SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A federal judge signaled Wednesday he will likely allow San Diego County to conduct a full public health inspection of the Otay Mesa Detention Center, saying that blocking access could cause "irreparable harm."
Judge James E. Simmons made the comments during a roughly hour-long hearing in the county's lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and CoreCivic, which operates the ICE detention center. While Simmons stopped short of issuing a final order, he directed all parties to work out the details of the inspection before he rules.
"From my perspective, we're very encouraged by the judge's ruling and all of the statements that were made today on the record," said county counsel Damon Brown.
The county filed the lawsuit after Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre were turned away from the facility in February. The county's public health officer was allowed inside at the time but was not permitted to conduct a full inspection.
"The federal government's trying to gaslight the public, but the federal judge has made it very clear that we have the legal authority to conduct this inspection," said supervisor Lawson-Remer.
During the hearing, the government questioned why the two county supervisors needed to be part of the inspection team. County officials pushed back.
"Everyone on the inspection team that we sent to the Otay Mesa detention facility was qualified in their individual areas of expertise to contribute to what is needed to engage and conduct a robust inspection," said Brown.
The judge directed the government, CoreCivic, and the county to spend three weeks working out the details of the inspection, including who will be on the inspection team, what the inspection will cover, and procedures for how the county will meet with detainees who wish to speak with them. A final ruling is expected after that period.
"From my perspective, this is an affirmation of what we've been saying all along," said Supervisor Lawsuon-Remer.
The county's legal push is the first of its kind by any county in California.
ICE declined to comment on the hearing Wednesday. Core Civic issued the following statement:
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 ICE-contracted facilities, including our Otay Mesa Detention Center (OMDC). Our immigration facilities are monitored very closely by our government partners at ICE, and they are 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.
We fully respect the judicial process and remain committed to working with both ICE and San Diego County to find a mutually agreed upon resolution to this matter. It's important to note, however, that all visits and/or tours must be coordinated and approved by our government partners at ICE. Please contact ICE Public Affairs for additional insight.
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.
