking water. This development tests compliance with the court's preliminary injunction, which was issued in response to a class-action lawsuit alleging systematic denial of basic necessities. The situation shows ongoing disputes over accountability between federal agencies and the private contractor responsible for facility conditions.