CALIFORNIA CITY — The California City immigration detention center prohibits contact visits for all detained individuals, requiring families to communicate through glass barriers using telephones. The facility, operated by CoreCivic, houses approximately 1,600 people under these visitation restrictions.

Teresa Reyes visited her son Guillermo at the detention center on his 32nd birthday in May. "I want to hold my son, I want to touch him, I want to assure him everything is going to be OK, but I can’t," Reyes said. She described the emotional difficulty of maintaining composure during these separated encounters.

"When I see him, I have to hold back tears. I have to pretend to be strong, because I don’t want him to think I am suffering," Reyes said. Guillermo Reyes is detained at the California City immigration detention center, where he remains subject to the no-contact policy.

Samantha Sanchez is seven months pregnant and also detained at the facility. "I have this baby growing inside me, and he hasn’t even touched my belly," Sanchez said. She noted the physical and emotional distance created by the barrier policies.

"It would just be a bit of relief on my nervous system to hug him," Sanchez said. Families and detainees describe the emotional toll of being unable to touch or hug loved ones, citing feelings of isolation and helplessness.

Four of the 10 ICE detention centers with the largest populations prohibit contact visits. The Stewart detention center in Georgia prohibits contact visits, as does the South Texas processing center in Pearsall. The Montgomery processing center in Conroe, Texas prohibits contact visits as well.

Why It Matters

The prohibition on contact visits at the California City facility affects approximately 1,600 detainees and their families, creating a barrier to physical connection that state officials say conflicts with the operator's own guidelines. The California Department of Justice audit indicates that the current practice may violate the CoreCivic policy which allows physical contact unless restricted for security risks.

The broader context includes other large facilities with similar bans, such as those in Georgia and Texas, suggesting a pattern among high-population centers. Additionally, a federal lawsuit alleging inadequate care and treatment continues to proceed, raising questions about the overall conditions and oversight at the site.

Timeline

Allen Tayson was detained by ICE in February during a green card interview at a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office. The California Department of Justice audited the California City detention center in the spring.

Twenty-five people were held at San Francisco International Airport for more than 72 hours through July. Eighteen of the 25 people held at San Francisco International Airport for more than 72 hours were transferred to ICE detention. Nineteen of the 25 people held at San Francisco International Airport for more than 72 hours held green cards.

What's New

The California City Detention Facility, operated by CoreCivic, prohibits all family or other social visits, requiring detainees and families to communicate through glass barriers using telephones. A lawsuit being heard in federal court in San Francisco alleges meager medical care, inadequate access to lawyers and punishing treatment at the California City facility, with the case scheduled to proceed before U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney.

US Customs and Border Patrol transported immigrants to San Francisco International Airport after they landed at other California airports, including Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

How Sources Differ

Regarding the California City detention center, the CoreCivic communication service rate sheet states that video calls from the California City detention center cost 21 cents per minute. The California Department of Justice audit report states that a photo published by the California Department of Justice showed the visitation area at the California City detention center contains picnic tables.