Here is what you need to know in the Feb. 20, 2026, Streamline newsletter:
San Diego County officials are set to conduct an oversight inspection of the Otay Mesa Detention Center today, just weeks after the facility refused entry to Rep. Juan Vargas. This follow-up visit is prompted by reports of inadequate living conditions and mistreatment that initially spurred lawmakers to seek access.
We’re following through on a major community effort to honor Filipino American military veterans. Organizers are raising funds to establish a monument at a Chula Vista park, commemorating the thousands who served and sacrificed for our country.
And if unsolicited mail has been piling up in your mailbox, Scripps News Group’s John Matarese has practical advice to help you cut through the clutter and protect your delivery from unwanted flyers and promotional material.
THE STREAMLINE
ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Friday, Feb. 20 -- everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
TOP STORY
Today, some San Diego County leaders will attempt to get a closer look inside the Otay Mesa Detention Center
Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Paloma Aguirre will be joined by other officials as part of a public health inspection.
“The inspection will evaluate environmental health, sanitation, food service, medical access, and related public health standards inside the privately operated immigration detention facility,” according to a press release.
Friday’s inspection comes after Rep. Juan Vargas was denied entry by Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this month.
Vargas said he received handwritten notes from detainees who claimed they did not have food, were constantly getting sick, and were being held in cold conditions.
"I don't know if the food is food that's edible. I don't know that. I don't know if the conditions that they're holding people in there are standard or substandard. I don't know that,” Vargas said. "We have every right to be here. That's the whole point. You have every right to be here, and I've done this many times before, and I have to tell you, each and every time they've allowed me in."
Last week, Lawson-Remer announced the county initiated steps for a public health inspection, asserting it has authority under the California Health and Safety Code to examine any detention facility within county limits, including those operated by private companies for federal agencies. Lawson-Remer said the goal was to “document the reality inside.”
ICE did not respond to ABC 10News’ request for comment after Vargas’ attempt to visit the facility.
In a statement, CoreCivic the private contractor managing the facility -- said the “safety, health and well-being of the individuals entrusted to our care is our top priority” and “any claim of food quality issues at OMDC is patently false.”
MICROCLIMATE FORECASTS
Coasts
Inland
Mountains
Deserts
BREAKING OVERNIGHT
Crews hope to resume efforts to recover the bodies of eight people killed in an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada and search for a person missing but presumed dead on Friday.
The renewed push follows days of dangerous weather that has hampered safe access to the area.
Avalanche warnings are set to expire early in the day, and dryer and milder conditions are predicted for the weekend.
Family members of six women who died in the avalanche say they were among a group of eight close friends and experienced backcountry skiers who went on the trip together.
Story by Associated Press
CONSUMER
If you’ve donated to a good cause lately, especially during the holidays, you may have found more solicitation requests being mailed to your home.
WATCH — Scripps News Group consumer reporter John Matarese takes a look at the ways you can stop unwanted mail:
WE FOLLOW THROUGH
An effort is underway to raise money for a monument at a South Bay park that honors Filipino American military veterans.
In October 2025, the Chula Vista City Council approved a 5.5-acre park in the city’s Otay Ranch area.
While the park is publicly funded, the monument would come from private donations.
JoAnn Fields, spokesperson for the Filipino-American Military Officers Association, told ABC 10News, “We had veterans that said, ‘I fought side-by-side with Filipinos that have not been recognized.’ This is also a sharing of our history, and I believe that is one way we can erase hate. We can erase hate because we are reminded we are your neighbor and we have worked together.”
Thousands of Filipinos fought alongside the U.S. in World War II, but benefits promised to them were taken away.
Advocates said this park – the first of its kind in the country – is a step forward to commemorate those who fought for the U.S.
A Filipino-American Military Officers Association fundraiser for the monument is set to be held at the Applebee’s restaurant in Clairemont (7677 Balboa Ave.) on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8 a.m.
The cost is $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased at the door.
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