OTAY MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — San Diego County supervisors were turned away Friday when they attempted to conduct a health inspection at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, despite having what they say was prior approval from federal immigration officials.
Supervisors Tara Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre arrived at the facility on Friday afternoon but were denied entry. The county's public health officer was allowed inside but could only access limited areas, including the medical bay, kitchen, and speak with a few staff members.
"I'm very deeply concerned; it is a huge red flag that they will not let us in. It's not just a moral issue, but it is a clear legal issue," Lawson-Remer said.
The supervisors say the health officer was not permitted to review policies and procedures, examine medical records, tour areas where detainees are housed, or speak with any detainees.
County officials showed emails from CoreCivic sent on Wednesday stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had approved their entry to conduct the inspection. However, on Friday, they were told ICE cleared them locally, but national officials called to deny access.
"The story changed twice while we were in the lobby, and at some point, they even brought up that they wanted to call the sheriffs on us," Aguirre said.
The inspection request came after weeks of concerns about conditions inside the detention center where ICE detainees are held. Congress members have also been denied oversight visits in recent weeks.
The county inspection is protected by state law, which allows county public health officials to inspect areas within their jurisdiction, as they would a local restaurant for safety.
The supervisors say they plan to sue for access to the facility.
ICE did not respond to requests for comment. CoreCivic sent a statement about the type of care detainees receive inside the facility but did not address why the supervisors were denied entry.
Read the full statement here:
"The safety, health and well-being of the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority. We take seriously our responsibility to adhere to all applicable federal detention standards in our immigration facilities, including our Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC), which is required to undergo regular review and audit processes to ensure an appropriate standard of living and care for all detainees.
In addition to the reviews and audits conducted by our government partners, our facilities are regularly subject to independent audits without any prior notice. They also are routinely visited by elected officials, immigration attorneys, community volunteers, and the friends and families of detainees. The leadership and staff at OMDC welcome the oversight of the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency and are cooperating fully with the Public Health Officer related to an on-site visit.
It's important to note that all visits and/or tours must be coordinated and approved by our government partners at ICE. Please contact ICE Public Affairs regarding anyone not being permitted inside the facility.
Additional Information
Medical Care
CoreCivic is committed to providing access to high-quality medical and mental health care for all detainees. At OMDC, our onsite medical clinic is staffed by licensed health care professionals including physicians, nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors and dentists who contractually meet the highest standards of care, as verified by multiple audits and inspections.
On February 17, OMDC received reaccreditation from the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) by demonstrating compliance with NCCHC’s Standards for Health Services in Jails, which are some of the most rigorous in correctional health care.
All detainees have daily access to sign up for medical care, including mental health services. CoreCivic also ensures access to offsite care for residents by coordinating with staff, government partners, community physicians, hospitals and ambulatory care providers. In 2024 alone, there were over 800,000 onsite medical and mental health care encounters in CoreCivic facilities. All CoreCivic staff are trained in CPR and first aid. Additional insight on how we provide appropriate medical and mental health care, from the perspective of our facility warden at OMDC, can be found in a recent op-ed published in the San Diego Union Tribune, found here [sandiegouniontribune.com].
Meals
At OMDC, we provide three nutritious meals a day for those in our care. We take great care to offer meals that support specialized diets, including religious diets and more than a dozen therapeutic diets, as well as cultural preferences. Menus are reviewed and approved on a regular basis by a registered dietitian to ensure appropriate nutrition is provided. This menu review includes the common fare diet and religious diets, including food portions and nutritional content.
CoreCivic’s Role
CoreCivic plays a limited but important role in America’s immigration system. We have a long-standing, zero-tolerance policy not to advocate for or against any legislation that serves as the basis for – or determines the duration of – an individual’s detention. CoreCivic does not enforce immigration laws, arrest anyone who may be in violation of immigration laws, or have any say whatsoever in an individual’s deportation or release. CoreCivic also does not know the circumstances of individuals when they are placed in our facilities. Those matters are at the sole discretion of the federal government. Our responsibility is to care for each person respectfully and humanely while they receive the legal due process that they are entitled to.
Oversight and Grievances
Our facilities are subject to multiple layers of oversight and are monitored very closely by our government partners to ensure full compliance with policies and procedures, including any applicable detention standards. We also have our own detailed Human Rights Policy [corecivic.com] that clearly outlines our commitments regarding detainee rights and treatment, including legal rights, safety and security, healthcare, visitation and standards of living. We don’t cut corners on care, staff, or training, which meets, and in many cases exceeds, our government partners’ standards. CoreCivic has extensive pre- and in-service training requirements for staff covering all key policy areas. In many cases, CoreCivic staff training is identical to the training received by our government partner counterparts, and it meets or exceeds the training standards of the independent American Correctional Association (ACA). OMDC is accredited by ACA and scored 100% on the mandatory and non-mandatory standards during their most recent audit.
We also have a robust grievance process available to all detainees that provides multiple safe and discrete avenues for concerns to be raised, including toll-free telephone numbers. All detainees also have access to management staff. Most detainee complaints are processed through ICE's ERO Detention, Removals and Information Line. For more information, click here [ice.gov]."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
