SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- San Diego County supervisors have authorized a lawsuit against federal officials and a private prison company after they say they were denied full access during a scheduled public health inspection at the Otay Mesa Detention Center last month.
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday night to allow county counsel to sue Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and private prison company CoreCivic if they continue to block a full inspection of the facility. Federal officials have until the end of the day Wednesday to confirm access, or supervisors say they will file the suit by next week.
Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer said the county has an obligation to act on the reports it has received.
"When credible reports emerge that conditions inside a facility may be unsafe, the county has a duty to investigate," Lawson-Remer said.
County leaders say they have received an increasing number of reports from detainees about unsafe living conditions inside the facility, which is run by CoreCivic under a federal contract with ICE.
Supervisors shared a letter confirming their approval to enter the detention center last month. ABC10 news was there when they were denied access.
Chair Pro Tem Paloma Aguirre questioned what officials are trying to conceal.
"What are they hiding? Is it the lack of clean drinking water that we've heard about in letters from detainees, is it the medical neglect that has led to preventable emergencies, or is it the fact that a private for-profit corporation is running a facility that can't pass a basic health inspection?" Aguirre said.
Aguirre also directed a message at DHS Secretary Noem.
"You have publicly claimed that these facilities are well run and orderly. If that is true why did your office intervene at the at the 11th hour to block a lawful inspection?" Aguirre said.
County leaders say the push for access is not a publicity stunt and that they will not stop until they are allowed inside.
"At this point, it's time for action, and if they do not schedule this inspection on Friday, we will be in court," Lawson-Remer said.
CoreCivic has previously said it welcomes oversight and maintains that it operates safe facilities.
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